Different treatments for your patients who suffer from back pain

Back pain is a common condition in the UK, with the majority of people experiencing lower back pain at some point in their lives.

It costs the economy £5bn a year in days taken off work and is the largest reason for absence in the workplace except from the common cold.

Lower back pain is also becoming more common in young people and children, which is believed to be caused by wearing heels from a younger age and from being hunched over computers.

Lower back pain can be caused by:

• Wearing ill fitting shoes with little support
• Wearing high heels or flip flops
• Having poor posture or not having the spine and pelvis aligned
• Sitting at a desk or driving for a length of time
• Hunching over a computer for a length of time
• Playing sports and suffering a sports or overuse injury

Treatment for back pain can include exercises, lumbar rolls, insoles, back supports, and cushions and wedges.

Back pain can start as an uncomfortable pain or dull ache before developing into intense pain, which can spread down the legs. It can cause ruptured or slipped discs, which leads to the pain because these discs act as shock absorbers.

When your patients are suffering from back pain, they’ll usually try anything to relieve the pain.

There are so many treatments for back pain, but you must remember that every case of back pain is different and each patient has an individual condition, so what may work for one patient may not work for another.

Osteopathy releases the tension in the joints and muscles by adjustment techniques, while acupuncture relieves the stress through the use of needles.

A German study found that acupuncture can relieve 74% of cases, but others suggest it can also have a placebo affect.

More intense treatments for back pain include, pain killing injections, which are usually anti-inflammatory injections at the base of the spine, and surgery for a prolapsed disc to remove the bits of the discs that have become dislodged in the spine.

Some experts also believe that metal piercings and tooth fillings can also cause back pain because the sensors in the teeth convey information to the brain, as the nerves in the teeth are connected to the ones in the back.

Many cases of back pain can be relieved using exercise and related products to assist recovery, and it is important to remind patients that resting is one of the worse things to do for back pain because this makes the muscles supporting the spine weaker.

Pilates help to strengthen the core stability muscles, and can be improved by using exercise balls, exercise mats and resistance therapy to strengthen the pelvic muscles.

Ensuring correct posture, and correct alignment of the spine and pelvic, can significantly help to relieve back pain.

McKenzie lumbar rolls, such as the McKenzie Original Roll, can help to encourage correct posture while sitting at a desk or driving, and the McKenzie Cervical Roll is ideal for night time use.

Using wedges, seats and cushions can also ensure the patient is sitting in the correct position for their posture to reduce the stress placed on the spine.

For patients who suffer from constant back pain, recommend a back support, such as the Vulkan Back Support, to provide effective support to the back to keep it in the correct position.

Wearing orthoses can also provide relief for lower back pain by providing proper support to the feet and cushioning. Shock absorption insoles are particularly effective in reducing the impact walking has on the back. Sorbothane Full Strike insoles are ideal for reducing shock impact on the back.