According to analysis of publicly available figures the welfare bill with back problems alone has tripled in two decades to 1.4bn, up more than ¼ since the pandemic.
And lower back pain and immobility pain is the most common complaint people come and seek Osteopathic treatment for. So, I wanted to share with you what we mean by the Lower back, what lower back pain is, who is more likely to suffer, what the most common causes are and apart from Osteopathic treatment, share what you can do about it.
The Lower Back
The Low Back is often referred to as The Lumbar region of the spine and is the area between your lowest rib and the upper part of the buttock, and it connects to the thoracic spine above and the hips and pelvis below .
It is made up of :
5 vertebrae -stacked above each other (known as the lumbar spine ), providing attachments for muscles and ligaments, bearing your body's weight, protecting your nerves and the spinal cord
Facet joints (a pair) – found at the back of the vertebrae, provide stability and allow your spine to move in different directions.
5 wedges shaped discs - act as cushioning and shock absorbers carrying your weight and protectIng your vertebrae and nerves during movement of the spine.
5 pairs of lumbar nerves L1- L5 - branching from the spinal cord through small holes at the side of your vertebrae , they travel down the legs to carry sensations to your brain and deliver power from your brain to your lower limbs.
Ligaments (low back and pelvis) - serve to anchor vertebrae in position and and connect the spine to the pelvis. They provide stability for posture and movement of the spine ( and pelvis).
Muscles – contracting and relaxing they produce movement and they help maintain posture and stabilise joints, ensuring that the body can hold various positions and remain balanced.
I think you'll agree The Lumbar Spine and its structures are a marvel of engineering and its interconnectedness is what gives it is support strength and flexibility for you to move freely without pain.
What is Low Back Pain ( LBP)?
LBP is characterised by discomfort or pain in the lumbar region of the spine and may range from an ache, throb, dull pain to a sudden spasm or sharp sensation, and when mechanical in origin, it is often exacerbated by movement or prolonged sitting.
Who is most likely to experience lower back pain?
Now you may think not everyone is affected yet the reality is, lower back pain doesn’t discriminate— it can affect anyone.
It’s also hard to believe, but actually a myth, that older people are more affected by lower back issues. When in fact the highest incidence of lower back starts in the 30‘s!
Here are other groups of people more at risk to suffer:
Adults aged 30 to 65 - The prevalence increases with age from the age of 30 until 65 and then lower back occurrence tends to decline – hooray I hear many of you say!
Manual labourers, active workers and athletic individuals - Those who perform heavy lifting or repetitive movements are more prone to lower back issues. Overuse without targeted conditioning of the muscles and without focused exercise routines and rest periods are a huge reason for time off work or being injured and even worse for the athletes being told “You're on the bench!“
Sedentary individuals: A lack of regular physical activity can weaken back muscles, making them more susceptible to fatigue, strain and injury. This probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise, and a nudge to get going!
Skeletal irregularities or medical conditions like OA or scoliosis also predispose you to experience lower back and stiffness.
Psychosocial factors (known as yellow flags ) also increase your risk of developing chronic low back pain and long term disability (including work loss associated with low back pain).
Common causes of lower back pain problems
A huge topic in itself, I could write a whole book on this, but let's start by saying there are Multiple Physical, Psychosocial and Lifestyle factors that influence lower back pain and problems, some of which I’ve included here:
1. Muscle and ligament strains: Often due to heavy lifting or sudden awkward traumatic movements from daily or athletic activities.
2. Herniated/bulging /degenerative discs: Often from an increase in weight or mechanical load on your body or from excessive lifting of heavy loads.
3. Arthritis: Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Psoriatic and other inflammatory arthritis can affect the lower back, resulting in chronic pain and stiffness.
4. Skeletal irregularities: Conditions like scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis and age related osteoarthritis are also common causes
5. Medical conditions: Diabetes, fibromyalgia are examples of issues that predispose people to suffer with lower back and mobility issues.
6. Age related changes from degenerative arthritis and osteoporosis can contribute to back discomfort.
It won’t surprise you to hear, the most common question I get asked by patients about lower back pain is.
“Is it my muscle /disc/ligaments/nerves/posture- that is causing it ?”
Now, although a perfectly normal thing to wonder, the actual question we should be asking is:
“What factors are playing or have played a part to cause my muscle/disc/ligaments/nerves/posture to give me my lower back pain?”
Approaching your pain and mobility issues from this perspective will help you understand
it is not only about the painful tissue, but also the response from other tissues to it, along with the other physical, psychosocial and lifestyle factors that lead to your tissues being compromised, and you experiencing pain.
Lifestyle Factors That Influence Lower Back Pain
Whether at a desk, in the car, or on the couch, Prolonged sitting can wreak havoc on our lower backs. Did you know when you sit for long periods, your muscles can get used to that position and shorten, leading to what's called adaptive shortening. This makes your muscles tight and more prone to fatigue.
Slouching or hunching over your computer or phone with Poor posture can also cause muscle strain and loading onto your lower back muscles and spine.
If you are Carrying extra weight, especially around your midsection, this can put additional strain on your lower back. And did you know sitting increases that load by 33% while sitting, all of that additional pressure on your low back structures. Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can help alleviate some of this pressure and improve your overall mobility.
Psychosocial factors e.g. stress, anxiety, depression, poor job satisfaction, little social support, relationship issues, fear avoidance, pain beliefs and attitudes, poor sleep quality, all have a huge impact on your pain experience.
What Can You Do To Help Lower Back Pain?
Osteopathic treatment using massage, stretching and mobilisations can bring pain relief and improved mobility very quickly and incorporating tailored exercises that target multiple lower back and core muscle groups can be really effective keeping everything balanced , free moving , your back flexible, strong and stable, keeping you out of pain .
So many patients have asked for exercises , and I am delighted my Lower Back Pain Mobility (Maintenance) Plan is soon to launch. This is a Digital E-Book with follow along videos that you can download straight to your inbox.
So, if you've tried exercises in the past and found you've forgotten how to do them or done stretches online for but they were not effective this Lower Back Pain Mobility (Maintenance) Plan programme may be ideal for you. It may also be for you if you are:
● A patient wanting to maintain lower back mobility between sessions.
● Someone who has pain and wants to manage their lower back issue with exercise.
● Someone who wants to avoid time off work, perhaps is sedentary at work, perhaps you want to be able to do your garden, play golf, enjoy the gym or sporting activity, confident you are taking care of your lower back and reducing the risk of further issues.
Interested to keep mobility going? Send me a message Click here and I’ll send you more info. or click here to book an appointment.
One of the easiest methods to keep you moving well and pain-free is to use a tailored handful of Osteopathic treatments along with an easy to follow pain and mobility maintenance plan, that is designed to be simple, incredibly effective, requiring only a small amount of your time.
Stay happy, healthy and pain free to enjoy the things you love. I’m happy to help.
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