Back Pain

Symptoms of Back Pain

Back pain is very common. The National Institute of Public Health and Care indicated that 1 in 5 adults in the Netherlands suffer frequently from recurring back injuries. This type of pain accounts for up to 40% of all physiotherapy care provided. In addition, back injuries are more common for women than for men. The injuries increase with age. From all of these, the most common injury is pain in the lower back.

The symptoms come in a variety of forms. They depend, among other things, on the cause and location:

• Lower back pain symptoms:
  • Discomfort in lower back
  • Extend down to buttock or lower leg
  • Dull feeling and loss of strength in the leg
  • Inflammatory strains in the back
  • Cramps, muscle spasms & soreness of muscles in the back
  • Stiffness, difficulty moving the back

• Middle back pain symptoms:
  • Chest pain with breathing
  • Tingling or numbness in the arms or chest
  • A sharp, burning sensation or stabbing pain sensation mid back (hernia middle back symptoms)
  • Muscle tightness or stiffness after a rest period (of sleep, sitting)

• Upper back pain symptoms:
  • Upper back pain
  • Pain between the shoulder blades

Causes of Back Pain

Our back is complex and all movements take place through the spine. This makes our back sensitive to injuries and wear and tear. Back aches are subdivided into two types, depending on the cause of the injury:

Non-Specific Back Pain

Non-specific back injuries arise, for example, from poor posture, improper lifting techniques, repetitive movements, an accident, wear and tear in the back and stress. The agonies consist of a stiff back, lower back discomfort and / or higher back pain. This type includes about 90% of all back problems.

Specific Back Pain

On the other hand, some back injuries have a clear, specific cause such as a hernia, a defect, a fracture or in some cases a tumor. This must be determined by means of additional diagnostics.

Examples of this are:

• Pelvic Instability
• Facet pain
• Hernia
• Sciatica
• Spit
• SI joint pain
• Spondylolysis
• Spondylisthesis
• Stenosis

Examples of specific back injuries that are located in different places or throughout the spine:

• Arthritis
• Scoliosis
• Osteoporosis

Types of Back Pain

In addition to the classification into non-specific and specific back injuries, a subdivision is also made based on the duration of the discomfort. Back complaints can be classified into three different categories, depending on the duration and severity of the injury:

• Acute back pain – duration of less than 6 weeks

With acute back pain (90% of the back injuries) the pain will occur suddenly. Due to natural recovery, acute injuries often go away on their own and after a few physiotherapy treatments you already notice a positive result. The treatment also ensures that the back injuries don’t become chronic. Are the ailments coming back? Then we recommend to do something about it quickly.

• Sub-acute pain – duration of 6 to 12 weeks

This back pain will not go away due to natural recovery, but it will last longer up to 3 months.

• Chronic pain – duration of more than 12 weeks

If you suffer from chronic pain in your back, it will affect your work performance. It also has an impact on your social life and your home situation. Anytime a large percentage of the population suffers from an ailment, you can be certain an entire economy will pop up purporting to be able to solve the problem. For this reason, there’s a lot of nonsense out there about new and unique methods to “cure” back pain. As a general rule, the word “cure” is misleading and deceptive, and will leave patients frustrated and disenchanted with their progress. However, with the right treatment approach we can effectively manage pain and reduce the negative impact it can have on your life.

There are also injuries that can be caused by a problem in the spine. Examples are neck injuries, pelvic instability, shoulder injury and headache, abdominal pain or other related injuries.

Your Treatment

If you are experiencing muscle pain or other back ailments, it is important to find out the exact cause of the pain. Fysio Masters has been specialized for years in the area of care for back injuries. We also use the most advanced scientifically proven techniques and have developed our own back program.

After an extensive intake, we will map out the cause of your complaints together with you. We will then custom design a personal plan for resolving or reducing your back problems. The main objectives can be summarized as follows:

• Reduce and manage back pain;
• Move more smoothly;
• Correct the posture;
• Increase strength and stability through exercises.

Treatment Plans

When in doubt, do not keep keep walking around with it for a long period of time, but ask for help. To prevent worse or chronic pain, it’s critical to note there is no substitute for a full assessment performed by an experienced physiotherapist. Scientific research and our reviews on the Zorgkaart Review Platform are proof that our treatment concept is effective. During the treatment process we use:

• Spinal Mouse Back Scan
• Manual Therapy
• Medical Taping
• Massage Therapy
• Dry needling
• Physiotherapy
• Back Exercises

Patient Reviews Fysio Masters

“As a semi-professional athlete it is important for me to be able to be helped quickly due to my rigorous training sessions. I was able to make an appointment that same day and got rid of my injuries in 2 treatments. Very skilled physiotherapist and she immediately understood my ailment in combination with my movement patterns and the need to be helped quickly.”  Zorgkaart Nederland – 11 december 2018.

Schedule an appointment

Do you have persistent muscle pain or pain in your back? Have a trusted physiotherapist from Fysio Masters assess your back problems and compose a back program customized for you. Please contact us!