'It stops me in my tracks, I am afraid to go out in public, I'm unable to exercise and am putting on more weight.'
#1 Leading musculoskeletal issue in Australia and world.
Between 70-90% of people will experience lower back pain in their lifetimes. It affects individuals from all occupations, causes time off work, leads to unnecessary scanning and reduces a person’s sense of control over their lives.
Common Causes
Lower back pain (LBP) is commonly a byproduct of either actual body damage, psychological beliefs and/or the social circumstances of the person.
In terms of structures in the lower back which may be irritated include: intervertebral discs, facet joints, intervertebral joints, muscles and ligaments.
Psychological causes include fear of pain, unhelpful beliefs ‘My back is weak, ’negative attitudes towards potential for recovery ‘I will never get better.’
Social causes include repetitive work strain/poor setup or inefficient movement patterns.
Recurrence Rate?
Up to 40% of individuals with an episode of severe lower back pain will have a reaggravation in the following year.
How we treat it?
By identifying the causative factors of LBP in each unique individual and formulating a treatment plan.
Manual therapy: Soft tissue therapy, joint mobilisations and stretches.
Exercise prescription
Education: Causes, posture, self-management and prevention strategies.
Other modalities: Electrotherapy for pain desensitisation of Central Nervous system.
How we reduce risk of injury?
Evidence supports: Pacing of activity to avoid repetitive injury. Modification of activity to reduce load on the body.
Strengthening the deep core muscles of the lower back.
Ensuring adequate flexibility of joints.
Early treatment to avoid disabling LBP.
Physical activity
Frontline Family Physio will help you regain your independence.
Frontline Family Physio
Sean Hua, APAM
DIrector and Prinicipal Physiotherapist.
References
¨ García-Moreno, J. M., Calvo-Muñoz, I., Gómez-Conesa, A., & López-López, J. A. (2022). Effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions for back care and the prevention of non-specific low back pain in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05270-4
¨ O’Sullivan, P., Caneiro, J. P., O’Keeffe, M., & O’Sullivan, K. (2016). Unraveling the Complexity of Low Back Pain. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 46(11), 932–937. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2016.0609
¨ Shipton, E. A. (2018). Physical Therapy Approaches in the Treatment of Low Back Pain. Pain and Therapy, 7(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-018-0105-x
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