What is Spine?
Our Spine is made of up 4 segments:
Cervical (Neck)
Thoracic (Middle Back)
Lumbar (Lower Back)
Sacrum and Coccygeal (Tail Bone or Lower Most)
What is Back Pain?
Back Pain is commonly referred to Lower Back Pain (Lumbar Back Pain). Back Pain is very common and worldwide almost 84% people experience low back pain in their lifetime. In most of the cases it doesn’t have a serious cause. Most people find their back-pain symptoms improve within four to six weeks
What are the common causes of back pain?
The most common causes of back pain are:
1. A pulled muscle, tendon or ligament
2. Poor Posture
3. Lack of exercises
Who develops Back pain more often?
Some of the professions are linked to back pain such as
1. Desk Jobs
2. Computer Jobs
3. Jobs involving heavy lifting
4. Drivers
Due to continuous sitting and lack of exercises the people working in these professional develop back pain, you can find our especially designed set of work exercises in this link or go to WORK EXERCISES section on our website.
What are the symptoms of Back Pain?
1. Pain
2. Stiffness
3. Tingling
4. Numbness
5. Loss of bladder and bowel control (In severe cases)
6. Radiating pain to buttocks, thighs, lower legs to the foot.
Symptoms Check List:
Go through with the below symptoms and let your Physiotherapist or Doctor know if you experience any of the symptoms from below:
1. Which position causes most pain?
2. Does your pain increase when you cough or bend forward at the waist?
3. Does sneezing, coughing, or laughing increases the pain?
4. Does the pain increase after standing or sitting for long periods of time?
5. Does the pain get worse at night?
6. Is your pain in the leg more than the pain in the back?
7. Are the symptoms usually present or will worsen only you are standing or walking upright?
8. Do the pain eases or disappear when sitting down or leaning forward?
9. Does bending backwards creates more pain?
10. Are you not able to walk even for 50 – 100 yards?
11. Do you feel weakness or heaviness in the buttocks or legs?
12. Is it a Dull back pain?
13. Do you have Weakness or numbness in the buttocks — in the area between the legs, or in the inner thigh, backs of legs, or feet — may cause stumbling or difficulty in standing
14. Do you have an inability to control urination and defecation?
15. Is your Pain accompanied by fever (can indicate an infection)?
16. Does the pain move down one leg, or into the buttock or groin?
Assessment:
1. History
2. Gait Assessment
3. Inspection – to rule out any postural abnormalities
4. Palpitation – to check tenderness, muscle spasm, and alignment
5. Movements – To test flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation
6. Special Test – Such as Straight Leg Raise Test (SLRT), Femoral Nerve Stretch Test, Slump Test, Schober’s test
7. Manual Muscle Testing
8. Neurological Examination – to rule our sensory loss, muscle power and reflexes.
9. X-Ray, MRI, CT Scan, Myelogram
What are the common conditions of Back Pain?
1. Sciatica
2. Herniated Disc
3. Spinal Stenosis
4. Sprains and strains
5. Intervertebral disc degeneration
6. Radiculopathy
7. Skeletal irregularities
8. Traumatic incident
9. Cauda Equine Syndrome
10. Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc
11. Spinal Osteoarthritis
Treatment methods used to treat back pain are
1. Electrotherapy to reduce pain
2. Exercises to strengthen muscles. Designed tailor-made exercise programme, involving physical activity, movement, muscle strengthening, controlling your posture and stretching.
3. Manipulation therapy or spine manipulation.
4. Postural Correction
5. Patient education such as How to lift heavy objects
6. Ergonomic advice
How can I reduce my Back Pain?
Pain Killers: When the pain is unbearable you can take pain killers available over the counter at any medical store
Exercise: Doing regular exercise will have a long-term positive effect on your spinal health. Consult a physiotherapist to learn exercises suitable for you you. Not all exercises can be done by everyone. Hence it is necessary to see a physiotherapist, once physiotherapist examines you then he/she will be able to recommend you the exercises suitable for you. It is always a good idea to do these exercises under the supervision for couple of days.
In general, the physiotherapist will do the following:
• Design an exercise programme, involving physical activity, movement, muscle strengthening, controlling your posture and stretching.
• Manipulation therapy or spine manipulation.
Postural Correction: You can undergo a postural correction training. Once you start maintaining good posture at home and work, your back pain will be reduced over a period.
Taking care while Lifting Heavy Objects: If possible avoid lifting heavy objects and if you have to do it then there is a correct way to do the same. The first set of image is incorrect and the second set of image is the correct way to lift heavy objects. The same principle applies to when you are lifting a child or lifting anything off the floor.
Any exercise which increase the pain should be stopped immediately.
Back Strengthening Exercises
Lie down on your back in the exercise mat
1) Ankle up and down:
Lie down on your back in the exercise mat with legs straight and ankle touching the mat.
Now move your ankle towards your leg but do not lift the ankle from the mat and hold it for 5 seconds. Release it and move it downwards away from your leg but do not lift the ankle.
Repeat the whole cycle of moving towards your leg and away from your leg for 5 times.
2) Towel roll press under the ankle
Place a towel roll under your ankle and press down the towel roll, hold it for 5 seconds and release.
Repeat for 5 times
3) Towel roll press under the knee
Place a towel roll under your knee and press down the roll, hold it for 5 seconds and release.
4) Single Leg raises
Bend your one knee to 90 degrees by placing your feet on the mat. Other leg being straight on the floor. Now lift your straight leg off the ground as much as possible in the pain free range without bending your knees.
Hold it for 5 seconds up in the air and bring it down
Repeat for 5 times
Repeat the same exercise with the other leg.
5) Double leg raise
Both the legs lying straight on the ground and lift the legs together off the ground without bending the knees. Lift up as much as possible in the pain free range. Hold it for 5 seconds and release.
Repeat for 5 times
6) Static Back Press
Place a towel roll under your back and press the towel roll as much as you can. Hold it for 5 seconds and release. Repeat the same for 5 times.
7) Bridging
Bend your knees to 90 degrees by bringing your ankle close to the hip where ankle and knee should be in same line
Arms on the side of the body and lift your hip by about 5 inches and hold it for 5 seconds and release it
Repeat the same for 5 times
8) Side Curls
Bring your knees to 90 degrees by bringing your ankle close to hip where ankle and knee should be in the same line
Now move both the knees together on left side towards the ground and head on right side, hold in this position for 5 seconds and release. Do it on the opposite side (do this in a pain free range)
Repeat the same on both sides for 5 times
Lie down on your stomach in the exercise mat
1) Place your both the palms under your chin and remain in this position for 5 seconds and release.
Repeat for 5 times
2) Place your elbows on the mat and lift your chest off the ground, hold this position for 5 seconds and release it.
Repeat for 5 times
3) Place your palm on the mat and lift your chest off the ground, hold this position for 5 seconds and release it
Repeat for 5 times.