By Marie Pham
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for people visiting their healthcare professionals, and there is an estimate of 60 to 80% of people experiencing low back pain in their lifetime.
There are a number of reasons why you might have back pain. Common causes for people to come in to see the Physiotherapist might be experiencing back pain from lifting or doing things that they are not normally used to doing. Some classic scenarios of injuries include having back pain from moving house or having a tough week of carrying their kids more because they were sick. Other injuries might result from repetitive movements, for example sitting for the whole day working or studying. Sometimes you might have an onset of back pain and you can’t and identify the reason.
Having an experienced clinician, who can analyse your history and assess your back, can help with diagnosis of your back pain and identification of other contributing factors. Assessment involves understanding the history of your spine, health and the mechanisms of your injury, and considering this with a physical assessment to gain a clear understanding of the type of back pain you have. The aim of an assessment is to triage for any serious and specific causes of your back pain. If we are able to rule out serious causes of back pain, then we can focus on treating non-specific low back pain, which refers to more simple or mechanical reasons for back pain.
Non-specific low back pain accounts for over 90% of patients that present to primary care. They’re number of factors that contribute to this pain including physical factors, such as weakness and stiffness, psychological factors, including catastrophisation, fear of movement, anxiety, and depression, and social factors, such as work, and financial pressures.
At Evolving Pain, we are experienced Physiotherapists that specialise in pain and musculoskeletal conditions. With our broader understanding of health, including physical, psychological and social interactions, we are able to provide a holistic approach to low back pain management. Our goal is to work with you to recover and regain your function through tailoring a program that focuses on what you want to get back to in your life.
If you’ve had low back pain for a long time and have not found any treatments helpful, our Physiotherapists are trained in complex pain conditions and can help find a new way to help to manage your pain and assist with putting the puzzle pieces together, leading you to a more meaningful and happy life.
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