Lower Back Pain
Lower Back Pain is a bit of an umbrella term in that in encompasses a wide range of different symptoms including:
- Pain and stiffness across the lower back area.
- Pain into the buttocks and sometimes into the legs themselves (often referred to as Sciatica)
- Pins and needles (tingling) and/or numbness into the legs
It is arguably the most common condition we see in our clinics and over the years there has been a lot of misinformation in regards to back pain which has led to a lot of fear. The truth is, only a very small percentage of back pain is due to anything that you should worry about, and the vast majority can be managed and treated with simple changes to lifestyle and the right exercise.
When should you seek urgent help?
In very rare situations lower back pain can indicate a serious underlying pathology and if you were to experience any of the symptoms below, it is advisable to attend an A&E department for a medical opinion:
- Urinary Retention - Unable to pass urine when you feel the need to go
- Unable to stop a bowel movement or leaking
- Numbness in or around your back passage, buttocks or between your inner thighs
- A change in ability to get an erection
- Pain in both legs and/or worsening weakness in the legs
Please watch this short information video on back pain and when you should seek urgent help should you develop any of the warning sign symptoms listed above: https://youtu.be/FdlxfcJmn-4
Links to these warning signs listed in other languages can be found here: MACP Cauda Equina Warning Signs
Exercises to help with low back pain.
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 1 - Patient Information Leaflet
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 2 - Patient Information Leaflet
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 3 - Patient Information Leaflet
The below is very good leaflet encompassing a lot of what is involved in "Back Pain"
WWL Spinal Pain Patient Information Leaflet
Above all though, we need to change the way we think about Low Back Pain and that is where our 'Back Rehabilitation Program' comes in.
Offered in Physiotherapy at WWL is a Back Rehabilitation class which is a holistic approach to managing back pain. That means it doesn’t just focus on what is specifically causing the pain, as more often than not it's not as simple as one single structure, it is more likely that there are a number of lifestyle factors contributing to it. Our section on Chronic Pain has some very useful advice and information which is very relevant to the management of back pain. Please discuss this with your physiotherapist if you wish to access this program. More information about back rehabilitation
Other useful resources for managing your back pain:
- What is Back Rehab?
The Back Rehab Program (BRP for short) is an holistic approach to managing your back pain. It's goal is to help inform people that pain in general, but specifically low back pain, isn't just a physical feeling. There are many factors that influence our pain levels and in order to help control our pain we need to have an understanding of these other factors.
Each session is in 2 parts: there is an education session that will focus on a particular topic, such as anatomy, pacing techniques or what pain is. Following the education session is a gentle exercise class to help reinforce what we know from research, that exercise is very helpful, and safe, for back pain.
One of the key components to managing back pain is exercise. A mix of general whole body exercises such as walking, cycling, swimming combined with gentle home exercises such as the ones shown below is ideal.
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 1 Patient Information Leaflet
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 2 Patient Information Leaflet
Low Back Pain Exercises Level 3 Patient Information Leaflet
The topics discussed in our BRP sessions help us to aim the exercises at the right level, help us deal with flare ups, and introduce tactics such as “pacing” which help in making sure that you exercise safely and without aggravating the pain. It aims to provide education into managing and understanding your low back pain, to help reduce some of the fear that surrounds the condition.
It is also important to consider the following, as failing to do so can result in your back pain taking much longer to settle down:
- Keep your back moving – the natural thing is to hold it stiff as the brain associates movement with pain, but actually it has been shown that stiffness through lack of movement will increase your pain.
- Maintain as normal a life as possible – continue to work, partake in hobbies and activities, socialize as normal.
- Manage pain relief – Don’t be afraid of taking painkillers, it isn’t masking the problem. They are a useful adjunct to maintaining an active lifestyle and doing your exercises.
- Stay Active – Don’t sit still for too long, dont rely on bed rest to help unless its for sleeping at night.
The following leaflet is a very good source of information about the long term management of all aspects of pain, and despite being big, is well worth a read. The topics in the leaflet are similar to those discussed in the Back Rehabilitation Program
- How can I access Back Rehab?
Currently we offer the BRP in a face to face environment here in our clinics, and a self-referral to our service would be the first step in accessing our classes.