11 Pain Myths Holding You Back From Feeling Your Best
Key insights: 60-second read
- Most common pain myths make perfect sense on the surface - but a slight shift in perspective can reveal a bigger, more empowering picture.
- Believing these myths can leave you feeling powerless - ideas like "age-related pain" or "sleeping funny" suggest you have no control over your symptoms.
- The truth often puts you back in the driver's seat - understanding what's really happening is the first step toward meaningful change.
- Local + telehealth support available - personalised physio assessment in Port Macquarie or via video consult.
There are so many myths around pain and injury that could be holding you back from feeling and functioning at your best.
The trouble is, that most common, modern-day pain myths make perfect sense on the surface. But a slight change in perspective is often all it takes to see the bigger picture. And this bigger picture often takes us from feeling like we don't have control over our aches and pains, or that we can't influence our symptoms, to suddenly understanding that there is possibly a world where your issues no longer exist.
Whether it's ideas like pain being age or growing related, or the common feeling of having "slept funny", we can do better. You deserve better.
In the video below, I discuss eleven myths that consistently pop up with my patients clinically, and offer up a slight change in perspective that will hopefully dispel them for you. As mentioned above, each myth makes complete sense when you talk them through, but no longer do when you take just a small step back.
Article Outline
Video: 11 Common Pain Myths
I genuinely hope that at least one of these common pain-related myths resonates enough with you to hopefully influence your aches, pains, or symptoms in a positive way.
1. Age-Related Pain
The Myth: As you get older, pain is inevitable. It's just part of the package.
The Truth: While some age-related changes are normal, pain is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Many so-called "age-related" issues are actually the result of accumulated habits, postures, and movement patterns over time. Your body adapts to how you use it - if you load it poorly, it will adapt poorly. But if you address the underlying dysfunction, you can often resolve pain regardless of your age.
2. No Pain No Gain
The Myth: If you're not feeling pain during exercise, you're not working hard enough.
The Truth: This is one of the most damaging fitness myths. Pain is a signal from your body that something is wrong, not a badge of honour. While discomfort from effort (like muscle burn) is normal, sharp or persistent pain indicates dysfunction. Pushing through pain often leads to injury and setbacks, not progress.
3. Cracking Your Joints is Bad
The Myth: Cracking your knuckles or other joints will give you arthritis.
The Truth: The research doesn't support this. The sound is caused by gas bubbles collapsing in the synovial fluid, not by bones grinding together. Unless cracking is accompanied by pain or swelling, it's generally harmless. In fact, some joint mobilisation techniques used by physios intentionally create these sounds to improve joint mobility.
4. Icing an Injury
The Myth: Always ice an injury immediately, and keep icing it regularly.
The Truth: This is a contentious one. Ice can provide short-term pain relief, but the evidence suggests it may actually delay healing by constricting blood vessels and reducing the delivery of healing cells. Inflammation is a natural and necessary part of the healing process. The industry is moving away from routine icing toward active recovery and movement.
5. You Moved the Wrong Way
The Myth: Your pain started because you bent over wrong, lifted incorrectly, or made a sudden movement.
The Truth: That movement was likely the "last straw," not the cause. Underlying dysfunction had been building for months or years. Your body was already close to its pain threshold, and that movement just pushed you over. This is empowering because it means the real cause was there all along - and can be addressed.
6. You Must Have "Slept Funny"
The Myth: Waking up with neck or back pain means you slept in a bad position.
The Truth: While sleeping position can contribute, how you feel in the morning is more a reflection of what you did the day before. Your body repairs itself overnight, and stiffness is often the result of how you loaded your tissues during the day. Addressing daytime postures and habits will have a bigger impact than obsessing over sleeping position.
7. Your Back is Out
The Myth: Back pain means a vertebra is "out of place" and needs to be "put back in."
The Truth: This is an oversimplification. Vertebrae are held firmly in place by ligaments and discs. They don't just slip out. What you're likely feeling is stiff, restricted spinal joints that aren't moving well. The goal isn't to "pop them back in" but to restore normal mobility to those restricted segments.
8. Scan Results Define How You Feel
The Myth: Your MRI or X-ray explains exactly why you have pain, and the findings are the problem.
The Truth: Research shows that many "abnormal" findings (like disc bulges or arthritis) are present in people with no pain at all. Scans are tools, not destiny. Two people with identical scans can have completely different pain experiences. Pain is complex - it involves tissues, but also your nervous system, stress, beliefs, and more.
9. Your Best Shoulder Posture is Back and DOWN
The Myth: To fix your posture, pull your shoulders back and down, and hold them there.
The Truth: This cue is often over-prescribed. Pulling your shoulders down excessively can actually compress the shoulder joint and create tension. A more helpful approach is to think of your shoulders sitting comfortably back (without the forced downward pull), allowing your shoulder blades to rest in a neutral position.
10. Growing Pains
The Myth: Leg pains in children are just a normal part of growing and nothing to worry about.
The Truth: While some childhood aches are benign, dismissing them as "growing pains" can miss underlying issues like joint stiffness, muscle tightness, or biomechanical problems that could be addressed. Children's bodies are incredibly adaptable - early intervention can prevent issues from becoming entrenched.
11. There's Nothing You Can Do For Your Pain
The Myth: You've tried everything, seen everyone, and nothing works. This is just your lot in life.
The Truth: This is perhaps the most damaging myth of all. The human body is remarkably adaptable. Sometimes it's not about trying harder, but trying differently - with a new perspective, a different approach, or by addressing factors you hadn't considered (like stress, sleep, or hidden joint stiffness). There is almost always something that can be done.
Related: 13 Myths You Didn't Realise Were False - more common misconceptions debunked.
I genuinely hope that at least one of these common pain-related myths resonates enough with you to hopefully influence your aches, pains, or symptoms in a positive way.
Let me know if it does!
If you genuinely found this video helpful, please consider leaving a SUPER THANKS donation on the video. Also, please consider subscribing to the Your Wellness Nerd channel for more helpful information.
- Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it true that cracking your knuckles causes arthritis?
No, research has not found a link between habitual knuckle cracking and arthritis. The sound is caused by gas bubbles collapsing in the joint fluid. Unless it's accompanied by pain or swelling, it's generally harmless.
2. Should I ice an injury immediately?
This is becoming less clear-cut. Ice can provide short-term pain relief, but it may also delay healing by constricting blood vessels. The current trend is toward active recovery and movement rather than prolonged icing. If you do use ice, limit it to short periods (10-15 minutes) and consider it a temporary pain relief tool, not a healing strategy.
3. If my MRI shows a bulging disc, is that definitely the cause of my pain?
Not necessarily. Many people with no pain have "abnormal" findings on MRIs, including disc bulges. Pain is complex and involves more than just what shows up on a scan. Your scan is a tool, but how you feel is influenced by many factors including your movement patterns, stress, beliefs, and nervous system sensitivity.
One key insight
"A slight change in perspective often takes us from feeling powerless to suddenly understanding that there is a world where your issues no longer exist. You deserve better than outdated pain myths."
Ready to Move Beyond Pain Myths and Find Real Answers?
If you're tired of being told your pain is just part of life, aging, or bad luck, a fresh perspective might be exactly what you need. Learn more about our physiotherapy services in Port Macquarie.
Want personalised guidance?
If you'd like help understanding your pain and finding a path forward, you can book with Grant either in Port Macquarie or via an online telehealth consultation.
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