19 Jul The Common Cause of Back Pain
Back pain is a syndrome which is the most common reason for sick leave in Australia. Some national health surveys record that it is the number one cause of activity limitation. The etiology of back pain can be broadly classified into primary and secondary causes. Primary causes involve structural changes within joints, ligaments or muscle tendons.
Common anatomical causes of back pain include:
- Large muscles that support the spine
- Spinal nerves that exit the spinal canal and may go to the legs or elsewhere
- Facet joints that connect the vertebrae along the back of the spine
- Intervertebral discs that provide shock-absorption for the bones
Back pain complaints include back strain, back sprain and disc derangement (prolapsed intervertebral disc). Back pain is most commonly associated with lumbar backache.
Common back pain sufferers
The following demographic groups are more likely to develop back injuries than the general population: workers in occupations that involve physical labour, such as construction tradespeople; manual workers in repetitive jobs or work involving large muscle movements; people employed at unskilled labor who may be prone to awkward lifting motions. Injuries are also common among athletes and sports men and women, both recreational players and those involved in professional sports. Sports high on the list of risk factors for back injuries include gymnastics, weightlifting, contact sports, and any sport that involves frequent hyperextension of the lumbar spine.
Back injury should not be taken lightly as back pain can have a significant effect on quality of life.
Long-term back pain arises from problems in the back that cause persistent back pain for 12 weeks or longer. back pain is among the most common reasons patients visit doctors, affecting 50% to 80% of people at some stage in their lives. Research suggests that around 25% of adults experience low back pain (LBP) each year and back pain has been ranked seventh overall as a source of days lived with disability by the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease 2000 study. Back injuries are commonly associated with occupational injury, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries and disc herniation. However back injury may also occur from trivial events such as lifting objects, caring for adults or children with limited mobility, sitting for long periods, falls, and yard work.
How can physiotherapy help with back pain?
Physiotherapists are experts in back pain management and can help you to improve back function, decrease back pain and prevent back injury. Manual therapy (such as joint mobilizations and manipulations) is commonly used by physiotherapists to treat back pain in conjunction with exercise prescription.
Back exercises may be prescribed following physical examination for specific muscle imbalances associated with chronic back pain or to strengthen back muscles weakened as a result of an injury or prolonged sitting at a desk. Exercise plans may also include spinal flexibility exercises, warm up exercises such as dynamic stretches, balance activities and strengthening sequential core stability . Wake up your back! The majority of people experience significant relief from their back symptoms within 12 weeks if they perform regular back-friendly exercises and movement.
Need to book a physiotherapy appointment? Call 07 3284 2754
Note: All information is general in nature. Patients should consider their own personal circumstances and seek a second opinion.