Lower back pain has many causes. Eighty percent of people will experience lower back pain at some stage of their life. It is one of the most common reasons for people missing work and seeing a doctor or physiotherapist.
At Eccleston Physiotherapy Clinic our Chartered Physiotherapist will take a detailed history of the problem and will carry out a full spinal assessment to diagnose the cause of your back pain. Following the assessment, the physiotherapist will discuss the cause of the problem with you and create an individual treatment plan to suit your needs.
What Causes Back Pain?
Most causes of low back pain are musculo-skeletal in origin, some common causes are:
- Ligament strains
- Muscle strains
- Bulging discs
- Poor posture
- Nerve root pain
The good news is that you can take measures to prevent or lessen most back pain episodes. Our physiotherapist are experts who can treat and can help you to prevent low back pain. Early diagnosis and treatment is the easiest way to recover quickly from lower back pain and to prevent a recurrence.
How Can We Help?
While lower back pain treatment will vary depending on your specific diagnosis and your needs, our physiotherapist will have the following aims:
PHASE I – Back Pain Relief
Managing your back pain is the main reason that you seek treatment for lower back pain. Your physiotherapist will use an array of treatment tools to reduce your acute pain and inflammation.
PHASE II – Restoring Normal movement and Strength
As your back pain and inflammation settles, your lower back pain may feel better but you are actually more vulnerable for re-injury during this period when you don’t have pain but your muscles and ligaments are weak. During this phase your physiotherapist will turn their attention to restoring your normal lumbar spine motion, muscle length and resting tension, muscle strength and endurance, proprioception, balance and gait (walking pattern). Your physiotherapist will assess your muscle recruitment pattern and prescribe the best exercises for you specific to your needs.
PHASE III – Restoring Full Function
Depending on your chosen work, sport or activities of daily living, your physiotherapist will aim to restore your back’s function to safely allow you to return to your desired activities. Everyone has different demands for their lower back that will determine what specific treatment goals you need to achieve. For some it be simply to walk around the block or play with the children/grandchildren. Others may wish to run a marathon or high level sport. We will tailor your rehabilitation to help you achieve your own functional goals.
PHASE IV – Preventing a Recurrence
Recurrence of low back pain can occur. The main reason it is thought to recur is due to insufficient rehabilitation. In particular, poor compliance with exercises. You should continue a version of your back exercises routinely a few times per week. We will assist you in identifying the best exercises for you to continue indefinitely.
