Back pain is one of the most common conditions that Physiotherapists and other Health Professionals treat due to 80% of the UK’s population experiencing back pain at some point within their lifetime.
Back pain is usually not caused by a serious condition and 95% of back pain does get better. That said, it often has a big impact on the sufferer’s life physically and mentally and can limit everyday activities. Conversely low back pain is the second major reason for employees having time off work, the first being due to stress (NHS, 2012).
Pain in the lower back is a common complaint due to the amount of mechanical stress and load on that area from the rest of the body. Age, poor posture and lifting incorrectly can all add to the strain on the back which causes many common conditions such as sciatica, muscle aches and pains, degeneration of the joints, spondylosis, locked joints, sacro-iliac dysfunction and disc protrusions.
Back pain is usually caused by the muscles, ligaments, nerves or joints of your back not moving or working properly. Although you may feel like bed rest is the best thing for you it does not help to rest for more than 1-2 days. Increasing movement and exercise will be much more beneficial in helping to improve your symptoms. Your spine is designed to support your body and move so it is important to stay active.
If you have back pain for more that a few days and if pain is affecting your movement then you should seek advice and treatment from a Physiotherapist.
Physiotherapy at Estuary Clinic aims to restore movement and function of the spine to improve back pain through the use of the most evidenced based treatments such as manual therapy, advice & education and exercise prescription.
Your Physiotherapist will treat your current pain and as well as delving deeper to identify the underlying cause of the condition in order to concurrently treat this to prevent reoccurrence. Depending on your condition your pain should improve within just a few Physiotherapy sessions. However, continued support is available to prevent further injury and for those of you who need to improve your sport performance or daily activities. Your Physiotherapist can help design your exercise program that is specific and relevant to your needs.
Here at Estuary Clinic we also provide continued support via a Back Care Course – a 6 week course to improve the function of your spine using a combination of yoga and physio based exercises. This class is taught by one of our Physiotherapists and is suitable for people with and without back pain. For more information about the class please click here.
Chronic Back Pain
If you have experienced back pain it is likely that you will experience it again. However, with the right medical advice and guidance you can learn to manage your back pain and prevent reoccurrence.
Other services that are available at Estuary Clinic to help in the management of your back pain include: