Can Back Pain Be Treated By A Physiotherapist?
Back ache is among the commonest health conditions reported by patients. Two out of every three men and women are afflicted by back ache, the most frequent type being a disc condition. This results where the spine and its spinal vertebrae come to be twisted or bent forward allowing the back of the joint to open. This lets a disc bulge in the opposite direction, inflicting pressure for the nerve behind it as it emerges from the spinal cord. It is this that leads to swelling and painfulness.
The most frequent way for people to get this kind of injury is from the improper lifting of heavy loads. However, simply just bending awkwardly or prolonged stooping can trigger problems for the spinal column. This illustrates the need to adopt safe gardening and lifting techniques.
Sciatica, (Latin for 'pain down the back of the leg'), is generally brought about by trapping the sciatic nerve in the lower back. It is actually a comparatively common type of back pain. The pain sensation from sciatica can be bad and debilitating although this is not always the case and thankfully physiotherapists can do something about it.
By understanding how techniques can affect and change the mechanics of the spinal column, back pain can be taken care of. Experienced therapist can treat it by using a wide variety of methods, one of which is the Mackenzie Exercise Regime. The Regime helps to educate patients how to react when they first become aware their back is in difficulties. Basic stretching exercises and special 'push ups' help adjust the mechanics of the back and help move the discs back into the ideal position.
Another technique used by physiotherapists is connective tissue manipulation (CTM). It works because the movement of the tissue by the therapist makes a short, sharp, nervous stretch response that creates an impulse that spreads through the connective tissue. The patient's brain will convert the impulse as if it were a scratch to the skin. The reflex itself is a small impulse that passes through the fluid in the connective tissue and releases tension. This decrease in tension around the blood vessel walls enables more blood to flow into the damaged region, thus decreasing inflammation. Softening the connective tissue enables more movement to occur without irritation and pain for the patient.
Should you suffer back pain, it is a wise course of action to visit your local physio to find out what they can do for you. A local physio can be found using a geographical search term in Google such as 'London physiotherapist'.


