In today’s blog, we will discuss low back pain and everything you need to know about it!
Most people will experience low back pain at least once in their lives. The severity of symptoms may vary from mild to moderate or severe.
What are the causes of low back pain?
The reasons that can cause back pain are many, due to the complexity of the spine. Low back pain can be caused by herniated discs, and dysfunctional muscle structures like quadratus lumborum, while it is not uncommon for low back pain to occur from the so-called Facet syndrome (from Facet Joints).
Despite the pain, in 95% of cases, low back pain isn’t a dangerous condition. Only one percent of all cases are in need of surgery (cauda equina syndrome, malignancy, or infection).
Low back pain can start gradually (getting worse day by day) or can have an acute onset (from bending over or lifting something heavy). Many factors can affect its appearance and duration. Some of them are a previous history of back pain, work, reduced physical activity, trauma, etc.
Low back pain can be quite severe, but the severity of the pain doesn’t equal tissue damage
Do I need an MRI?
A frequently asked question is if the patients are in need of an MRI or CT scan. As clinicians, we can identify if there are any red flags requiring further investigation. According to International clinical guidelines for back pain, patients should be referred for CTs and MRIs only if there is suspicion of a more serious underlying pathology. The reason is that degenerative changes are normal changes and usually have nothing to do with the present problem. Degenerative changes are a common finding even in people with no back pain.
In addition, irrelevant imaging findings often have a negative impact on the individual’s psychology creating harmful beliefs about back pain.
Prognosis
Typical back pain lasts for about 4-6 weeks, even though this varies on patient individuality, daily life, and history. Back pain with no referred pain to the leg usually has a very positive prognosis.
Treatment
Physiotherapy and chiropractic care are first-line treatment options for back pain.
Through evaluation, the physiotherapist/ chiropractor can suggest a treatment plan that may include crucial information about posture and physical activity, dos and don’ts regarding work and sports, etc. In addition, treatment may include analgesia via electric stimulation, massage, stretching, manual therapy, manipulation, or adjustments.
At the end of the treatment, the patient will be able to know what he/she should do and what to avoid. Great emphasis will also be put on education regarding pain neuroscience and exercise.
Research has shown that physiotherapy/chiropractic treatments in combination with therapeutic exercise can reduce the intensity and duration of the symptoms by up to 50%
In conclusion, low back pain is an unpleasant experience, which will affect most people in the world. With physiotherapy/chiropractic and appropriate medication, you can have great results! Stop putting your life on hold!
If you have low back pain book your appointment now online!