Back
Pain particularly lower back pain is a common condition and in the UK, it is one of the largest cause of work-related absence.
Lower Back pain is also one off the main reasons of pain presented to our clinics in Manchester and Bolton for Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, Deep Tissue Massage and Rehabilitation, it can be very uncomfortable and painful , Most back
pain is not usually serious and is
managable with changes in activities and exercise.
What
is Lower Back Pain
How
Common is Lower Back Pain
What
causes Lower Back Pain
The
Need for Lower Back Pain Assessment
Methods for Lower Back Pain Assessment
What
is Lower Back Pain
Back
pain is any ache experienced within the back, it can involve various structures
of the the back (see Back Anatomy) and usually defined as non specific lower
back pain.
Lower
back pain can come on suddenly or gradually, and may from direct trauma or a conitinual repetitive action. The complex structure
of your Lower back means that even small injuries to the spine can cause a lot of pain and discomfort.
Generally
pain in your lower back is usually a symptom of stress or damage to your ligaments, muscles, tendons or discs. In most cases
of back pain your back will heal itself, and staying active and continuing with your usual activities will normally promote
healing. Back pain will usually last from a few days to a few weeks. Persistent pain however, in severe and persistent cases
of back pain, it is important to seek advice so that a correct diagnosis can be reached and appropriate treatment given. Treatment
for back pain can vary and will depend on the underlying cause of the condition.
How
Common is Lower Back Pain
Back
Pain is common, very common, it’s the number one reason for days of work and second only to the common cold for presentation
to the doctors.
Back
pain can affect anyone, regardless of age, but it is more common in people who are between 35 and 55 years of age.
Lower
back pain is often known as lumbago, affects seven out of 10 people at some time in their lives.
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What
Causes Lower Back Pain
Most
cases of lower back pain known as 'non-specific' are not caused by serious damage
or disease, but by sprains, muscle strains, minor injuries or a pinched or irritated nerve.
Back
pain can also be triggered by everyday activities at home or work, and by poor posture. For example, back pain may be triggered
by:
bending
awkwardly, lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling incorrectly,
slouching
in chairs, standing or bending down for long periods,
muscle
tension, over-stretching,
driving
in hunched positions, or driving for long periods without taking a break.
Sometimes,
you may wake up with back pain and have no idea what has caused it, this is because it can be so multifactorial, with any
activity affecting your strength, flexibility, mobility and posture, even your diet, nutrition and fluid can have an influence
on your back.
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Some
common causes of back pain include:
pregnancy,
gynaecological problems in women, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID),
different
types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis,
stress-related
tension,
viral
infections,
bone
disorders,
bladder
and kidney infections,
osteoporosis
(weak and brittle bones),
a
trip or fall,
a
trauma or injury, such as a fracture,
lack
of exercise,
obesity
this is what you osteopath, physiotherapist will discuss to help you manage and where
possible improve you back function, the better you back will be.
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The
Need for Lower Back Pain Assessment
Lower
back pain is often categorised as:
Acute - where your back pain occurs suddenly and lasts for
less than three months, and
Chronic - where your back pain develops gradually, over time,
lasts for more than 12 weeks, and causes long-term problems.
Most
back pain is not serious and can ease with a simple changes in activities however, occasionally back pain can be serious,
such as the bulging or rupture of one or more of the intervertebral discs, this
can cause serious back pain. This results in the inner jelly-like material (nucleus pulposus) pressing on the spinal cord
or nerve roots, which run next to the disc. This is commonly known as a 'slipped disc', but is more accurately described as
a 'prolapsed' (bulging) or 'herniated' (ruptured) disc.
Intervertebral
discs tend to dry out and weaken with age, or following an injury. This results in the discs becoming less flexible, which
means they do not cushion the vertebrae as well as they did before. This is a common cause of stiffness and pain, particularly
in the elderly. It also tends to be worse early in the morning.
Persistent
lower back pain can also be caused by a number of rare conditions, such as:
congenital
(inherited) spinal defects, bone diseases, shingles (an infection that affects the nerves), fibromyalgia, or cancer that has
spread to the spine.
However,
most people with lower back pain experience mild pain and have occasional bouts of pain that are more severe. This can make
it difficult to determine whether their back pain is acute or chronic.
When
you have a chronic condition of back pain or have a cycle which may follow a pattern such as;
You
experience a gradual increase in back pain and general aches which can be sharp on activity, you reduce your activity, maybe
time off work which allows the sypmtoms to ease, you then go back to work and resume activities, shortly after a period of
time your symtoms return only this time they linger for longer with stronger sensations, initially it may be once a year then
it maybecome 2 – 3 times a year.
This
is all too common and the reason a full physical assessment is required to understand the underlying conditions or make the
decision for additonal investigations.
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Methods for Lower Back Pain Assessment an treatment
There
are various methods for assessing muscular skeletal conditions particular lower back pain, our clinics offer:
Osteopathy
Physiotherapy
Rehabilitation
Deep
Tissue Massage
These
therapists have a long history of treating the public, athletes and also providing advice and assistance to industry.
Osteopathy
Both
clinics provide osteopathic treatment with all our osteopaths registered with the General Osteopathic. Back pain and its treatment
is something osteopaths have built a strong reputation in treating and work with various health professional for its management.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
is availalble at both clinics with each physiotherapist (physio’s) registered with the Health Professional Council and
the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists. All our physiotherapists are experienced
practitioners
Rehabilitation
One
of the main important issues with lower back pain is the management and recovery, this is one of the strenghts of a rehabilitation
therapist who can put in place a excellent programme working along physiotherapists and osteopaths for optimum response to
treatment.
Deep Tissue Massage
This
is an excellent way to help maintain health and complements treatment, improving function and recovery by relaxing muscles
taking the pressure of the joints allowing rehabilitation , massage is recommended by most health professional to assist treatment.
