November 9, 2026
As a Toronto chiropractor, I often meet patients who tell me something that sounds simple but can reveal a much bigger problem:
“I just have a bad back.”
Some have experienced back pain for years. Others throw their backs out once or twice a year and have come to expect it. Some have even been told that their spinal X-rays show degeneration or disc problems, leaving them convinced that their back will never get better.
Living with back pain can be frustrating, especially when it interferes with your work, exercise, sleep, or ability to enjoy life. Whether you’re sitting at a desk on Bay Street, commuting across downtown Toronto, or trying to stay active on the Don Valley Trail, recurring back pain can make everyday activities feel like a challenge.
But here’s something I want you to consider: Having a history of back pain does not automatically mean you have a permanently bad back.
The phrase “bad back” can sometimes prevent people from exploring why their symptoms keep returning and what they might do to improve their situation.
At my Toronto chiropractic clinic, I believe that understanding the factors contributing to back pain is an important first step toward making meaningful changes.
Let’s explore four reasons why you shouldn’t simply accept having a bad back.
1. Your Spinal X-Ray Findings May Not Tell the Whole Story
One of the most common reasons people believe they have a bad back is that an X-ray or MRI has revealed something concerning.
Perhaps you’ve been told you have disc degeneration, a disc bulge, or age-related changes in your spine. Naturally, hearing these terms can make you worry about your long-term spinal health.
However, an important question to ask is: Does an abnormal imaging finding necessarily mean something is wrong with how your back functions?
The answer is no.
Disc Bulges and Degeneration Are Common
Research published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology examined spinal imaging findings in people without back pain. The systematic review included 33 studies involving 3,110 asymptomatic individuals.
The researchers found that disc bulges and degenerative changes were common among people who had no symptoms. Their prevalence also increased with age.
For example, the estimated prevalence of disc bulges increased from approximately 30% among asymptomatic 20-year-olds to 84% among asymptomatic 80-year-olds.
These findings demonstrate that structural changes seen on imaging do not automatically explain someone’s pain.
You can read the research here: Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations.
This doesn’t mean disc bulges and degeneration are never relevant. Some imaging findings are associated with symptoms, and their significance depends on the individual. Rather, it means that imaging results must be interpreted alongside your symptoms, medical history, and clinical examination.
Why Spinal Function Matters
Imagine two people with similar findings on their spinal MRIs.
One experiences frequent back pain and struggles to bend, lift, or exercise. The other has no pain and participates in physical activities without difficulty.
If we looked only at their imaging reports, we could miss important differences between their actual experiences and abilities.
This is why assessing function matters.
At Dr. Mateusz Krekora Chiropractic Clinic, I look beyond an imaging report to understand how a person’s spine moves, how they perform everyday activities, and which factors might contribute to their symptoms.
Depending on the individual, an assessment may include spinal and joint mobility, posture, range of motion, muscle function, and relevant neurological findings.
The goal is to understand the person, not simply label the picture.
Imaging can be valuable when clinically indicated, but it should not replace a comprehensive assessment or automatically determine what someone can achieve.
2. Do You Throw Your Back Out Every Year?
Another common story I hear is:
“My back goes out about once a year. I’ve tried massage, stretching, and physiotherapy, but eventually it happens again.”
If this sounds familiar, I understand how frustrating it can be.
You experience a painful episode, gradually recover, return to your usual routine, and hope it won’t happen again. Then, months later, the same problem returns.
Over time, you may begin to believe that these episodes are simply part of your life.
But recurring back pain deserves a closer look.
Symptom Relief and Understanding the Bigger Picture
Massage, stretching, exercise, physiotherapy, and chiropractic care can all have a role in managing musculoskeletal symptoms, depending on the individual.
However, if your back pain repeatedly returns, it may be worth reassessing your situation rather than automatically repeating the same approach.
For example, are there particular movements that consistently provoke your symptoms? Does your back tolerate bending, lifting, or prolonged sitting? Are there mobility limitations, strength deficits, or activity-related factors worth addressing?
These questions can help guide a more individualized management plan.
