Back Pain Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy for Back Pain

Clients often say, “My back’s gone”, to which I reply – “where’s it gone?” Or they say things like “I’ve put my back out”, “I’ve slipped a disc”, or “I’ve had treatment before to put my spine back into place” – I can tell you that a disc cannot slip out of place, and treatments don’t put bones and discs back into place.

Back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions physiotherapists see. In fact almost everyone will experience low back pain at some point throughout their lives. People are often emotional, distressed and highly anxious when back pain strikes, despite most low back pain being uncomplicated and short lived. Although the causes of low back pain can be complex, and there are many structures and lifestyle factors that could be the culprit, most back pain will resolve itself within a few weeks and the severity of the pain is often unrelated to the extent of physical damage.

Often low back pain can be linked to a general cause or a combination of everyday things, such as too much gardening, heavy lifting or sustained postures. This in turn can often lead to an identifiable cause and diagnosis such as muscle strains, spasms or disc issues, however some back pain has no known anatomical cause and is caused by non physical factors. Research shows that common psychological triggers can influence back pain too. This does not mean that back pain is all in your head, it just means that it is often complex and each person’s back pain involves various individual factors.

If you have suffered back pain in the past it is likely that you will have further episodes in the future. While this can be a frightening thought, as back pain is so common, it could be thought of in the same way as catching a cold – it is a part of life and rarely means anything significant. Often people think that a scan or an x-ray will show what is wrong with their back, and potentially help direct treatment. Sometimes this is useful, but not always. Our bodies are always changing as we age, so medical imaging will always show something. This has been shown to be poorly linked with pain, and often people without any pain will show up as having a disc bulge, or degeneration on their scan. You need to treat the person and not the scan.

Gone are the days of advising bed rest for back pain. People that remain active and exercise have the best long-term outcomes for back pain. It is important not to wait for your back pain to be gone before you start to move and exercise again.

Your Physio will explain this more and help devise a suitable personalised exercise programme to aid your recovery.

Call (02) 8970 8215 or Book Online and have your back pain treated by a qualified Physiotherapist