Back pain
Back pain is a very common and often disabling condition.
About 80% of people will get a severe bout of back pain at some point in their lives.
This is most common between the ages of 25 and 50, although it may affect people of any age.
Once a person has had an episode of back pain then they are twice as likely to get a reoccurrence of that pain within 1 year.
So it is vitally important to take care of your back to prevent back pain and also to seek proper treatment when you do have pain, not only to get better as quick as possible but to help prevent that pain from coming back again.
There are many different causes of back pain but many can be put down to lifestyle factors such as poor posture, heavy manual work that involves bending and twisting, poor lifting technique, sedentary occupation, smoking and lack of strength or fitness to deal with applies loads.
The underlying source of your back pain can be from several different structures.
This includes inflammation, degeneration or damage to spinal joints, vertebral discs, spinal muscles/ligaments and nerves.
Often it is from a combination of structures rather than any one in isolation. ‘Sciatica’ is the term given to irritation or compression of the Sciatic nerve.
This may result in symptoms in the leg of pain, pins and needles, numbness, or weakness.
Self treatment of back pain
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Keep moving if possible - Movements that aggravate pain should be avoided initially
- Movements that reduce or have no affect on pain should be encouraged initially
- In severe cases bed rest may be necessary for up to 48 hours to reduce pain
- Pain killers
- Heat will help to ease muscle spasm that may be causing some of the pain
- If pain is very severe then you may need to contact your GP for prescription pain killers and anti-inflammatories or an injection to ease the pain.
- Avoid staying in the one position for too long
Physiotherapy Treatment of back pain
- Physiotherapy treatment for back pain will include identifying the possible cause and source of the pain
- Using techniques such as massage, acupuncture, joint mobilisation and manipulation to help relieve pain and restore full range of movement.
- Exercise therapy such as stretching and strengthening exercises will help to restore movement and strength to the muscles that support the spine and will allow for faster recovery and a reduced chance of recurrence.
