Back Pain
We’ll get you back on track.
The back is an incredibly strong and stable structure consisting of muscles, ligaments, bones, blood vessels and nerves. It supports our body with strength and flexibility, as well as protecting the spinal cord and nerve roots.
60-80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime and it’s one of the most common reasons people take time off work or stop exercising. It can be very worrying and we understand that many people can be unsure of how to manage the pain and get back to fitness. Everyone is different and so is your back pain. How we help you, depends on loads of different things. How you move, how you can’t move, how fit you were before and how fit you want to be after injury. We’ll help you get back on track and achieve your goals
What type of back pain do you have?
This is the most common type of referral we get at Head2Toe Physio. Whether its from your GP, Spinal Consultant or a self referral, we assess and help treat them all. There are so many types of back pain, from the very top, to the very bottom, of your spine! Your back pain might have come on suddenly, with an obvious cause. It could also be one of those slow burners, which comes on over a number of months and seems to be getting worse.
Low Back Pain
There are many factors that can contribute to back pain such as structural damage (disc injuries, facet joint irritation, arthritis), posture, obesity, trauma or lifestyle factors. It can have an effect on everything we do by having a big impact on our mobility.
Disc Injury
Our discs have an important role in our spine acting as shock absorbers and allowing for mobility throughout our spine. Damage to our discs can be very painful and long-lasting without specific, structured rehabilitation.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve is the largest and long nerve in our body and when pinched or irritated, a variety of symptoms can occur such as tingling, numbness or weakness anywhere from our lower back to our feet. This can be caused by many factors such as disc or facet joint injuries, spinal stenosis/degeneration, tightness in the piriformis or inflammation.
Treatments we recommend for back pain
Your Head2Toe Physio will carry out a thorough assessment, looking at what you can do, what you can’t do and whether there’s anything that should be of greater concern. Most pains resolve if dealt with sensibly. A combination of exercise therapy and manual therapy often proves helpful. Combined with a little education on what’s happening and why, things can often improve pretty quickly.
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Our frequently asked questions about back pain?
Back pain is all pain that occurs in the back. It is one of the most common medical problems in the world, and definitely one of the most common conditions we see at Head2Toe Physio. It can affect people of all ages, although different types of back pain are more common in different groups of people. A number of factors can be involved, including but not limited to, injury, prolonged postures, continued repetitive movements and obesity.
Symptoms can vary depending on the cause of the pain. However, some common symptoms include:
- Pain in the lower back
- Pain that radiates down the leg
- Numbness or tingling in the leg
- Weakness in the leg
- Stiffness in the back
- Difficulty moving the back
You should see a doctor if:
- The pain is severe and does not improve with rest and home treatment
- The pain is accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, chills, or loss of bladder or bowel control
- The pain is getting worse over time
- You have a history of cancer or other serious medical conditions
There are a variety of treatments, including:
- Rest, Ice or heat, Over-the-counter pain medication
- Physiotherapy
- GP prescribed medications, such as muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatory drugs
- Surgery
The best treatment for you will depend on the cause of your pain, and the severity of your symptoms. At Head2Toe Physio we specialise in the assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal back pain. We will work with you, to help you understand your back pain a little better. We may use soft tissue and joint manual therapy techniques, acupuncture and exercise based therapy to try and help you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
There are a number of things you can do to help prevent your pain, including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Maintain good posture and change position regularly
- Lifting objects properly
- Avoiding activities that cause pain
- Wearing supportive shoes
You’ll be pleased to hear that you can get your back pain treated at any of our 3 clinics in Surrey and West Sussex.
At Dorking and Leatherhead, our clinics are based in sports centres with fantastic access to gym facilities and ample room to get you back up to full fitness. At Crawley, we have a modern physio clinic with our own rehab studio, all set to return you back to what you want to do, as quickly and effectively as possible.
The outlook is generally good. Most people with pain will recover within a few weeks or months. However, some people may experience chronic back pain that lasts for more than 12 weeks.