What Is a NeuroStructural Examination?
As a Toronto chiropractor specializing in NeuroStructural Corrective Care, I use a comprehensive examination process to investigate how the spine and surrounding musculoskeletal system are functioning.
Depending on your presentation, this may include:
The findings help build a clearer picture of your presentation and guide decisions about appropriate care.
Importantly, no single examination finding automatically identifies the cause of back pain. A sound clinical assessment considers the whole picture, including medical history, symptom behaviour, functional limitations, and potential warning signs.
The next step is to develop an individualized plan that may combine chiropractic treatment, exercise, movement modification, education, and self-management strategies.
Evidence-based Canadian chiropractic guidance supports approaches that combine education, staying active, exercise, and appropriate hands-on treatment for many presentations of low back pain. You can explore the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative’s research on conservative treatments for low back pain.
The objective is not simply to get you through another painful episode. It is to help you understand your condition, improve your function, and make informed decisions about your long-term back health.
3. The ‘Bad Back’ Mindset Can Hold You Back
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t appear on an X-ray: your beliefs about your body.
When you’ve experienced pain repeatedly, it’s understandable to become frustrated or discouraged. You might begin to think:
These thoughts can feel justified, particularly when you’ve been dealing with symptoms for years.
However, believing that your back is permanently damaged is not the same as knowing that it is.
How Your Expectations Can Influence Recovery
Pain is complex. It can be influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors, including previous experiences, stress, sleep, expectations, and concerns about injury.
Research and clinical guidance recognize that negative recovery expectations and fear related to pain can be associated with poorer outcomes in some people with low back pain.
This does not mean your pain is imaginary or that changing your mindset will automatically make it disappear.
It means that your understanding of pain can be one part of the overall picture.
For example, someone who believes their spine is fragile may interpret normal stiffness or discomfort as evidence of further damage. This can increase worry and make them less confident about returning to activities they previously enjoyed.
Over time, that lack of confidence can become another obstacle to recovery.
Changing the Conversation About Your Back
As chiropractors, we aren’t psychologists, and we shouldn’t pretend that positive thinking alone resolves complex pain conditions.
However, we can recognize the importance of communicating clearly, acknowledging a patient’s concerns, and helping them develop a more balanced understanding of their symptoms.
Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with my back?” consider asking:
These questions shift the focus from permanent damage toward understanding, function, and realistic opportunities for improvement.
You don’t have to convince yourself that your back is perfect. You simply need to recognize that a history of pain doesn’t automatically determine your future.
4. Avoiding Movement Can Make Your World Smaller
One of the most important behavioural changes associated with a “bad back” label is avoiding physical activity.
Perhaps you stopped going to the gym because you’re worried about lifting weights. Maybe you avoid bending down to pick something up, stopped playing golf, or no longer enjoy long walks because you’re concerned about triggering another episode.
This reaction is understandable. When movement has hurt in the past, avoiding it can feel like the safest option.
But avoiding movement indefinitely can create its own challenges.
Is Movement Bad for Your Back?
Not necessarily.
For many people experiencing low back pain, appropriately modified movement and a gradual return to normal activities are important parts of recovery.
Ontario Health’s guidance for acute low back pain encourages people to maintain usual activities, modifying them when necessary to support mobility and function.
The guidance also notes that excessive bed rest and avoiding exercise may worsen stiffness and make recovery more difficult.
Read more in the Ontario Health Low Back Pain Quality Standard.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should push through severe pain or ignore symptoms that require medical assessment.
The right activity, intensity, and progression depend on your condition, symptoms, capabilities, and clinical findings.
What Are Yellow Flags?
In musculoskeletal care, yellow flags are psychosocial factors that may increase the risk of persistent pain or disability.
These can include fear of movement, catastrophic thinking about pain, low confidence in recovery, and concerns about returning to everyday activities.
Recognizing these factors can help healthcare professionals identify barriers to recovery and tailor their recommendations.
For example, if your back hurts when you bend forward, the answer may not be to avoid bending forever.
