According to Norwegian Health Informatics, between 60–80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. The causes can vary — anything from heavy lifting to stress at work or home — and with so many potential triggers, it’s no surprise that there’s also an overwhelming amount of advice out there about what to do (and what not to do) if your back is acting up.
But Håvard Haglo, a physiotherapist and exercise physiologist, is skeptical of much of this advice.
“Highly specific recommendations — especially those focusing on what not to do — can create unnecessary fear in people with back pain,” he explains. “They may become afraid of making their condition worse, or worse yet, afraid to be active at all.”
This fear, he says, is an example of the nocebo effect — the opposite of the placebo effect. “If someone expects a treatment or activity to make their pain worse, those expectations can actually reduce the effectiveness of the treatment — or make them avoid it altogether.”
Haglo points out that many online articles are written for a general audience, yet often offer advice as if everyone’s back pain is the same. That’s a problem.
“You have to distinguish between acute pain and chronic pain,” he says. “With chronic pain — meaning pain that has lasted longer than three months — staying active or starting an exercise program is usually beneficial.”
Still, Haglo emphasizes that anyone experiencing back pain should consult a healthcare professional to identify the underlying cause. “There are many potential reasons for back pain. It’s important to rule out acute or serious conditions before you move forward with any exercise program.”
Haglo works as a physiotherapist and exercise physiologist at Treningsklinikken.no, located inside the TrenHer Angelltrøa fitness center in Trondheim. One of his core goals is helping people understand their pain and how to manage it through proper training.
“It’s crucial that people understand why they’re in pain and how to deal with it,” he says. “That’s a big part of what I do — helping people learn how to train as effectively as possible to reduce or eliminate symptoms related to specific injuries or diagnoses.”
Haglo offers one final reminder: your back is stronger than you think.
“Your spine is built to handle a lot of stress. It’s okay to touch or move it even if you’re in pain. The key is to pay attention to how your body responds. If the pain gets worse during or after activity, that’s your signal to adjust.”
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