Back pain is an epidemic. Severe back pain can be a disabling condition. The lumbar spine pain is one of the most common causes for time off work and is experienced by most of the population at some time in their working career. As a result of this it is essential to not only the individual but also their employer to help prevent problems with the lumbar spine.
People often think that they have to live with chronic back pain. They may have friends or relatives with similar back pain who did not get relief from surgery or other medical treatment. If you are suffering with back pain, we encourage you to try osteopathy treatment. Osteopathy can alleviate the pain and discomfort and allow the person to return to their normal activities.
Why Do We Get Lower Back Pain?
The most common cause of this pain is muscular and ligamentous irritation as the result of an abnormal movement or from lifting incorrectly and straining the muscles of the back. The person may experience a sudden onset of lower back pain from lifting and turning at the waist rather than moving with their feet to move something heavy. In some cases, the back pain subsides over a few days of recovery and should respond successfully to nothing more than gentle exercise within a few days.
If however these symptoms persist or keep recurring then there may be an underlying problem that needs to be looked at to help resolve the symptoms and prevent them for coming back again in the future, it could be a condition that could be treated successfully with osteopathy.
Get Seen By An Osteopath For Your Lower Back Pain
Acute back pain is a sudden onset of back pain due to an accident or injury. Chronic back pain lasts for months or even years. An osteopath can identify the causes of the back pain and treat the underlying condition to eliminate the pain and prevent relapses.
Osteopathic treatment of lower back pain aims to help reduce the muscular spasm and to release any areas of the spine which may have become restricted due to abnormal strains.
Through the prescription of exercises to help strengthen the spine and the ‘core muscles’ the patient should be able to be keep their problem under control.
When there is also referred pain down into the leg, patient may have lower back pain radiating to hip and pelvis areas. This is often a sign that there may be pressure upon on of the nerves in the lumbar spine. Proper diagnosis by the osteopath is very important to determine the exact cause and nature of the condition.
A Full Lumbar Spine Assessment Is Desirable
A full bio-mechanical assessment of the individual is normal done to discern if there are any problems that may be contributing towards the lumbar spine pain, so treatment of the hip, knee and ankle may also occur.
Posture, lack of exercise, obesity and the increased amount of time that is spent sitting are greatly contributing towards the incidence of lower back pain, and as such our back pain treatment sessions usually include some form of preventative advice to help reduce these factors.
There is good evidence to show that osteopathic treatment for lower back pain is effective when combined with exercise therapy in adults. Osteopathy for back pain treatment may include self-care measures to prevent problems as well as exercises to strengthen the muscles affecting the spine health.
Additional treatment via the lower back: Sciatica or sciatic pain is often described as a pain in the leg or buttock that is caused by the low back. We, osteopaths can help with sciatica via treatments done in your lower back region.
Contact us to learn more about how we can work together to overcome back pain. If you are experiencing any lower back pain, our Penarth clinic is here to serve you. Feel free to contact us about any questions you may have by calling us or filling up the form below.
Book An Osteopathic Appointment
Book a visit to our Penarth clinic by calling us now on: 029 2070 8350
or leave us a note below for us to call you back.
If you are unsure about how we can help you, the best way is to talk to us to find out.
We are just a phone call away, so do call us now.
Airaksinen O, Brox JI, Cedraschi C, Hildebrandt J, Klaber-Moffett J, Kovacs et al.: Chapter 4. European guidelines for the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eur Spine J 2006, 15 Suppl 2: S192-S300.
Assendelft WJ, Morton SC, Yu EI, Suttorp MJ, Shekelle PG: Spinal manipulative therapy for low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004, CD000447.
Chou R, Qaseem A, Snow V, Casey D, Cross JT, Jr., Shekelle P et al.: Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain: a joint clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society. Ann Intern Med 2007, 147: 478-491
Chou R, Huffman LH: Nonpharmacologic therapies for acute and chronic low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society/American College of Physicians clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med 2007, 147: 492-504.
Furlan AD, Imamura M, Dryden T, Irvin E: Massage for Low Back Pain: An Updated Systematic Review Within the Framework of the Cochrane Back Review Group. Spine 2009, 34: 1669-1684.
Hondras MA, Long CR, Cao Y, Rowell RM, Meeker WC: A randomized controlled trial comparing 2 types of spinal manipulation and minimal conservative medical care for adults 55 years and older with subacute or chronic low back pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009, 32: 330-343.
Lawrence DJ, Meeker W, Branson R, Bronfort G, Cates JR, Haas M et al.: Chiropractic management of low back pain and low back-related leg complaints: a literature synthesis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008, 31: 659-674.
Savigny P, Watson P, Underwood M: Early management of persistent nonspecific low back pain: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ 2009, 338: b1805.
van Tulder M, Becker A, Bekkering T, Breen A, Del Real MT, Hutchinson A et al.: Chapter 3. European guidelines for the management of acute nonspecific low back pain in primary care. Eur Spine J 2006, 15 Suppl 2: S169-S191.