Lower Back Pain
Back Pain & Lower Back Pain (LBP)
Back pain, specifically lower back pain, is extremely common. The WHO estimates that lower back pain will affect up to 70% of those living in the developed world during the course of their lives. It affects people of all ages, and it is a frequent reason for medical consultations.
There can be many risk factors for lower back pain such as occupational posture, obesity, body height and age having been identified in recent years. The causes of lower back pain can be quite obscure and thus, making a diagnosis can be difficult. It is often considered to be a constellation of symptoms rather than a disease in itself. Commonly, these symptoms can be driven by an injury to the soft tissue of the back, such as the ligaments, muscles, fascia or vertebral discs. The potential for nerve root compression is often present in lower back pain patients with disc issues and this may present as pain that radiates into the leg, causing muscle weakness and sensory loss.
Here at Owen Feeney Athletic Therapy, we have had many successes treating patients suffering from various presentations of lower back pain. The first step of this process is to take a thorough history to determine the root cause and exact location of the pain. It is key also to determine the mechanism of injury for each patient and their own aggravating and easing factors. Following on from this, patients will go through a physical examination. This would typically include an assessment of movement, pain and tenderness of the joints in the surrounding area. If nerve root compression is indicated, a neurological assessment will be performed.
When the relevant information is gathered from patients, the second step on the journey can begin. This step will often include the prescription of movements and exercises, as well as hands-on therapy if necessary. These exercises and treatments are tailored to each individual based on their own requirements, there is no one shoe fits all approach to sorting out lower back pain!
Sources: Duthey, B., 2013. Background paper 6.24 low back pain. Priority medicines for Europe and the world. Global Burden of Disease (2010),(March), pp.1-29.
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