• 18 Aug 2022
• |
• By Admin

Back Pain: Definition, Symptoms & Causes | Is Physiotherapy For Back Pain Impactful?

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Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability across the world, impacting productivity of millions of employees, and impacting their daily life.

If treated at the right time, back pain can be controlled and cured.

In this blog, we will share the symptoms and causes of back pain, and find out whether physiotherapy is impactful for treating back pain?

Let’s start!

Back Pain Definition

Back pain can be described as a physical discomfort, arising anywhere on the spine or back, which ranges from mild to severe.

Symptoms Of Back Pain

Back pain can range from a simple muscle ache to sharp, stinging sensation on the spine and/or back of the person. In some cases, due to the severity of the back pain, the pain can radiate below to the legs and worsen when the patient is bending, twisting, lifting, standing or walking.

It is advisable to consult a doctor when these happens:

• Back pain is persistent for more than 1 week
• Back pain continues to increase and doesn’t reduce even after ample resting
• Spreads down to the legs, or worse, beyond knees
• It causes weakness, numbness and tingling sensation on the legs (or any one leg)
• Weight loss happens unexpectedly, suddenly

In extreme and severe case of back pain, the patient may experience:

• Bowel and/or bladder problem
• Fever
• Patient loses balance, and falls down suddenly

Causes Of Back Pain

Some of the common causes of back pain are:

Muscle or Ligament Strain

Back muscles and spinal ligaments are get strained due to sudden or repeated lifting of weights or awkward movements. Such constant and repeated strain can play havoc with the back and spine, and ligaments, causing back pain.

Ruptured Disks

Disks act as cushion between the vertebrae in the spince. The soft material which is present inside the disks can rupture or bulge, causing pressure on the associated nerve, causing back pain. Interesting thing to note: Ruptured disks can also happen, without back pain, and often gets accidently diagnosed while doing an X-ray.

Arthritis

Arthritis or Osteoarthritis in the spine is one of the leading causes of back pain. It leads to narrowing the space around the spinal cord, which is medically called spinal stenosis.

Osteoporosis

The spine's vertebrae can sometimes undergo minor fractures, which are painful and leads to severe back pain. If the patient’s bones are genetically porous and brittle, such situation can arise.

Is Physiotherapy Impactful For Back Pain Treatment?

A big yes.

For issues pertaining to back pain, physiotherapy is normally recommended, as it helps the patient to control the pain, build strength and flexibility, and improve the gait and movement.

Some of the recommended physiothereapy techniques for treating back pain includes:

• Mobilization or Manipulative physiotherapy
• Stabilization exercises
• Stretching exercises
• Ergonomic advice
• Postural guidelines
• Strengthening exercises
• Aerobic conditioning
• Heat/ice packs
• TENS units
• Lonophoresis
• Ultrasound
• Specific exercises such as Ankle Pumps, Wall Squats, Single Knee to Chest Stretch, Straight Leg Raises and more.

Consult with our UK-trained and Certified Physiotherapists at CureNow Wellness and take the first step towards treating back pain.

Book an appointment right here.