Low Back Pain – What is it and how can you treat it?

A reduction in mobility can have a big impact on our lives. Simple tasks such as working, socialising and sleeping can become difficult. Lower Back Pain is something that many of us go through but choose to do nothing about. It is important to listen to our body and as soon as any discomfort is experienced we should do something about it. This article will give you an overview of what exactly lower back pain is, the different types and some treatments that are available. Working on the reduction of your back pain will not only improve your mobility but will also help to improve your mental well being.

What Causes Back Pain?

As with many mobility-related injuries, it is sometimes very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause for the pain. A common cause, however, is related to injuries. This may be from a sports-related injury an accident or any other form of physical impact that affects your lower back. One of the common medical conditions is referred to as Sciatica which is when the nerve running from your feet to the pelvis becomes irritated causing discomfort and pain. Another common cause for lower back pain is referred to as a ‘slipped disk’ – this is when cartilage in the spine begins to press on the spinal nerve. With all of these causes, they can vary in severity sometimes only flaring up every now and then. If the problem is persistent we advise that you seek help and visit a local Osteopath 

How can you prevent Lower Back Pain?

A common oversight is that changes to your lifestyle can drastically improve lower back pain as well as more traditional methods such as osteopathy, physiotherapy and exercises. Below are some of the main things that you should keep an eye on.

• Posture – many of us work desk jobs and will spend a lot of time sitting down. Posture should be top of your priority – taking time to get a good sitting position is key.
• Regular Exercise – Ensuring that you remain active during the day is key to maintain a healthy lower back. Take some time out each day to have a walk on your lunch break or go for a jog after work.
• Warm-Up – If you are a regular gym-goer making sure that you properly warm-up prior to working out is not only good for your lower back but your entire body.\
• Sleeping position – twisting and turning is inevitable in our sleep but being mindful of our sleeping position is vital. We spent 8+ hours a day asleep and if you are putting a strain on your back for that period of time you will begin to notice it. 

If you notice that your pain keeps on returning that it may be time to see your doctor and see if there is anything more serious happening. At the first sign of any back pain make sure you take some form of action. Neglecting it can lead to pain worsening and causing more damage as time goes on.

What are the main treatments for Lower Back Pain?

There are a few key types of treatments when it comes to treating back pain. They can generally be split into two categories. You have medicinal treatments that will relieve pain but only for short periods of time and do not get to the route of the problem. On the other hand, you have exercises and physical-based treatments, these take longer to see the impact but in the long run will eradicate the problem as opposed to masking it. 

Physiotherapy & Exercises Based Treatments

The main aim as a physiotherapist to help people who are currently experiencing reduce mobility and are affected by an injury. Physiotherapists take a holistic view and will understand your lifestyle & habits as well as assessing the visible discomfort that is being caused. A mixture of muscle manipultaion and muscle stretching will form the basis of treatment with exercises offered as a way to strengthen the affected muscles and problematic area. Whilst this offers the best results it can sometimes be expensive. There are other alternatives like Backpain Online who offer tailored videos from well-trained osteopaths to you on a daily basis, it is a great way to work towards back pain relief.

Medicinal Back Pain Treatments

As far as treating back pain with medicine there are not many solid options out there – Depending on the severity and type of pain a doctor may prescribe a form of pain relief or an anti-inflammatory tablet. In addition to this, for minor cases where the pain is a minuscule then voltarol or deep heat may be used to ease the pain.

Although medicinal back pain treatments are not as effective as physical-based treatments the same key element remains the same. As soon as you feel back pain coming on make sure that you do not ignore it and try to be proactive in tackling the cause. Follow the tips stated above to minimise the risk of lower back pain and if it does arrive we strongly recommend performing exercises designed to strengthen on a regular basis.