09/09/2026
🧠 Can the words we use about back pain actually contribute to fear and disability?
“Degeneration.” “Disc bulge.” “Narrowing.” “Damage.”
In his Digi4MSK webinar, Professor Peter O’Sullivan reflected on how diagnostic labels, imaging findings and messages about having a “vulnerable back” can shape the way people understand their pain.
When people are repeatedly told to protect their back, avoid painful movements or interpret scan findings as evidence of damage, the consequences can go beyond the consultation: fear, hypervigilance, avoidance of activity and greater reliance on passive treatments.
As Peter highlights, findings on scans do not necessarily predict a person’s pain experience, disability or future trajectory.
🎥 In this extract, he raises an important question for clinical practice: How do we communicate back pain when there is no clear pathology?
Communication, beliefs about pain and person-centred care will also be part of the wider conversation at the Digi4MSK Final Congress on 19 September, with national and international experts sharing evidence and practical approaches to musculoskeletal pain care.
⚠️ Planning to attend in person? On-site registration closes tomorrow 10 September.
📍 Zaragoza + online
🎟️ Free registration: https://digi4msk.eu/event/digi4msk-congress/
