Painmed offers physiotherapy as a first-line treatment for lower back pain. Movement and exercise, manual therapy, and advice are what physiotherapists do. In the course of a lifetime, up to 80% of people will experience back pain at least once in their lives, according to a recent study. There are a lot of us! The actual figure is even higher, according to most researchers.
Chronic or acute back pain can be debilitating if you’ve ever experienced it. People don’t see a physiotherapist until their back pain restricts their lifestyle in some way. It may prevent you from participating in sports or leisure activities, impair your ability to work or keep you awake at night.
It doesn’t matter what the cause of back pain is, a qualified physiotherapist can help. As physiotherapists, we are trained to assess how people move and why movement patterns are related to pain. Our focus is on the range of motion, quality/control, and restrictions.
The next step is to explore why this movement is abnormal. Do you think it’s a joint problem or a muscle problem? Could it be a lack of control or weakness? This knowledge of biomechanics is used to retrain and improve your movement and prevent a recurrence of back pain.
There is rarely a single cause of back pain, especially lower back pain. Injured or tight bodies are highly adaptable.
Consequently, if a joint in your spine becomes stiff from constant work posture, your body will adapt by using other joints, such as the pelvis or hips. At first, this worked well. However, the imbalance leads to poor movement habits. Pain can set in at that point.
During the past decade, we have gained a better understanding of biomechanics and how different body parts interact, allowing us to identify and explain symptoms more effectively.
Back pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including but not limited to:
Physiotherapists can manage anything related to muscles and joints. Back pain can be caused by a variety of muscle and joint issues, including spasms, sprains, tears, and weakness.
Finding the cause or causes requires digging deeper. A physiotherapist can provide tailored treatment based on assessment and determination of the contributing factors. By assessing movement patterns thoroughly, we look for imbalances or differences from normal. We will also take a complete history of your pain. Structures may not be able to cope with changes in routine, different work duties, changes in sporting activities, or hobbies. Using a hands-on approach, we feel the movement of joints, palpate muscles and other soft tissues, and analyze this information to determine the cause.
When you’ve had treatment for back pain, you may have noticed that it involves areas other than the pain site. Back pain is often caused by poor movement in other parts of the body. Poor hip range of motion can increase your lower back’s load, while poor pelvic alignment can increase your lumbar spine’s load. An uneven load on the back can be caused by foot and knee biomechanics.
Back Pain Physiotherapy Techniques
Back pain can be treated with many different types of physiotherapy, including:
Initially, we aim to achieve a balanced movement of the spine. We can develop maintenance strategies to prevent recurrences once correct movement is achieved.
More complex issues may require several hands-on sessions and strengthening and stretching exercises at home. Prevention is our most critical goal!
Back Pain that is acute versus chronic
Acute pain (lasting less than four weeks) and chronic pain (lasting more than four weeks) are two different types of pain. Unlike chronic pain, acute pain is often caused by factors that haven’t caused postural changes or compensations.
Chronic pain has many contributing factors and is more difficult to treat than acute pain. The majority of people do not make a physiotherapy appointment until they have had back pain for several months. There is nothing more inconvenient than pain. Chronic pain, on the other hand, can be more severe and more difficult to treat.
What is the right time to see a physiotherapist after experiencing back pain or lower back pain? We recommend visiting your physiotherapist in the early stages of back pain since no pain is healthy pain.
Seek professional assistance if pain persists despite rest or medication. You should consult a well-trained physiotherapist or doctor if you experience neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness, or pain radiating down your legs.
One physiotherapy back pain session can significantly improve a person’s health. Chronic pain and complex issues may require multiple treatments. Using home-based programs, we then focus on maintenance and prevention.
Get moving to relieve back pain
Among the factors contributing to back pain are weight gain and high-intensity load-bearing exercises like running and lifting heavy weights. Walking, cycling, and swimming provide health benefits without causing spinal stress.
With the help of a qualified physiotherapist, you can achieve optimal health and fitness without contributing to spinal injuries or deterioration.
Poor posture is the most significant cause of back pain. Working in awkward positions or sitting for long periods is sometimes unavoidable. Lower back pain can be prevented by moving well when completing tasks and changing positions regularly while seated.
Learn to move in a way that doesn’t negatively impact your body. Physiotherapy assessments can provide valuable information to help you work and play more efficiently.
Is it better to rest or exercise if you have back pain?
In the event of pain, many people are unsure whether to keep working or rest. Depending on the cause and severity, it will differ.
When acute episodes occur, rest can help settle the symptoms and allow a faster return to normal function.
Chronic pain makes rest ineffective and will not yield positive results. Each individual’s chronic pain needs to be evaluated and treated differently. The benefits of rest are rarely long-term.
Exercises such as walking can benefit your overall health and relieve back pain. However, if walking is contributing to the pain, taking a break from that activity can help.
Back pain is something we all experience at some point in our lives. A physiotherapist’s ultimate goal is to prevent minor acute episodes from becoming chronic. Servicing your car is similar to that. If you regularly deal with minor problems, you are far less likely to have a major problem. In some cases, regular spaced-out appointments can prevent severe pain and dysfunction.
Managing lower back pain requires early intervention, a complete assessment of your biomechanics, and a comprehensive program of exercises and stretches to improve and maintain your biomechanics.
We want to keep you from experiencing back pain if you are one of the lucky ones! A friendly physiotherapist can create a suitable exercise program for you if you are unsure about what exercise is right for you. Studies show that exercise reduces the risk of developing lower back pain by 33%.
A trained health professional can assess and diagnose your lower back injury. Your injury will be managed differently based on this. Physiotherapy is especially effective at maximizing function and reducing pain during the early phases of an injury. Exercise is the most effective way to speed up recovery and strengthen the back and abdomen.
Lower back injuries usually heal within 2-6 weeks. It can, however, take longer for some people. Your recovery depends on the type and mechanism of your injury, whether it is recurrent or acute, and how well you manage your recovery.
No, that’s the short answer. In most cases, lower back injuries will fully recover without any residual deficits. When treated correctly, lumbar spine injuries usually resolve within two to six weeks. An injury to the lumbar spine may result in more permanent damage, but this is rare.
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Originally from England, Sally graduated from St George’s Hospital, University of London in 2004 with a BSc (First Class Hons) in Physiotherapy. Since settling in Australia, Sally has worked in private practice and in the public hospital setting across Sydney.
Sally gained a Masters in Medicine Pain Management from the University of Sydney in 2019 and is a Titled Pain Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian Physiotherapy Association).
In addition to private practice, Sally currently works as a Senior Physiotherapist at Westmead Hospital Pain Management Service.
Sally is highly skilled in assessing, diagnosing and treating people who experience chronic pain. She enjoys working with injured workers and CTP claimants. She has a deep understanding of the impact of pain on the whole person and on their functioning in daily life. In partnership with her colleagues, Sally enjoys applying her knowledge and clinical skills to provide a safe space for exploration of the physical and emotional meaning of pain and for recovery of function.
Qualifications and Experience
Dr. Adam is a Fellowship-trained Pain Medicine Specialist with a Fellowship from the Faculty of Pain Medicine (FFPMANZCA) and a Master of Pain Medicine from the University of Sydney. He is dedicated to the comprehensive management of chronic pain across all age groups.
Dr. Adam trained in adult pain medicine at Liverpool Hospital, Nepean Hospital, and the Department of Pain Medicine, and completed additional training in paediatric chronic pain at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. He currently serves as a Staff Specialist at Westmead and St George Public Hospitals (NSW Health), and is a Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) at Liverpool Public Hospital, St George Private, Sydney Southwest Private, Holroyd Private, Norwest Private, and Nepean Private Hospitals.
He adopts a whole-person, multidisciplinary approach rooted in the socio-psycho-biomedical model, utilising both pharmacologic and interventional techniques. These include:
Dr. Adam is an Authorised Prescriber of Medicinal Cannabis and holds a Diploma in Medicinal Cannabis. He is also certified in Opioid Treatment Programs, including Methadone, Suboxone, and Buprenorphine injections. His areas of interest include opioid dependence management, medicinal cannabis, and interventional pain procedures.
He also completed advanced training in Virtual Reality Therapy for chronic pain and mental health disorders in Barcelona, Spain, and has further qualifications in Focused Psychological Strategies, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Clinical Hypnosis.
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