Back pain can be caused by problems with either discs, joints, muscles and ligaments or most often a combination of these. It is usually the result of acute trauma/injury or poor postural habits and the resulting accumulation of stress on the spine. However, there are other rarer, more serious causes of back pain that can result in progressive inflammatory processes affecting bones and joints.
Symptoms
Back pain for many people is often experienced as a pain or discomfort located between the lower ribs and posterior, with or without the addition of leg pain.
Symptoms can range from muscle ache to shooting pain, limited movement, altered walking and difficulty standing straight. If sciatica occurs along with the back problem, nerve pressure is experienced as pain that radiates down the leg and possibly into the ankle or foot. Pins and needles and numbness can occur too.
Acute low back pain generally lasts for a few days to weeks and is usually as a result of trauma or arthritis. Low back pain that persists for longer than three months is considered chronic.
Treatment
Our Physiotherapists are highly trained to diagnose problems in the joints and soft tissues of the body. They will carry out a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan to help successfully manage your particular problem.
Manual therapy such as spinal manipulation/mobilisation and massage are often used to alleviate symptoms and manage this condition in the acute stage. A home exercise programme will be devised to help restore muscular strength and re-educate accurate movement patterns. We may advise other activities such as pilates to help with the long term care of your back and may also help to relieve your back pain through the use of acupuncture or dry needling.
Back pain can be caused due to a number of different reasons so we will assess your condition and find the most appropriate treatment for your pain.
Although many different structures can cause pain in the back such as the disc, ligament, muscles and nerve tissue, we will try to find the underlying reason why that structure was damaged in the first place, allowing you to address the root cause rather than just treat the symptoms.
We will aim to educate you about your back so you can best understand the benefits of the treatment and how to manage it long term if needed.