Back Pain
Back pain is a very common problem with some reports suggesting that as many as 8 out of 10 people will suffer from it at some point in their lives. As a result, it is estimated that in the UK, around 5.6 million working days are lost each year due to back pain, second only to stress. Furthermore, it is believed that 60% of the population is likely to experience neck pain, and 40% experiencing upper back pain. This means that, unfortunately, that every person may experience some form of pain in their back at some point in their life, and once you have experienced back pain you are more likely to get repeated occurrences.
Back pain can affect anyone, at any age, at any point, and is often as a result of a sprain or strain to the structures of the back, such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, or damage to the discs. Wear and tear, or osteoarthritis can also be a reason for back pain.
Whilst most of us know that back pain can be painful and inconvenient, it is not usually anything serious and will often resolve by itself in a few weeks. Thankfully there are several things you can do to help with the pain:
- Don’t panic! Although the pain can be very intense at times, the vast majority of neck and back pain is not due to anything serious and should resolve itself over a few days or weeks. To help, recent studies have shown that simple painkillers such paracetamol and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) e.g., ibuprofen will help to reduce pain levels during an episode of neck or back pain. Remember to read and check the medicine is safe for you before taking, and speak to a pharmacist if you don’t know or are unsure.
- Stay Active! Previously whenever we had any pain we would be told to rest our backs or neck by sitting/lying for prolonged periods of times or by wearing a neck collar/brace. However, research has consistently shown that people who continue with their normal daily activities, including work, recover at a faster pace. Whilst it may hurt a bit at first, this pain does not do it any damage, it prevents the muscles and joints seizing up. Importantly, being fit and active will also help to prevent further episodes of back or neck pain.
- Seek professional help! Whilst the pain should resolve on its own accord seeking help from a health care professional, such as an osteopath, can help to reduce the intensity and duration of the episode. This can be particularly useful if you are struggling with physical activities or work. Osteopaths are skilled at treating back pain, and helping to prevent it from becoming a chronic and long-term condition. You can be assured that at Birmingham Osteopathy you will receive the most effective and safest treatment available to get you back to your normal self.
Back pain can affect anyone, at any age, at any point, and is often as a result of a sprain or strain to the structures of the back, such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, or damage to the discs. Wear and tear, or osteoarthritis can also be a reason for back pain.
Whilst most of us know that back pain can be painful and inconvenient, it is not usually anything serious and will often resolve by itself in a few weeks. Thankfully there are several things you can do to help with the pain:
- Don’t panic! Although the pain can be very intense at times, the vast majority of neck and back pain is not due to anything serious and should resolve itself over a few days or weeks. To help, recent studies have shown that simple painkillers such paracetamol and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID’s) e.g., ibuprofen will help to reduce pain levels during an episode of neck or back pain. Remember to read and check the medicine is safe for you before taking, and speak to a pharmacist if you don’t know or are unsure.
- Stay Active! Previously whenever we had any pain we would be told to rest our backs or neck by sitting/lying for prolonged periods of times or by wearing a neck collar/brace. However, research has consistently shown that people who continue with their normal daily activities, including work, recover at a faster pace. Whilst it may hurt a bit at first, this pain does not do it any damage, it prevents the muscles and joints seizing up. Importantly, being fit and active will also help to prevent further episodes of back or neck pain.
- Seek professional help! Whilst the pain should resolve on its own accord seeking help from a health care professional, such as an osteopath, can help to reduce the intensity and duration of the episode. This can be particularly useful if you are struggling with physical activities or work. Osteopaths are skilled at treating back pain, and helping to prevent it from becoming a chronic and long-term condition. You can be assured that at Birmingham Osteopathy you will receive the most effective and safest treatment available to get you back to your normal self.
Common Conditions Treated
- Acute back pain
- Chronic back pain
- Some Disc problems
- Mechanical back pain
- Sciatica
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Osteoarthritis
How Can An Osteopath Help?
- Osteopaths are well known for treating back pain and patients report high satisfaction with treatment. There is good quality evidence supporting the beneficial effects of manipulation for back pain and the National Institutes for Clinical Excellence recommends osteopathy for sub-acute and chronic low back pain
- Osteopaths can use a wide range of gentle manual treatments depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis. We may gently massage the soft tissues of your back or rhythmically “rock” the joints to release tension and sometimes we may gently manipulate the back to loosen the joints and you may hear a “click”
- Treatment is different in every individual and sometimes it might involve treating other areas in the body such as the hips or neck
- We may offer advice on your lifestyle particularly if we feel something you are doing repetitively is part of the reason why you have back pain. We may offer advice on your posture and give advice on diet and exercise or give you specific exercises.
References:
- Palmer, K. T., Walsh, K., Bendall, H., Cooper, C., & Coggon, D. (2000). Back pain in Britain: comparison of two prevalence surveys at an interval of 10 years. Bmj, 320(7249), 1577-1578.
- www.backcare.org.uk/factsandfigures