Back pain affects 4 out of 5 people at some stage of their life. Fortunately, there are many things that can be done to recover and prevent pain from returning.
Studies show that osteopathic treatment reduces back pain, increases mobility and speeds the recovery process.Your osteopath can assist you to develop the course of action consistent with your lifestyle, symptoms and goals to manage your back and neck pain.
Treatment of Back and Neck Pain
Back pain can be brought on by lifting, moving awkwardly or by an accident. Sometimes it can come on without any specific injury to your back. Stress, depression, posture, being overweight, sedentary living and poor lifestyle habits can all be significant factors.
People can feel a range of symptoms such as stiffness, tenderness and mild to very severe pain. The pain can come on quite suddenly or over time, and be located anywhere in the spine from the top of the neck to the pelvis. Sometimes pressure from the back on the nerves can cause pain or pins and needles and numbness in the legs and arms. Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners and you don’t need a doctor’s referral to see us. We are ACC accredited and can file your ACC claim if required. Osteopaths are able to arrange some imaging to assist in diagnosis, we can arrange X-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds.
How can an Osteopath Help
- Osteopaths are well known for treating back pain and patients report high satisfaction with treatment. There is good quality evidence supporting the beneficial effects of manipulation for back pain,
- Osteopaths can use a wide range of gentle manual treatments depending on your age, fitness and diagnosis. We may gently mobilise your joints and massage the soft tissues to release tension and sometimes we may gently manipulate the back to loosen the joints and you may hear a “click”,
- Treatment is different in every individual and sometimes it might involve treating other areas in the body,
- We may offer advice on your lifestyle and identify actions or habits that may be adding to your pain,
- We may offer advice on posture, exercise and stretching.
Some of the back conditions patients visit osteopaths for:
- Acute back pain ,
- Chronic back pain,
- Slipped/Prolapsed Discs,
- Trauma, Injury and Sprains,
- Sciatica,
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction,
- Ankylosing spondylitis ,
- Osteoarthritis.
Who do we treat?
Osteopaths treat people of all ages, from children through to the elderly. Osteopathic treatment can be helpful for people in any situation - students, office workers, manual labourers, pregnant women, stay at home parents, retirees and anything in between.