Low back pain
Low back pain (LBP) is an extremely common problem that most people experience to some degree at some point in their life.
Chronic LBP, that is, ongoing or recurrent pain that lasts for more than three months, is the leading cause of disability and work absence in Australia, and it causes enormous economic burden on individuals, families, communities, industry and governments.
Many environmental and personal factors influence the course of lower back pain. Without appropriate management, most people who have a debilitating episode of lower back pain go on to have recurrent episodes often experiencing symptoms, such as ache and stiffness, and limitations of activity, between episodes.
Lower back pain may arise from any one of a number of anatomical structures, including bones, intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves and blood vessel and can affect anyone, of any age, of any weight, of any level of fitness, of any occupation.
Osteopathic treatment can relieve acute and chronic lower back pain, stiffness and other symptoms and restore function by improving range of motion, reducing fibrosis and adhesions, remodelling tissue architecture, stimulating tissue regeneration, improving blood supply and nerve activity.
Long term resolution can be achieved by identifying and managing underlying causative and maintaining factors.
Lower back conditions that respond well to osteopathic treatment include:
muscle or ligament strain -"pulled muscle";
lumbar spinal joint dysfunction - “joint's gone out”;
sciatica - "pinched nerve" in the lower back with pain shooting to the buttock, leg and foot;
disc prolapse - "slipped disc";
scoliosis - "bent spinal curvature";
failed back syndrome - "failed surgery";
spondylolithesis - "slipped vertebra";
arthritis - "bone on bone".