Back pain

Back Pain is one of the leading causes of sickness related absenteeism at work in the UK.

There are several sources from which back pain can arise. A recent study in the UK, showed that Physiotherapy is clinically effective and cost efffective in the management and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).

Some of the conditions around the spine include:

1. Sciatica

Sciatica is a painful condition characterised by lower back pain and or pain in the back of the thigh, leg and outside of the foot. This pain is often sharp, shooting aching or burning. It may occur in as a continuous line of pain, or in isolated patches.

Early intervention and treatment helps to identify the cause, rectify the problem, and make the changes necessary to aid prevention of recurrence.

2. Disc Herniation

Disc related back pain often affects the 30-50 year old individuals. Patients often describe their pain as deep, constant and aching. It is often but not always characterised by a bending related injury.

An intervertebral disc acts a shock absorber between two vertebrae (spinal bones). This disc resembles a “jam doughnut”. The inner part of the disc (the nucleus pulposus) is soft and gelatinous, whilst the outer layers of the disc are comprised of a firm dense tissue (annulus fibrosis).  A herniated disc is when the soft inner nucleus pulposus bulges into an area within the outer rings of the “doughnut” or is completely pushed out of the disc itself.

At Vitality Physiotherapy we have a particular interest in the treatment of this problem. We use many approaches to identify and treat this problem. These include:

• Hands on joint manual therapy
• Kinesiotaping
• Dry needling
• Soft tissue treatment- including massage, muscle energy techniques
• Specific exercise for strengthening weakened/ slow to react muscles
• Stretching of tight/ shortened muscles
• Electrotherapy