Osteopathy and Back Pain
Eighty percent of the Australian population, regardless of age or gender, will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. For many people this pain is chronic and has been affecting their lives for years, while for others it resolves quickly. At Eastern Osteopathy we appreciate how debilitating back pain can be and the impact it can have on your life. We are passionate about helping people suffering with back pain to lead a pain free life.
Types of back pain:
At Eastern Osteopathy, our osteopaths have experience treating the following types of lower back pain:
Joint or facet strain
Ligamentous and capsular strain
Muscular trigger points
Sciatica (nerve impingement)
Disc injury (strain, bulge or prolapse)
Viscerosomatic referral
Why does back pain occur?
Back pain can often be traced back to an accident or trauma. This may be something that occurred many years ago (chronic strain) or recently (acute strain). Chronic strains have the potential to reduce the flexibly of your muscles and joints or cause instabilities, predisposing you to further strain.
In treatment it is often necessary to release chronic strain from past injuries and trauma to improve overall balance. This will not only help relieve the presenting symptom, but will also reduce the chance of a recurrence by improving function and movement and increasing your body’s ability to adapt.
Can back pain mean there is something serious going on?
As primary health-care practitioners, osteopaths are trained to differentiate between back pain from a common cause (i.e. joint sprain) and back pain that is due to a more serious pathology (such as infection, fracture or tumour), and refer when required.
Back pain can also be due to a viscerosomatic referral. Examples of this kind of back pain include; back pain during your period or pain in your right shoulder with associated irritation to your gall bladder. A thorough case history and osteopathic examination will enable your osteopath to differentiate between back pain with a musculoskeletal origin or a visceral referral.
What is the aim of the osteopathic treatment?
Your osteopaths at Eastern Osteopathy will not only identify and treat the cause of the pain (i.e. muscle, joint, ligament, disc), but we will also endeavour to understand what made your back vulnerable in the first place (i.e. previous trauma, car accident, previous fracture). For example, many people work at a computer, but not everyone develops upper back pain. We will ask the question, ‘What is happening in your body that predisposes you to this type of strain?’
We will also support your journey back to health by advising on posture, exercises and stretching. If required, we will communicate with your medical practitioner, personal trainer, yoga therapist and/or massage therapist to help develop a total health plan. We will also refer you for radiological assessment if required.