Depending on your assessment, a more appropriate approach might involve modifying the movement initially, improving your tolerance, and gradually reintroducing bending tasks as your symptoms and function allow.
Similarly, if you want to return to weightlifting, running, cycling, or recreational sports, a structured plan can help you work toward those goals at an appropriate pace.
The aim is to help you regain confidence in your body’s capabilities rather than reinforcing the idea that your back is too fragile to use.
Your back needs an appropriate amount of movement, not a lifetime of fear.
How a Toronto Corrective Chiropractor Can Help
If you’ve been living with recurring back pain, the first step is to stop assuming that nothing can change.
At Dr. Mateusz Krekora Chiropractic Clinic, my approach to NeuroStructural Corrective Care begins with understanding your individual situation.
We consider your history, symptoms, spinal and joint mobility, posture, movement patterns, and relevant muscle and neurological findings to help determine an appropriate course of action.
Depending on your needs, your care plan may include:
It is important to understand that no examination or treatment can guarantee a permanent solution to back pain. Outcomes vary, and some conditions require medical assessment or a different treatment approach.
Good care should include realistic expectations, clear goals, and regular reassessment to determine whether the plan is helping.
If your symptoms are not improving as expected, your care plan should be reviewed rather than continued automatically.
The purpose of corrective care is to take a thoughtful, individualized approach to your spinal health and help you make progress toward the activities that matter to you.
Local Tips for Keeping Your Back Healthy in Toronto
You don’t need to overhaul your entire lifestyle to start paying more attention to your back.
Here are a few practical habits to consider.
1. Break up prolonged sitting. If you work in a downtown Toronto office, take regular movement breaks throughout the day. Change positions and walk around when possible.
2. Keep moving within your capabilities. Walking, cycling, swimming, and other forms of exercise can help you maintain physical activity. Choose options that suit your current condition and progress gradually.
3. Build strength over time. An individualized strengthening program can help improve your physical capacity and confidence with everyday tasks.
4. Avoid treating every ache as an injury. Some discomfort can occur during recovery or exercise, but symptoms need to be interpreted in context. Seek professional guidance if you’re unsure how to respond.
5. Pay attention to recurring patterns. If your back pain repeatedly returns during certain activities, consider seeking an assessment to better understand what might be contributing to the problem.
6. Give yourself permission to improve gradually. You don’t have to return to every activity immediately. Progress can involve small, consistent steps toward your goals.
When Should You Seek Medical Attention?
Although many episodes of back pain can be managed conservatively, some symptoms require urgent assessment.
Seek emergency medical attention if you develop new loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty passing urine, numbness around the groin or saddle region, or rapidly progressing weakness in your legs.
Back pain accompanied by significant trauma, fever, unexplained weight loss, or other concerning symptoms also warrants prompt medical evaluation, depending on the circumstances.
A healthcare professional can help determine whether further investigation or referral is necessary.
Conclusion: You Don’t Have to Accept the ‘Bad Back’ Label
If you’ve been telling yourself that you have a bad back for years, I encourage you to reconsider what that phrase means.
Your X-ray findings may not explain all your symptoms. Recurring episodes may deserve a more comprehensive assessment. Your beliefs about pain may influence your confidence, and avoiding movement may be preventing you from returning to activities you enjoy.
None of this means your pain isn’t real.
It means there may be more to your situation than you’ve been led to believe.
As a Toronto chiropractor, my goal is to help patients better understand their spinal health, identify relevant factors contributing to their symptoms, and explore appropriate options for improving their function.
You deserve an approach that considers the whole picture rather than simply accepting recurring pain as your normal.
Ready to stop believing that you just have a bad back?
At Dr. Mateusz Krekora Chiropractic Clinic, we’ll take the time to understand your concerns, assess your needs, and discuss whether NeuroStructural Corrective Care is appropriate for you.
Let’s work toward helping you move with greater confidence, get back to the activities you love, and feel strong enough to live life to the fullest.
Ready to feel like you’re 25 again?
Book Your Free 20-Minute Case Review and take the first step toward a better understanding of your back.
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This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a licensed chiropractor before starting any treatment.
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