Back Pain
Read our brief introductions below about a variety of reasons for back pain. Contact us to book an appointment today.
Buttock Pain
This pain needs appropriate assessment to diagnose the origin of the injury, including the lumbar spine (lower back), sacroiliac joint, piriformis, or sciatic nerve.
Chest Pain
You should always seek medical advice from your doctor if you think the chest pain is related to your heart or lungs. Chest pain related to stiffness or muscle spasm around your thoracic spine, rib cage, or chest bone responds well to physiotherapy treatment.
Disc Problems
The spine comprises individual bones called vertebra, which have discs between them acting as shock absorbers. The disc can become acutely painful, or pain can develop over time, often when too much force occurs around the area.
The most commonly injured discs are those in the lower back (hence your feeling of back pain), referring to symptoms in the leg such as sciatica.
Disc Prolapse
The shock-absorbing disc between the vertebra can bulge in varying degrees from a slight bulge with minimal pain to a prominent bulge that can give symptoms down the leg to the toes.
Symptoms include pain, weakness, numbness and pins and needles. It is essential to treat these quickly to stop the bulge from getting stuck in that position. See also, slipped disc.
Lumbago
Lumbago is the general term we use for back pain. Whilst back pain is very common, it can be caused by a variety of reasons and it’s important that the pain and origin of pain are thoroughly assessed so a true diagnosis can be made before treatment is given.
If the pain is from muscles, tendons and ligaments, a physiotherapist can offer treatment to relieve the pain and improve the diagnosis.
Muscle Spasm
A muscle spasm is a protective mechanism against further injury commonly found in the back or neck, often responding to an underlying joint or disc problem. A physio can treat the muscle spasm and resulting back pain, but the underlying cause also needs to be identified and treated to prevent future problems.
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain can also be known as neuropathic pain and can occur when a health condition affects your nerves. these nerves then carry pain signals to your brain. Pain from nerves often presents as weakness, numbness, pain or pins and needles, as is most commonly felt in your arms or legs. See also, pinched nerve.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
This diagnosis occurs when the protective cartilage at the end of the bone starts to break down and causes pain, stiffness and swelling of the joint and leads to difficulty moving. It can affect most of your joints, most commonly knees, hips, back, neck, shoulders, and fingers.
Physiotherapy can benefit OA using treatments such as mobilisation, exercises, acupuncture etc. See also, wear and tear.
Pinched Nerve
Nerve pain or a pinched nerve can also be known as neuropathic pain and can occur when a health condition affects your nerves. These nerves then carry pain signals to your brain. Pain from nerves often presents as weakness, numbness, pain or pins and needles, as is most commonly felt in your arms or legs. See also nerve pain.
Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis is a deep muscle in your buttock which runs very close to your sciatic nerve and has an essential role in stabilising your lower back and pelvis. Due to this, it can cause localised buttock pain or sciatic symptoms. Piriformis responds very well to massage, stretches and acupuncture.
Referred Pain
Referred pain relates to the origin of pain in one area, such as the lower back, but the pain is felt in another location, such as the leg. This pain is usually due to nerve compression (sciatica) or muscle trigger points.
Sacroiliac Dysfunction
The Sacroiliac is a huge joint that connects your spine to your pelvis. It is a common cause of lower back pain and sciatic type symptoms. Must be treated well as they generally do not get better by themselves.
Sciatica
Symptoms are often pain, numbness or pins and needles down the back of your leg due to the sciatic nerve being aggravated by such things as a disc bulge, a joint or muscle pinching the nerve. Physiotherapy treatment can be very beneficial in all cases.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is the medical term for a curve in your spine. You can support scoliosis by stretching, mobilising, and strengthening exercising from Pilates classes.
I have seen Kelly for several appointments due to a rather complex back problem. Since seeing her my back pain has improved immensely with a combination of acupuncture and exercises I am much more mobile and there is a massive improvement in my day to day pain. She is extremely professional and very caring and after years of seeing other physiotherapist/osteopaths/chiropractors, I feel like I’m in safe hands and my back continues to improve. There is no pressure to keep making appointments like some physios and I see her when I feel I need to. Also if I need an urgent appointment they always do their best to accommodate.
All the staff are very professional and very polite and I wouldn’t go anywhere else, they are the best.
Slipped Disc
The shock-absorbing disc between the vertebra can bulge in varying degrees from a slight bulge with minimal pain to a prominent bulge that can give symptoms down the leg to the toes. Symptoms include pain, weakness, numbness and pins and needles. It is essential to treat these quickly to stop the bulge from getting stuck in that position. See also prolapsed disc.
Thoracic Pain
The thoracic spine is the middle portion of our spine, and due to our lifestyle and posture often becomes very stiff, which can lead to pain, muscle spasms and sometimes referred pain to other parts of the body.
Trigger Points
Trigger points can be treated successfully with massage, trigger point release, acupuncture and stretches. They are due to muscles becoming very tight, referring to pain in other body parts.
Wear And Tear
This diagnosis occurs when the protective cartilage at the end of the bone starts to break down and causes pain, stiffness and swelling of the joint and leads to difficulty moving. It can affect most of your joints, most commonly knees, hips, back, neck, shoulders, and fingers.
Physiotherapy can benefit your diagnosis by using treatments such as mobilisation, exercises, acupuncture etc. See also Osteoarthritis.