Understanding Your Back Pain -
Belarmine Physical Therapy & Sports Injury Clinic
Introduction
Back pain happens to everyone and for some is a life changing occurrence. The pain can range from a mild ache to severe discomfort, so much so that patients are often left bed bound for days. What happens next depends on who you choose to consult. Your local physical therapist/physiotherapist is the most commonly sought after practitioner for lower back pain.
You don't have to suffer and it could be shrinking your brain!
Most back pain is caused by sprains and strains. Even chronic back pain is often due to a lack of conditioning/fitness, excess weight, or other things that can be addressed by patient. For those involved in desk orientated jobs or who spend a lot of time each day driving, postural dysfunctions can be the root of the problem. It's well known that chronic back pain decreases the quality of life and increases anxiety and depression.
Most Common Injuries
1. Strain
The most common causes of lower back pain are muscle strains. Despite their size and strength, muscles of the lumbar spine can tear, which is called a muscle strain. This is generally caused by a sudden movement, a fall, or lifting a heavy object. Acute low back pain from lumbar strains and sprains can be accompanied by sciatica, an irritation of the sciatic nerve that causes pain into the buttock and leg.
2. Sprains
Sprains refer to an overstretching of one or more of the ligaments of the back. The ligaments can be stretched beyond their natural integrity and in some cases can completely tear. It is common for muscle and ligament strains to occur together.
3. Disc Injury and Sciatica
A herniated disc, sometimes incorrectly referred to as a slipped disc, is a disc that bulges out from its position between two vertebrae. There are four types of disc herniation and a variety of bulging discs, but they all have the potential to cause compression against a nerve, producing sciatica. As described above in the section on Strains, pain is caused by compression of the nerves as they exit the spinal column resulting in pain radiating into the buttock or down the leg, sometimes accompanied by a sensation of numbness or tingling in the leg.
Bulging Disk Sciatica
So where do you go from here. Ask yourself these questions – What is hurting? Do I pay attention to my posture when sitting, standing, lifting twisting or just use any posture that comes to me. If you have back pain, you can’t do this anymore. You need to find a physical therapist who understands the principles of rehabilitative core stabilization – it is never too late to improve your function, the muscles are there just waiting to be found. Take the initiative today and phone Belarmine Physical Therapy Clinic and ask them if they have an exercise programme aimed at improving muscle control and core stabilization for your low back and pelvis.
About the Author
Karl Gilligan BSc (Hons), Ph. Th. (MIAPT), CSCS
Karl Gilligan is currently completing his Masters in strength and conditioning at St. Mary’s University College having graduated as a sports scientist and a physical therapist. He is a member of the Irish Association of Physical Therapists, the Irish Institute of Sport as a Performance S&C Coach and the NSCA as a Certified S&C Specialist. He currently owns and runs Belarmine Physical Therapy and Sports Injury Clinic. See www.belarmine-clinic.ie. He works with a variety of sports, teams and athletes from County Football teams, AIL rugby teams, Olympic athletes and Professional golfers. He has previously worked with the IRFU and Leinster Rugby as a strength and conditioning coach.
Belarmine Physical Therapy & Sports Injury Clinic,
Belarmine Medical Centre,
Belarmine Plaza,
Stepaside,
Dublin 18.
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