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Lower Back pain Back pain is a common condition that affects most people at some point during their life. Most cases of back pain are associated with pain and stiffness in the lower back, with or without referral into the lower limbs or buttock. It is estimated that one in five people will visit their GP in any given year because of back pain and 80% of adults will experience at least one episode of back pain somewhere in their life. There are 2 main types of back pain:
Depending on the time duration of the presenting complaints, back pain is also classified into 2 types of pain:
In England, chronic back pain is the second most common cause of long-term disability (after arthritis). After stress, it is the leading cause of long-term work-related absence. A recent study found that one in every 10 people reported having some degree of chronic back pain. Recent studies performed by the NHS showed that chronic back pain is less common than acute back pain, but it is still very widespread. What causes back pain? The rates of reported cases of back pain in England have doubled over the past 40 years – a trend that is seen in almost all Western nations. Our sedentary lifestyles definitely increase the likelihood of developing back problems. Many people with back trouble will recall a specific incident when their back ‘went ‘ but the fact is that our backs are so unfit that any kind of demand in our daily lives can be a trigger. This sedentary lifestyle can lead to a weakening of our body’s own stability system of muscles responsible for maintaining good posture. Repetitive tasks can lead to some structures being overburdened, while others can stiffen up, become tight or inactive and weak through a lack of use. This can cause undue stress and strain, especially on the lower back Spinal problems are often made worse by staying in the same position for prolonged periods of time (in front of the computer, on the couch, long haul flights, etc), so even the slightest amount of postural change involved in this simple movement really can be beneficial. What must I do if I have back pain? The best is not to wait too long before consulting a professional regarding your back pain. Prevention is always better than cure and intervening with therapy when you have acute back pain has better results and quicker response time than chronic back pain. When you consult a Physiotherapist (there are good ones at 222 Old Brompton Road and 40 Webbs Road, London…), you get a detailed examination and assessment which is individually tailored to your needs. Your physiotherapist will listen carefully to the type of problem you describe and perform a biomechanical assessment of your spine, pelvis and surrounding structures to determine what structures could be the cause of your pain how they should be treated. The conclusions from this session helps to form a plan of treatment and can be used to predict how much treatment you might need and how much improvement you can expect to achieve. What type of treatment can I expect? Physiotherapists use a range of techniques and approaches to target the source of your pain, treat any underlying or causative factors and minimize contributing issues that predisposes you to get injured. The different techniques you can expect are :
If you think you suffer from any lower back pain, feel free to contact us for a consultation at info@physio4all.com so that we can help you return to the lifestyle you want! Physio for all |
