If you’re suffering from back pain, you know how frustrating and debilitating it can be. A lack of knowledge about what’s causing your pain can make it even worse, as every time you sit down or get up, you’re wondering if this will be the moment the pain hits its worst.
There are a number of possible causes of back pain, most of which are not serious. In most cases, physiotherapy is all that’s needed to reduce pain. To help you make informed decision, we’ve listed the most common causes of back pain and treatment options in this blog post.
Common Causes of Back Pain
Slouching
Slouching leads to a host of problems for your back. It can cause pressure on spinal discs, which compresses nerves, leading to a loss of strength and range of motion in your arms, legs, and back muscles. It can also lead to you standing in one place too long, triggering aches from being immobile for too long without taking breaks or moving around frequently.
Repetitive Stress Injury
A repetitive stress injury is an injury to a body part that results from doing a task over and over. The most common cause of repetitive stress injuries is working at a computer or playing games that involve repetitive actions like typing, gaming, or clicking a mouse. Most repetitive stress injuries can be prevented by learning ergonomics.
Heavy Lifting or Poor Posture
It’s no surprise that lifting things improperly or regularly working in an awkward position can cause back pain. But even something as minor as reading a book while leaning on your arm can lead to soreness. If you work in an office, it’s easy to fall into bad habits, squeezing deadlines make us rush through our breaks, but we need them to stay focused and energised throughout our day.
Poor Sleeping Position
Many people sleep on their side with knees pulled up, a position known as sleeping on your side. Sleeping in such a position can add pressure to your lower back and cause pain, as well as hinder blood flow to certain areas of your body, including your kidneys. A proper sleeping position is crucial to avoiding back pain.
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc occurs when a part of an intervertebral disc breaks through its outermost covering, or annulus fibrosus. In most cases, it’s located in between two vertebrae. A ruptured disc is commonly due to degeneration or trauma. It can lead to sciatic nerve pain or other issues in some cases. This is called a slipped disc (or vertebral dislocation) when it happens while you’re bending over.
How Can Physiotherapy Help Reduce Back Pain?
There are many ways that physiotherapy can help reduce back pain. Some treatments, such as massage, will help relieve lower back pain caused by muscle spasms. Manipulation techniques on spine joints can give you significant relief from lower back pain caused by bone spurs or arthritis. Other types of treatments that may help your pain include electrical stimulation, ultrasound treatment and heat/cold therapy.
Our physiotherapist in North Sydney can create a customised plan to help relieve your back pain and improve your quality of life.
To find out more about how physiotherapy can help your specific condition please contact us or book an appointment today!
