Causes of Back Pain
If you have low back pain and the following symptoms, you should go to your nearest A&E right away.
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Numbness in the groin, inner thigh or back passage
Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain
Lower back pain can have a wide range of symptoms. Your discomfort could be mild, moderate, or severe. It could be felt in one spot or all over. Muscle spasms or stiffness could accompany it. It may spread to one or both legs in some cases.
There are 3 different types of low back pain:
- Acute – pain lasting less than 3 months
- Recurrent – acute symptoms come back
- Chronic – pain lasting longer than 3 months
The majority of persons who experience acute pain will experience at least one recurrence. While the exact reason of low back pain isn’t always recognised, the symptoms normally go away on their own. Self-confidence and a perceived ability to live with handicap have been proven to be indicators of who will not heal as quickly as predicted from low back pain. We used to think that the source of low back pain was directly tied to our body’s tissues, but we now know that the problem is more complicated.
Although lower back discomfort is rarely significant or life-threatening, there are a number of illnesses that could be linked to it, including:
- Degenerative disk disease
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Fractures
- Herniated disk
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Tumors of the spine
While we used to believe that the disorders listed above caused low back pain, research has proven that they are also present in persons who are not in pain (asymptomatic)
Diagnosis
Your physiotherapist will perform a thorough evaluation that includes:
- A review of your health history
- Questions about your specific symptoms
- A thorough examination that includes assessing the quality and quantity of your movements, and any movement behaviours that might put you at risk for delayed recovery
- Tests to identify signs or symptoms that could indicate a serious health problem, such as broken bones or cancer
- Assessment of how you use your body at work, at home, during sports, and at leisure
Imaging procedures such as x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are not helpful in most cases of low back pain recovery. If your physiotherapist suspects that your low back discomfort is the result of a serious health condition, he or she will refer you to other health care providers for additional evaluation.
Back Pain Treatment
Your physiotherapist can help you improve or restore mobility while also reducing low back pain—often without the need for costly surgery or pharmaceutical side effects. If you’re suffering from low back discomfort right now, do the following steps:
- Stay active, and do as much of your normal routine as possible (bed rest for longer than a day can actually slow down your recovery.)
- If your pain lasts more than a few days or gets worse, schedule an appointment to see your physiotherapist in Courtice.
Because no two cases of low back pain are alike, your treatment should be customised to your individual symptoms and condition. Your physiotherapist will review the results, determine the causes that contributed to your unique back problem, and build a tailored treatment plan for your specific back problem once the examination is over.
Treatments may include:
- Manual therapy, including spinal manipulation, to improve the mobility of joints and soft tissues
- Specific strengthening and flexibility exercises
- Education about how you can take better care of your back
- Training for proper lifting, bending, and sitting; for doing chores both at work and in the home; and for proper sleeping positions
- Assistance in creating a safe and effective physical activity program to improve your overall health
- Use of ice or heat treatments or electrical stimulation to help relieve pain
Can this Injury or Condition be Prevented?
As experts in restoring and improving mobility and movement in people’s lives, physiotherapist play an important role not only in treating persistent or recurrent low back pain, but also in preventing it and reducing your risk of having it come back. Physiotherapist in Courtice can teach you how to use the following strategies to prevent back pain:
- Use good body positioning at work, home, or during leisure activities
- Keep the load close to your body during lifting
- Ask for help before lifting heavy objects
- Maintain a regular physical fitness regimen—staying active can help to prevent injuries
Book your appointment Today! If you require alternate appointment times, please contact us and we will gladly assist you with your reservation.
What to Expect on Your First Visit:
- At Physiotouch Courtice, you will register with our friendly front office staff.
- A comprehensive assessment by a Physiotherapist or other Health Care Provider will take you through a detailed history of your major physical concern, assessment of your range of motion and strength, as well as a variety of special tests specific to your injury or dysfunction. These assessment findings are analyzed and used to create a clinical impression. This will help us to better identifying and understanding your problem and formulating an effective treatment plan tailored specifically for your needs and to achieve the realistic goals. This treatment plan could involve a number of things including therapeutic exercises, therapeutic modalities, manual mobilizations, massage, patient and family education, activity modification, home exercise programs, supervised exercise programs and many others.
- There will be some treatments performed the first day to get you started on your path to recovery. However, during the next visits you will get into all aspects of your treatment plan.
- Our staff will help you scheduling your next visits at Physiotouch Courtice as per treatment plan recommended by related Health Care Provider. We offer many convenient appointment times, however, prime times can become busy, so it is best to book ahead as much as possible.
- If you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to call. We want to ensure your satisfaction and full recovery.
Before Your First Visit
- You will receive a confirmation email shortly after booking your appointment.
- This email will contain some forms which you can fill out and sign from your device in handy.
- If you have any questions, ask us before signing the form.
- If you are not able to access the forms online, please arrive 15 minutes early for your first appointment so that we can help you with the paperwork.
- Make a list of questions that you want to discuss on your first visit.
- Bring with you if you have any imaging reports (i.e.) X-rays, Ultrasound/MRI (etc.) and doctor’s referral.
- Bring with you a copy of your insurance card and a photo ID.