All Types of Back Pain
Lower Back Pain
Injury to the lower back. Not only is it a pain in the back, but it’s also a pain in the butt!
In this article, we will provide a brief overview of lower back pain and a general overview that will serve as a good starting point for further discussions.
Low back pain (LBP) , also known and as ‘lumbar spine pain’ is a common disorder of the neuro-musculoskeletal system. In 2015, 14% of all Australians from a range of age groups reported back related problems, the most prevalent being LBP. LBP can affect activities of daily living, mobility, communication, lifestyle and self-care. It is a significant cause of disability, impacting economic and community participation.
Issues in joints, connective tissues, muscles and nerves of the back can cause or influence LBP. Lower back pain is so common that there is almost too much information available on the subject, covering everything from core control to sciatica.
Low back pain can be extremely severe and debilitating, acute and traumatic, chronic and recurring, or even cause nerve pain down the legs.
LBP must be managed appropriately in order to prevent its progression to chronic pain. At Twin Rivers Osteopathy, our Osteopaths have an important role to play in reducing the burden of disease through appropriate assessment and management of LBP.
Traumatic Lower Back Pain
Gardening, cleaning, in the gym, and lower back injuries can occur in many day-to-day scenarios in our busy modern lives. The most common lower back injuries come from lifting and twisting. These movements can cause extra stress on the lower back and especially the lumbar discs leading to muscle spasming and disc bulging. But not all injuries in the lower back occur from lifting. Hyper-extension or rotation of the lower back can cause the facet joints in the lower back to sprain. These movements are common in tennis and golf and can also occur from a fall or slipping on a wet surface.
At Twin Rivers Osteopathy we know that injury is an unfortunate reality in life and we never want our patients to avoid activity for fear of injury. A traumatic injury can be severe and very painful, but given the right healing environment and adequate time, full healing should be possible. Our role as practitioners is to help you through your traumatic lower back injury and get you back to your life as safely and quickly as possible.
Degenerative Lower Back Pain
At Twin Rivers Osteopathy we often see disc bulges and/or degeneration which are the most common contributing factors to both acute and chronic lower back pain.
Degeneration in the lower back can affect the joints, ligaments, muscles and discs and often will affect all of these structures to degrees. Degenerative tissue can have different characteristics to healthy tissue which can lead the area to tightness in the morning or after sitting for extended periods of time, recurrent general soreness and achiness in the lower back and can even be more prone to injury due to a change in tissue quality.
The goals for treatment and management are different with degenerative lower back pain when compared to traumatic onset lower back pain as unfortunately full tissue healing is not an expected outcome. Due to the long term changes in the tissues of the lower back, the goals of treatment and management focus on returning function to the area, increasing movement in the joints of the lower back and strengthening the lower back. These goals can often get patients to a completely pain free point and more importantly able to maintain the health of their lower back with minimal intervention and treatment.
At Twin Rivers Osteopathy we strongly believe in empowering our patients with clear communication and education on their health and injuries. This is incredibly important with lower back pain so that patients are able to take control back of their pain and put a stop to their pain affecting their lives.
Sciatica & Lower Back Pain
Sciatica is the condition everyone thinks they have, but, in reality, it is very rare. About 1% of lower back pain presentations are true ‘sciatica.’ Sciatica is inflammation of the sciatic nerve running down the back of the leg to the foot. Sciatica is often characterised by a sharp shooting pain that runs down the leg to the foot and is very painful.
Often sciatica is misdiagnosed or confused with lumbar nerve radiculopathy from compression on the nerves in the lower back. This compression can cause similar symptoms but is more likely to present as a deep severe ache in the buttock region and back of the thigh.
Both are harsh and severe conditions that need to be treated with care, accurate planning, and communication. If you think that you may have either of these issues, discussing your specific presentation with one of our practitioners is best.
Lower back pain can be extremely debilitating, and adults with back problems are over 100% more likely to report high-stress levels worsened by their pain experience. If you have been experiencing chronic back pain or even nerve back like radiculopathy or sciatica, talk to one of our practitioners at Twin Rivers Osteopathy today to get started on your journey to a better back.
We are ready when you are
Twin Rivers Osteopathy offers a wide range of Osteopathic services & treatments covering back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, headaches, upper back pain, sports injuries, work-related injuries and ergonomic assessment.