Back Pain

Back Pain

Low Back Pain

Low back Pain is the most common complaint that chiropractors see at their clinics. Not surprising when you consider that at some point in their lives 80% of people will suffer lower back pain. Lower back pain most commonly starts from 20-40 years of age, it is more common at 40-80 years of age. 

Low back pain is not usually a simple issue that settles quickly. It classically is a chronic remitting condition and this is because injury leads to poor muscle endurance, mechanics and control. These changes are lasting years - not 6 to 12 weeks!”

Therefore it is important that in addition to treating pain and correcting restriction, you must look at muscle weakness and imbalance and correct faulty movement patterning, if you do not you will be susceptible to problems with recurrent symptoms.

This is why at our clinics we have a linked with ARC fitness to offer a unique and in-house approach to your treatment. You will receive both treatment and advice to manage symptoms and also exercise and strengthening to gain the best effects long term and prevent recurrence.

Please call our clinic to book an appointment or for more information.

Osteoarthritis/Osteoarthrosis (OA) 

It’s not uncommon that someone will present with “Wear and tear in the knee, arthritis of the low back and spondylosis at the neck.” In fact these are all the same thing. OA most commonly causes pain and restriction to the affected joints and surrounding area.

The really interesting thing about OA is that some times the joint can very arthritic but there is hardly any pain! Where OA is very severe on x-rays then yes, it is likely to be the cause of your pain. However we see a huge number of people in clinic who have mild or moderate OA on imaging and respond extremely well to chiropractic treatment. 

So if you are in pain or restricted in your movement and function and have been told “It’s your age, you will just have to learn to live with it” then don’t! Come and have a consultation at the very least. We focus on getting results and we have seen huge improvements in countless patients who have responded very well.

Treatment will consist of  

Hands on physical treatment to address pain and reduce restrictions.
Exercises and advice to maximise treatment and reduce reoccurrence.
Strength and rehabilitation - there is a reason you have caused all that “wear and tear” and without addressing that you will fail to make the improvements you should!

So if you require an appointment or would like more information on how we can help then please call the clinic today.

Sciatica

The Sciatic nerve is the biggest nerve in the human body and it runs deep to the buttock passing dow the back of the leg and supplying the leg to the ankle and foot. When the nerve becomes compressed and irritated, it is diagnosed as sciatica.

The most common symptoms are;

  • Nagging, dull constant ache with intermittent sharp stabs down the back of the leg.
  • Pins and needles in the leg
  • Numbness in the leg
  • Weakness in the leg

The good thing about sciatica, is that if the nerve is being compressed deep in the buttock it is not being compressed by discs or joints. The compression is from muscles or connective tissue. This means that sciatica has a good prognosis and is likely to respond to chiropractic and/or soft tissue therapy. It also means you are far less likely to suffer with nerve damage leading to permanent numbness or weakness which is a hugely positive thing. 

However a thorough examination is required to determine if you have any compromise of nerve function. This is something we will do at our clinics.

So if you are suffering with back, buttock and leg pain make sure that you get this checked! If you require more information or would like to book a treatment then please call our clinic today.

Disc Herniation / slipped disc

These are common in the low back. They may be described in different ways to describe different characteristics i.e. bulges, protrusions and sequestrations. Very interestingly, imaging findings of herniations do not mean you have pain. Actually, research has shown that 40% of the asymptomatic population have disc protrusions.

Therefore disc herniation findings on an MRI need to correlate with your clinical findings before they are relevant to you. There is a much higher correlation if there is nerve root compression and this is what we are looking for.

If you have a disc herniation and you have radiating leg symptoms, it is very important that you have a full assessment. This should include Lower Limb SMR (Sensory, Motor and Reflex) Testing. This is where your muscle strength, skin sensation and reflexes are tested. Sometimes when there are severe neurological problems you will be referred for a MRI and if needed referred to the appropriate consultant.

We see patients who have disc herniations very commonly. We approach these with a combination of manual treatment techniques specific to the individual and with good advice and exercises we will always get great results.

So if you require more information or would like to book an appointment then please call our clinic today. 

Low Back and Leg Pain (LB&LP)

LB&LP is almost as common as Low Back Pain alone. Sometimes it is just a nagging ache from the back to the buttock or the top of the thigh. Sometimes it is sharp and shooting pain radiating down the whole leg and to the foot. Just as these two sound rather different, they come from different sources. You require a thorough and expert assessment including a case history and examination to find out what is the cause.

  • The more severe the pain, the worse the prognosis (ie it will take longer to settle)
  • Lots of structures can cause pain. Paraesthesias (tingling & numbness) tend to be the hallmark of nerve involvement
  • Disc herniations are less common the older you get - the discs “dry out” with time
  • The more chronic the pain (ie the longer you have had it) - the longer it will take to address. Therefore don’t wait for symptoms to get worse and worse, address them sooner rather than later and prevent them becoming chronic.

It is very important that you have a full assessment including Sensation, Motor and Reflex testing of the lower limbs

If you are suffering from leg pain and numbness or tingling, call to book an appointment or ask to speak to one of our practitioners.

Abdominal Muscle Strain

This type of injury is relatively rare due to the muscles in the abdomen being very big and usually very strong, therefore, to strain this muscles usually takes a large amount of force. The type of situation that can injure these muscles is in a road traffic accident, or full contact sport, such as rugby.

Once the injury has occurred, any movements which involves contracting or stretching them will be painful. Unfortunately this is most movements. Getting up from lying down, twisting or turning, are the most common.

Happily though it is an injury that heals well and with the right treatment normally very quickly.

If you require more information or would like to book an appointment then please call the clinic today.