Back Pain

backpainBack and neck pain is one of the most common complaints faced by people in Australia. More than half the population will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. Studies have shown that over 20% of the population of Australia will report back pain in any 12 month period. Back pain affects both young and old, and active and inactive people.

Back pain is divided into two broad categories: acute and chronic.

Acute back pain is pain that has been present for several days or weeks.

Chronic back pain is pain lasting longer than 3 months.

Back pain can also be recurrent, meaning the same symptoms occurring on multiple occasions with periods of relief in between. These pain free periods may last several days to several years. As a general rule with recurrent back pain each subsequent episode is likely to be more painful and harder to recover than the last.

Back and neck pain has many causes and risk factors, which is one of the reasons there are so many different treatments available. Injuries can occur to a wide range of structures such as muscles and ligaments, as well as the spinal discs (cushions between the bones in the spine). Different injuries need different treatments so it is important to be correctly assessed. Causes can vary from acute damage caused by a fall or an accident, to long term damage related to posture, poor lifting techniques or underlying pathology. Many risk factors for poor health are also linked to back pain, including smoking and poor diet. At Finesse Physiotherapy we can offer many years of experience in assessing and managing back and neck pain.

disc bulgeSciatica is the name for back pain which extends into the legs. It is often (although not always) related to a trapped/irritated nerve. This can occur when an injury reduces the space available for the nerve as it exits the spine. You can also experience numbness, tingling and weakness when this happens. If you have any of these symptoms it is vitally important to seek medical advice as it is possible to do permanent damage to the nerve.

General low-back ache, which many people experience can often be treated with gentle joint and muscle mobilisation, stretches and specific exercises. Your physiotherapist is an expert in both manual treatment and exercise prescription for back and neck pain.

Don’t suffer unnecessarily. Call Finesse Physiotherapy today on 3350 2596 and book an appointment with our experienced staff.