You Are Not Your Diagnosis

Stephanie Korso
22 hours ago
3 min read

People commonly describe themselves as their diagnosis. This often comes with an undercurrent of shame, frustration, and despair. I hear phrases like:

"I am arthritic."

"I am diabetic."

"I am disabled."

When people speak this way, it suggests that their diagnosis is their most important and defining characteristic.

Spoiler alert: it's not.

Your Diagnosis Does Not Define You

A diagnosis is something you have, not something you are. It may be a part of your story, but it's far from the whole story. You are shaped by so much more:

your personality
your experiences
your relationships
your hobbies
your skills and strengths

These are far more defining than anything written in a medical chart.

Your Diagnosis May Be a Coincidence

It’s easy to assume that every ache, limitation, or dysfunction is the direct result of a diagnosis. But pain is multifactorial, meaning many things contribute to it at once. And movement is context-specific, meaning you might move better in some environments or situations than others.

In other words, just because you have a diagnosis doesn’t mean it's the reason you’re in pain. And just because you’re in pain doesn’t mean your diagnosis is to blame.

Let’s look at the research:

Back Pain & Lumbar Discs: A study of 98 people with no back pain found that only 36% had completely normal lumbar discs. That means 64% had some degree of degeneration - but no pain. Furthermore, 52% had a disc bulge at one or more levels.
Hip Pain & Labral Tears: Another study examined 45 participants with no hip pain and no history of injury. MRI revealed that 73% of asymptomatic participants had abnormal hip findings - and 69% had labral tears.

What do these studies tell us?

These studies show that structural changes are common in adults, even among those without any symptoms. The findings suggest that just because something shows up on a scan, it doesn't mean it's the source of your symptoms.

In fact, your pain may be coming from something completely different altogether.

That's why it's essential to look at individuals from head-to-toe and consider the entire picture. Muscle imbalances, joint restrictions, nervous system sensitivities, and poor body mechanics are some of the most common causes of pain and stiffness and usually don't show up on imaging.

What This Means For You

A diagnosis may help guide treatment, but it should never be the end of the conversation. Before you jump into surgery or give into feelings of shame, frustration, and despair, ask yourself:

Are the surrounding muscles working efficiently?
Are they both strong and flexible?
Have all contributing factors been addressed?

When your body is functioning as an integrated system, symptoms often improve - even if the diagnosis remains the same. And when this happens, it becomes easier to focus on what makes you you, rather than being defined by your diagnosis.

Surgery may be necessary in some cases, but it rarely needs to be the first step, especially when conservative care hasn't been fully explored.

Bottom Line

You are not your diagnosis.
A diagnosis doesn’t guarantee pain. And pain doesn’t always stem from your diagnosis.
You deserve a care approach that looks at the full picture.
You are more than your symptoms. Always.

Next Steps

Have you been given a diagnosis that makes you feel stuck, frustrated, embarrassed, or hopeless? If so, contact Indepth Physical Therapy today.

Your physical therapist specializes in helping people who feel like pain is just something they’ll have to live with. You deserve better, and Indepth Physical Therapy can help you get back to the life you want to live.

References

Jensen MC, Brant-Zawadzki MN, Obuchowski N, Modic MT, Malkasian D, Ross JS. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in people without back pain. N Engl J Med. Jul 1994; 331(2): 69-73. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8208267/
Register B, Pennock AT, Ho CP, Strickland CD, Lawand A, Philippon MJ. Prevalence of abnormal hip findings in asymptomatic participants: a prospective, blinded study. Am J Sports Med. Dec 2012; 40(12): 2720-2724. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23104610/
Duvall SE, Hammond A. "Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist." July 2025.