Millions of people in the UK suffer from back pain; it is estimated that it affects one in three of us every year. It can affect both young and old, but quite often it is linked to activity levels and the type of occupation/activities that you do.
If you are experiencing lower back pain, you will likely have tension, soreness and/or stiffness in and around the affected area. You may also feel some pain in the upper buttock area, or the front or back of your thighs. In the majority of cases, it is due to a simple strain to the soft tissues or mild joint sprain. This is referred to as ‘non-specific back pain’, meaning it’s not caused by any serious pathology.
It can last for anything from a few days or weeks, or continue for many months; however, even with short episodes of pain, it can significantly affect you in a number of ways.
Back pain can influence your mood, your normal daily activities, your regular sleep patterns, and your ability to carry out your work. In the majority of cases, you will be able to manage this yourself with simple strategies of keeping mobile, managing your pain with over-the-counter painkillers, ensuring you eat and sleep well, and by gently exercising the affected area.
It is important to note that if your back pain is not settling or if you develop any symptoms such as loss of leg muscle strength, pins and needles or numbness in the legs, or severe leg pain, you should book in immediately to see a specialist Physiotherapist.
Our 5 Back Pain Top Tips
1. Stay Active
Despite feeling like you want to lie down and stay still, your back needs you to keep moving. While you will likely need to stop your normal gym or training routine, it is important that you keep up with some light activity. Stopping all exercise will lead to increased muscle tightness, and joint stiffness. Your back also needs lots of oxygen, nutrients and natural healing chemicals; exercise will boost the blood flow to your back and promote healing. Exercise has been shown to release endorphins, which stimulates that euphoric feeling, as well as being a natural painkiller.
Often the best form of exercise when you have back pain is doing a light 20-30 min walk. Other low impact exercises that can be beneficial are cross training machines, swimming, and pilates. Keep the duration short and build it up as your pain settles.
Sometimes even light activity can flare your symptoms up temporarily. This is quite normal and as long as these settle down again by the next day, then try to persevere; but maybe reduce the length of the activity for a few days before building up again. Keep monitoring your progress, be steady and consistent and your back pain will improve.
2. Pain Management
Being in pain is incredibly debilitating for both the mind and the body.
Pain relief is such an important component of getting on top of your back pain. If you can get the right amount of pain relief to support you, you will find that moving around and performing daily activities and exercise will be much easier. You will also be able to sleep better which is such a vital part of your healing process.
Without sufficient pain relief you run the risk of prolonging your pain, potentially causing further issues in your back, or damaging other areas of your body which are having to ‘compensate’ for the back.
One of the best ways to combat your pain is by taking over the counter medications such as paracetamol or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. We recommend that you always discuss this first with your pharmacist, treating health professional or GP.
Other things that may help to control your pain are using heat and ice, gentle soft tissue massage and acupuncture.
3. Good Postural Habits
We have moved away from the idea that sitting up straight is the best type of posture, and while we wouldn’t advocate slumping and slouching, it is much more about avoiding any prolonged positions.
Whatever position you are adopting, whether that is sitting, standing or lying, you need to change the position you’re in by taking regular breaks, doing a quick stretch or going for a short walk.
If you’re in an office setting, talk to your managers about investing in adjustable desks, that way you can vary your positions from sitting to standing with the press of a button. Being slouched in a chair and hunched over a desk or computer all day is only going to lead to problems!
Here are some tips if you are working from home
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Get Stronger!!
Research into low back pain recognises that improving the strength of your core muscles (abdominal and back muscles) can be very effective at reducing your pain.
Your core muscles are vital for a healthy back because they keep your spine properly aligned, and are responsible for spinal stability. They are required for every movement we make, from bending to pick something off the floor, to walking or running in the park.
Strengthening these muscles will get you more active, maintain your balance, help you avoid awkward movements, and prevent recurrences of your back pain in the future.
There are many stretches and strengthening exercises you can do for your back pain. Ideally, these should be individual to your specific problem.
If you have tried some generic exercises from the internet or the exercises you are doing are not working for you, then it is worth having an appointment with one of our specialists to get an individualised programme.
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Positivity, Sleep and General Wellbeing
Research into low back pain recognises that improving your general wellbeing, sleeping and eating habits and cardiovascular fitness are all important elements to your recovery
Sleep is particularly important, and recent studies show that poor sleep can increase the risk of developing pain or can contribute to pain becoming persistent.
Stress and anxiety also contribute to how your body deals with pain, acting like an amplifier and increasing its intensity.
Activities such as Yoga can be very helpful in managing stress as well as giving your body a good workout as it incorporates mindfulness, relaxation and breathing control; all useful allies in the management of pain.
Be realistic in terms of setting yourself achievable goals for your recovery to help build your confidence. Avoid trawling the internet for comparative cases; you will not find the correct outcome and will more often than not end up making things worse.
Prevention is better than cure!
Stay strong and flexible
Remember that your back is meant to move, bend and twist. Often our backs become tight and weak without regular activity. By keeping your back strong and flexible you can help protect your back in the long run.
We highly recommend joining a regular pilates class. Complete Pilates offer a full range of classes, from 1:1 and group matwork pilates, to reformer based pilates. Pilates combines core strength, stretching and flexibility, and postural awareness as well as being great fun!
Maintain a healthy weight.
Weight is not an easy topic to discuss, but it is a significant factor that can affect low back pain. Being overweight puts extra strain on your back muscles and joints, and potentially puts your body at risk for injury. Maintaining a healthy weight for your body frame can hugely reduce your chance of developing back pain.
We hope that these points above will help you to manage your back pain better and get well on the road to recovery.
If you have any concerns or further questions, then please don’t hesitate to contact us to book an individual assessment with one of our highly specialised Physiotherapists.
Don’t let pain hold you back, book now!