Do you suffer from Back pain?

We often get asked if Osteopathy or Physiotherapy can help people suffering from back pain.

4 Out 5 of us experience back pain at some point in our life. Back pain can be a debilitating condition which can stop you enjoying a full active life. It can be alarming. Here in the clinic we see 70-80 patients a week for either Osteopathic treatment, Physiotherapy, massage or Pilates. 60% of these patients have initially presented with spinal pain. Lower back, Thoracic or Neck pain, sometimes a combination. We see people in all age groups. Children can have musculo-skeletal strains as easily as adults and growing older doesn’t mean one has to accept aches and pains as a routine part of life.

Back pain is a leading cause of lost working days.

There are many causes of back pain, most often a sprain or strain in the muscles, ligaments, joints or discs of the spine. Or, degenerative age and occupation  related wear and tear.

For most of us, spinal pain and associated nerve pains can be very uncomfortable and inconvenient to cope with, but not usually serious. Pain often resolves on its own over a few weeks, many patients would consult us to speed up this process. This enables people to carry on at work or cope with their everyday life. This can also help prevent pain becoming chronic and more long term in nature. A big problem in modern life.

Personally I recently gave myself an episode of acute back pain after awkwardly lifting a heavy back pack in a hurry without due care and attention. Initially I could barely straighten. A combination of early osteopathic intervention followed by physio based pilates exercises reduced my discomfort to 7-10 days duration. Even Osteopaths are prone to back pain!

Common causes of back pain may occur from heavy lifting, repetitive bending, heavy digging, poor posture, accidents, Acute or Chronic long term stress. In the past week we have seen patients presenting with pain resulting from a range of issues from Lifting, go-karting, extensive chronic disc degenerative disease, acute inescapable stress, pelvic fracture recovery, fitness training injury, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, accident recovery, musculoskeletal pain 2’ to inflammatory arthritis, and depression.

Our Osteopaths and Physiotherapist here in the clinic undertake extensive clinical training to enable us to determine the possible causes of your back pain. We will plan a course of treatment with your consent to aid your recovery or wherever we feel it is necessary refer you on for further investigations. Osteopathic treatment is essentially a hands on therapeutic approach with lifestyle and activity advice and our physiotherapist works with more exercise based approach with specific attention to your movement patterns and posture. Our Massage and Bowen therapist is also very experienced and has undertaken the highest level of musculoskeletal myo-fascial training to look after you in an informed manner. Wherever it seems appropriate, with your permission we collaborate to provide you with the most suitable combination of care.  This includes collaborating with medical specialists wherever it seems appropriate.