Osteopathy and Spinal Pain
Low Back Pain
Low back pain is extremely common... but that doesn't mean you won't assume the worst when it happens to you.
We've all been there, the sensation of feeling the back "go" during a squat, picking up something off the floor or twisting awkwardly in the shower.
The pain can be excruciating (to the point where you can barely walk) so it's understandable to assume that you've done some real damage, however, it's important to know:
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90-95% of low back pain cases resolve with conservative management
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Serious causes of low back pain are rare
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The spine is resilient and discs don't simply slip or move 'out of place'
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Flare ups are common, and do not mean that you've damaged your spine
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The amount of pain you feel is not correlated to the amount of damage, even very minor injuries can feel like a 9/10 stabbing pain
The Role of Osteopathy in Your Recovery
As an osteopath I don't just focus on treating pain, but working with the person. My approach includes:
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Taking a detailed history to understand how the pain is impacting your life so we can tailor management to your goals
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Performing an assessment so a diagnosis can be made, and other potential serious conditions ruled out
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Education and empowerment – not knowing what's going on when in pain can cause a lot of anxiety, you will know exactly what to do so you can take control of your pain
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Treatment – I use multiple modalities such as massage, manipulation, dry needling and cupping to help restore movement and desensitise irritated tissues
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Management – giving you tools and confidence to manage your back health long term
Keep Moving
20 years ago the typical advice for low back pain was to rest until your back healed – now we know that movement is medicine, and if you want to recover quickly, you need to keep active.
The goal of exercise is to:
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Reduce inflammation
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Promote healing
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Restore pain free movement
Click here to see what an initial program might look like for you
As you can see, rehab for most pain conditions are simple and straight forward - and as your recover, the program will be progressed to get you back to doing what you need – whether that's high level sport or just being able to tie your shoes without pain.
As your osteopath I will work with you to ensure that your program is suitable and tailored to your needs, and most importantly, achievable.