What is Lower Back Pain?
Low Back Pain occurs anywhere from the lower rib cage to the buttock area and is not a diagnosis it is just a description! It can radiate pain to the lower limb at times or give you altered sensation such as numbness, tingling to the above mentioned areas. When back pain is examined, several factors need to be considered.
- Does it relate to part of the back’s anatomy? Disc, facet joint, nerves?
- Will changing the pattern of movement or posture relieve or aggravate the pain?
- Could other important medical issues masquerade as back pain?
- What does your lifestyle look and move like?
There are different types and sub-types of lower back pain.
How we help
We are trained to assess & treat the cause of pain, stiffness or dysfunction. This usually means we need to assess the whole spine and look at contributing factors. Once we have identified the source of the problem, treatment is targeted to address all multifactorial aspects as required. We can send you for an x-ray if this is deemed necessary.
How is back pain diagnosed?
A physical assessment which includes an examination of your back, your history and specific joint, muscle and nerve testing. In the beginning, radiology, such as x-rays and scans are not needed once we are satisfied we are dealing with a musculoskeletal problem. The mechanism of your back pain is like a fingerprint. It is very individual. From the informed clinical opinion from one of our physiotherapists, the mechanism of your back pain is determined. There could be several mechanisms and this will be explained to you.
We will work through an objective assessment to identify the classification of your lower back pain, identifying contributing factors, checking if there are mechanical or non-mechanical signs then designing a treatment and management plan.
Also, we will monitor your progress ensuring you achieving your smart (specific measurable achievable relevant and time-bound) goals.
The highly dedicated team at North Kincumber Physiotherapy are skilled and experienced in spinal pain or dysfunctions.