By Paul Bolger. Nano Physiotherapy
Are you alive? Breathing? A human being? If you have answered yes to these questions, then you will almost certainly suffer from back pain at some stage in your life (research tells us that up to 95% of us will!).
Sounds like a gloomy prospect, but it might not be as bad as it first seems.
Back pain is very rarely due to serious damage (e.g. spinal fracture) or major medical pathology (e.g. infection, cancer). These relate to just 1-2% of back pain cases.
A small percentage of cases might need invasive treatment, like surgery, due to the risk of permanent damage to the spinal cord or the spinal nerves – with only about 5% of cases falling into this category.
A few concerning signs following back injury that require immediate medical review include:
- Sudden or worsening loss of strength/ control of the legs/ feet
- Progressive and significant numbness or altered sensation
- Sudden changes in bladder or bowel function
Most cases of back pain can be classified as ‘non-specific lower back pain’. If someone like this went to 10 different therapists, they might come away with 10 different diagnoses (sound familiar?).
Usually, back pain runs its course – and recurrence is common.
For most people, back pain might last several days, weeks or sometimes months. Usually, treatment is not required. Like other ailments we experience in life (such as depression, flu, and migraine), back pain can return multiple times over the years, with those suffering an instance of back pain more likely to go through another bout down the line.
This should not be cause for despair – as most of these cases do not cause disability or serious distress.
What to do?
There is no point in trying to completely prevent back pain – countless billions have been spent on diagnosing and treating back pain and the problem remains.
If back pain is an issue for you, spotting your triggers and adapting to them is a great place to start.
Homework.
For those for whom back pain is an ongoing issue, take some time to consider what triggers your back pain? Do you have physical triggers (e.g. too little exercise, or too much of certain activities)? Do other factors play a role (e.g. long periods of disrupted sleep/ stress/ emotional demands)? Do you have useful strategies that help (e.g. relaxation, heat, exercise)? Or strategies that hinder recovery (e.g. avoiding movement, turning to alcohol/ excessive medication, etc)?
A registered physiotherapist can help you. I recommend a therapist who empowers you with tools and strategies that put you in the driver’s seat (not a therapist who fills you with fear or a sense that you have no say or control).
