What are the Symptoms of Low Back Pain?
Low back pain, also known as a spit or lumbago, is one of the most common injuries treated by physiotherapists. According to Healthline, four out of five people suffer occasionally from it. Low back pain is located between the lower ribs and the buttocks, in the lower back and bottom right lumbar regions. It is often difficult to pinpoint the specific location. The symptoms of low back pain can vary, but generally include:
- A stiff back
- Dull or achy pain in the lower back
- Stinging or burning pain in the lower back
- Radiation of pain into buttock, lower legs, knees or feet
- Numbness/tingling and decreased strength in the legs
- Lower abdominal and lower back pain
- Muscle spasms and tightness in low back, pelvis and hips
What is the Cause of Low Back Pain?
We generally move not as much as we should. In addition, we sit in a poor posture at work and we often over-load our backs. These things affect our muscles, connective tissue, ligaments and joints in the spine and are often the cause for low back injuries. Often no physical defects can be found in 95% of the low back injuries, also referred to as non-specific low back injuries. This pain is usually stemming from one or more of the following causes:
- A prolonged, incorrect posture when sitting or walking
- Incorrect posture before the PC or in the car
- Incorrect lifting or overloading of the dorsal vertebrae as a result of heavy physical work
- Wrong lifting technique
- Too much tension on the back muscles due to long-term stress
- Sudden wrong bending or twisting of the back
- Too hard or soft sleeping surface
- Extra pressure on the inter-vertebral discs due to obesity
- Low back pain due to pregnancy, such as pelvic instability
With 5% of patients, back problems are caused by clear a physical illness or deviation. These causes often need to be evaluated with additional diagnostics. The specific low back pain can be caused by, for example:
- Inflammation of joints in the back (arthritis, sciatica, SI joint pain)
- Broken inter-vertebral disc (hernia, spit)
- Wear (osteoarthritis, stenosis, facet pain)
- Ageing (osteoporosis)
- Stress fracture to vertebrae or joints (spondylolysis)
- Slipped joints (spondylolisthesis)
- Abnormalities of vertebrae or joints (scoliosis)
- Diabetes (diabetes)
- Kidneys can cause lower back pain due to a number of kidney problems such as kidney damage, kidney bleeding, kidney disease and kidney stones. Often there is a combination of pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. The cause must therefore be properly determined
- Tumor (cancer)
Types of Low Back Pain
In addition to the specific and non-specific back injuries, low back injuries can also be divided into 3 different categories depending on the duration and severity of the condition:
- Acute low back pain – lasting less than 6 weeks
- Sub-acute low back pain – duration from 6 to 12 weeks
- Chronic low back pain – duration of more than 12 weeks
Your Low Back Pain Treatment
In order to compensate back pain, your body will automatically adjust its position. As a result, injuries could arise in other places. It can also cause you to move less, which in turn can weaken supporting back muscles and cause more pain in the lower back. To prevent worse conditions or chronic back injuries, it is important to treat the cause of your low back pain.
Fysio Masters specializes in treating low back pain. The therapist will perform an individualized evaluation to determine potential contributors to the patient’s pain. The initial evaluation will identify what problems need to be addressed during physiotherapy, as well as set goals for treatment. Some common problems that physiotherapists will address in relation to low back pain are:
- Decreased core stability,
- Decreased lower extremity flexibility,
- Soft tissue restrictions in the back,
- Altered joint mobility in the spine,
- Deviated posture,
- Issues with body mechanics.
Treatment Methods for Lower Back Pain
Can low back pain benefit from physiotherapy? Fysio Masters has years of experience with the appropriate treatment methods for this condition. Our back program focuses on improving physical fitness and training the lower back: Improving muscle strength of the supporting back muscles, mobility and coordination of the back. In addition, adopting a better body posture and a better way of lifting. Our approach is based on scientific research and proven effective.
A typical treatment session begins with a warm-up, either active such as light cardiovascular exercise or passive such as a moist hot pack to warm up your muscles. Based on a patient’s individual needs, treatment may also include:
- Manual Therapy
- Massage (soft tissue mobilization)
- Physiotherapy (Stretches, core stabilization and lower extremity strengthening exercise, functional lifting exercises to help a patient return to their prior functional level, endurance exercises, and pain modalities to help alleviate pain and reduce muscle soreness after activity)
- Back brace
Testimonials Fysio Masters
Please, read what our patients have to say about our low back treatments on Zorgkaart Nederland review platform:
“The therapist listens well and has experience with different treatment methods, so that an optimal result can be achieved. She is the first therapist who has solved most of my back problems, so that I can function normally again.” Zorgkaart Nederland – 29 November 2018.
“Awesome treatment. In just 3 sessions I got rid of my injuries. Samira is very caring and committed.” Zorgkaart Nederland – 14 August 2018.
“I suffered regularly from back pain and Samira administered a Spinal Mouse Back Scan. It indicated precisely where my spine was inflexible. She was able to get me pain-free in just a few sessions. Wonderful feeling!” Zorgkaart Nederland – 27 June 2019.
Request an Appointment
Do you currently experience low back pain? Research shows that back injuries are usually temporary. However, if your lower back back problems have persisted for more than two weeks or if your pain recurs regularly, now is a good time to determine the cause and start appropriate treatment. Do not prolong, because your back injury may get worse. Contact us today.
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