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What Causes Low Back Pain?
Low back pain can arise from a range of contributing factors rather than just one specific structure. Often there are multiple reasons for lower back pain than just one structure. It's important to understand the structures as well as the cause of the complaint to give you appropriate management and tools to manage your complaint.
Common structures that can cause lumbar pain include:
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Muscle strain or over-load
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Joint irritation or stiffness
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Arthritis of the spine
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Disc-related pain
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Compression of nerves
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Irritation or injury to ligaments of the spine or sacroiliac joints
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Boney injuries - such as pars fractures, stress fractures or compression fractures
Causes of lower back pain can include:
Because there can be multiple causes and structures involved. A thorough examination and history is important to understand what may be driving your pain and how you can manage your pain. Every case is different and we follow the NICE guidelines for lower back management to guide our management.
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Over-loading or overuse
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Acute trauma
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Prolonged sitting
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Changes in activity or loading through the spine
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Other causes can be related to underlying health issues such as: inflammatory arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylolithesis, rheumatoid arthritis or referral from other structures in your body such as kidneys, reproductive system, bowel or abdomen
When Should You Seek Treatment For Low Back Pain?
While many episodes of lower back pain can settle on its own, there are times where assessment can be helpful to guide management and reduce ongoing issues.
Here are some simple tips to guide whether further assessment may be helpful:
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Pain that is persistent and not improving after 1-2 weeks
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Recurrent episodes of low back pain
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Pain spreading into the glutes or leg
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Increasing stiffness or restriction in movement
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Uncertainty in how to manage symptoms
If you are unsure, an assessment can help clarify what's contributing to your symptoms and how to best move forward.
How Osteopathy Can Help Low Back Pain?
Treatment focuses on improving your movement and managing factors that might be contributing to your pain and symptoms. This may involve hands on therapy and techniques, movement-based rehabilitation, and advice around activity and load. Treatment and management is guided by your presentation and history.
Hands-on techniques for lower back pain include:
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Joint mobilisation or traction aiming to improve mobility
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Soft tissue techniques and massage to address muscle tension and pain
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Dry needling
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Joint manipulation (if appropriate and with your consent)
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Myofascial release techniques
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Postural or supportive taping techniques
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Exercise interventions and advice, for more information - click here
Remedial Massage for Lower Back Pain:
If you are looking for a good massage to assist with your recovery we have a fantastic remedial massage therapist available who can provide additional supportive care for your lower back complaints.
Remedial massage focuses on the soft tissue structures and can provide supportive care when experiencing pain, or whether you are having general aches or discomfort relating to reduced mobility, changes of load with exercise or when muscle soreness and tightness is a factor for your pain.