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I've had low back pain for three months now, and it's not going away. My doctor wants me to see a psychologist. I know it's not all in my head so why do I need to see a shrink?

It sounds like your doctor is up on the latest research. Studies show one way to avoid becoming a disabled, chronic pain patient is to identify psychologic and social factors that are linked with poor results.

With back pain patient's beliefs have a lot to do with outcomes. For example people who believe back pain will lead to severe disability start to reduce their activity. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. What they think will happen does happen.

Patients who are unhappy at home or at work also have more pain and are less likely to go back to work. Some patients develop what are called fear avoidance behaviors. This means that they are afraid movement and activity will make them worse so they become very sedentary. Research shows that the more active patients have the best results.

A psychologist will be able to assess your distress and beliefs about pain. You will be given some coping strategies that work best for your situation. Learning how to handle the pain and the stress of a back problem can help you get better. Progress may be slow but it will be steady.

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