Lower Back Pain: All You Need to Know
What Is Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is any pain or discomfort below the last rib to the glutes, with or without leg pain. The intensity of pain can range from mild to severe. In severe cases, it can make it difficult to perform daily activities such as sleeping, walking, and lifting. Pain could build up over time or suddenly occur.
What are the Primary Causes of Lower Back Pain?
- Sedentary lifestyle (sitting for long periods of time)
- Poor posture
- Arthritis
- Lack of exercise
- Herniated disks
- Repetitive muscle strain
- Being overweight or Obese
- Fractures
- Osteoporosis
- Spine tumors and kidney stones
Symptoms of Lower Back Pain
- Sharp, dull, or achy pain in the lower back and/or down the back of the leg (sciatica)
- Feels worse when bending down
- Feelings of stiffness (lack of range of motion)
- Difficulty standing straight
- Lower back appears flat rather than curved
- Muscle spasms
Types of Lower Back Pain
- Acute Mechanical Low Back Pain
- It changes with physical activity (e.g., prolonged sitting, bending forward, etc). This pain is located on the sacrum and is felt in the glutes and thighs
- Sciatica (Nerve Root Pain)
- May arise from disc herniation, to describe leg pain that predominates in the distribution spinal stenosis, or postoperative scarring. It is leg pain that predominates in the distribution of a lumbosacral nerve root, with or without neurologic deficit.
- Disc Herniation
- Describes the release of the fluid from the spinal discs. This pain is felt in the lower back, glutes, thighs, and calves.
- Piriformis Syndrome
- This syndrome results from compression or inflammation of the sciatic nerve as it courses under or through the piriformis muscle. This pain is felt in the glutes and thighs.
How Physiotherapy Can Help
- Assess pain, range of motion, strength, etc to determine cause of pain
- Prescribe exercises and stretches to relieve pain
- Chiropractic Spinal/ peripheral joint manipulation
- Soft tissue work - Myofascial Release, Muscle energy Technique, Graston, Active Release Therapy, Positional Release Therapy, Mobilization with Movement ( MWM)
- Nerve Mobilization- Patho Neuro Dynamics,Dermoneuro Modulation
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of treatments can be used?
- Soft tissue flexibility, joint mobility, and stabilization programs are prescribed
- Acupuncture/dry needling
- Manual therapy- Myofascial Release, Muscle Energy Technique, Graston/ IASTM, Active Release Therapy, Positional Release Therapy, Mobilization with Movement ( MWM)
- TENS /EMS/ IFC- Electrotherapy with the help of electrotherapy device
- Laser therapy - LLLT
- Heat/ice work
- Neural Mobilization- Neurodynamics
- Work hardening / Functional training
Benefits of Physiotherapy for pain relief:
- Reduce pain and stiffness
- Reduce muscle tension
- Reduce inflammation
- Develop strength, stabilization, and flexibility
- Improve range of motion
- Prevent further injury or reinjury
- Return to daily activities much quicker
- Return to Sports and Recreational activity
- Reduce Long Term Disability
- Reduces the need to depend on pain medicationÂ
How soon can I expect to see results?
From the very first session! With professional therapists, the results are almost immediate.
Acute: Within one to two weeks of treatment
Chronic: After about 8 weeks of treatment
Can it have any side effects?
Physiotherapy is a very safe and effective way of managing and treating mechanical lower back pain. There are currently no known long term side effects from treatment. During assessment, if physiotherapists realize that an injury is outside their scope of practice, they will refer the client to the appropriate doctor or specialist. After treatment, a client may feel some time sore for a day or two, but this is normal and expected. The client will always feel better post-soreness than they did before treatment.
