6. Reassure with reason

Discuss the specific concerns which were identified while researching the threat

Provide personalised reasssurance based on examination findings, clinical experience and research evidence.

Reassure with reason

Acute low back pain is associated with significant uncertainty.

People often report being unsure about what is going on in their back. This does not prevent them from having worrying ideas:

“I believe that they’re just out of place, or there’s something wrong with the actual vertebrae themselves, whether or not they’re cracked, I don’t know”

19 YEAR OLD FEMALE WITH ACUTE PAIN

“maybe something’s degenerating, or some sort of like... arthritis or something like terrible like that”

24 YEAR OLD FEMALE WITH ACUTE PAIN

People are also often uncertain about their back’s ability to heal and the impact it will have upon their future:

“I guess it’s always going to be a weak point”

55 YEAR OLD FEMALE WITH ACUTE PAIN

Exploring the person’s concerns allows the provision of reassurance which specifically addresses these factors. Appropriate, targeted reassurance is much more effective than generic messages.