Mechanical back pain is a common issue for many Australian’s. Our Osteopaths say lumbar mechanical back pain is one of the most sought conditions seen at OsteopathyOne. Health care professionals often throw around terms such as facets, vertebral bodies, herniation but how does this contribute to your lower back pain?
Relying on our backs so heavily, it isn’t hard to imagine how intricately complex the structure of the spine and surrounding tissues are. Your spine itself has 33 vertebrae stacked on top of each other, all different shapes and sizes ensuring you have flexibility and protection of your spinal cord and nerves.
Why me?
How many times have you lifted something awkwardly and realised you’d be sore the next day? It’s so common and one of the main contributors to lumbar mechanical back pain. So what else can cause it?
- Manual handling or doing repetitive movements
- Being sedentary with poor postures such as working at desks (check out our blog about standing desks)
- Being overweight
- Stress leading to muscle tension and facet joints dysfunctions
Health conditions that are linked to lower back pain are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal degeneration
- Osteoporosis
- Disc herniation
- Disc bulge
- Facet joint sprain
- Ligament sprain
- Muscle Strain
What can I do with acute lumbar mechanical back pain?
- Short periods of rest is advised and when rest is needed sit in reclined position to reduce pressure off the lower back
- Apply heat to ease muscle tension
- Apply ice to manage pain and inflammation
- Seek advice from health professional if pain continues beyond 1-2 weeks
Don’t be passive be active!
Most people think when they’ve got lower back pain they should be confined to their bed and avoiding ALL movements that brings about pain. IT’S FALSE. You should be gently pushing the boundaries of your pain in a safe manner. Don’t say you can’t, say you can with help. Do very light exercise, such as walking, do stretches to mobilise your facet joints and loosen back muscles and ligaments. Patients that confine themselves to too much rest add to stiffness resulting in longer recovery times. It is important to be guided by a health professional during your return to work/activity.
Do you want to give low back pain the flick? Talk to one of our Osteopaths to see if we are able to help you reduce your pain. Other health services at OsteopathyOne include: Myotherapy, Remedial Massage and Exercise Physiology. Our team approach gives you a variety of options to treat your lower back pain.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/Back-pain
https://www.msk.org.au/back-pain/
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/back-care-lower-back-pain