Physiotherapy for back pain

Did you know that: 4 out of 5 adults will suffer from back pain at some stage in their life; nowadays adolescents are just as likely to suffer from back pain as adults; the number of people suffering from back pain increases with age.

In most cases back pain is not serious and disappears spontaneously. Generally it is self limiting and 90% of people will recover in approximately 6 weeks. However it can be debilitating and distressing when it happens and this is when quick intervention from a physiotherapist can be most beneficial. There is good clinical evidence that early physiotherapy and exercise can be very effective ways of reducing pain, hastening recovery and managing discomfort in those who suffer from long term and chronic back pain.

How to treat back pain?

When experiencing back pain it is important to remain as active as possible as bed rest will only make the symptoms worse. Hot and cold can provide temporary and welcome relief in the acute stages of back pain. Heat treatment such as a hot waterbottle, a hot bath or shower is comforting and can help to ease joint stiffness and muscle spasm. It is particularly useful if your back pain is from a longer standing condition. Cold is good for helping reduce inflammation in damaged tissues and can influence the pain messages sent to the brain by nerves that may have been affected by the injury. Physiotherapy assessment helps to identify the structures of the back that have been affected and provides the appropriate treatment interventions for that specific injury.

The most common causes are a history of back pain, smoking and obesity, heavy physical work, bending, twisting, pushing and heavy lifting, repetitive work and static postural positions. Your physiotherapist will provide guidance on how to identify and reduce these risk areas as a key part of treatment and long term preventative management.

For a physiotherapist in Poole, come down and see one of our practitioners at Lilliput Health.

Back to Health Physiotherapy
Back to Health Physiotherapy clinics provide a professional, confidential and personalised physiotherapy treatment service.