What is Back Pain?
Back Pain, lumbago, and backache are all the same thing. Often though there is not simply pain but other symptoms as well. The pain felt in the back usually originates from the muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, discs, bones joints, or other structures associated with the spine (e.g. Viscera). It is pain or discomfort in the area above your buttocks and below your ribs. However other areas such as the buttocks, groin, and legs can also be affected.
What does it feel like?
Back pain (serious or non-serious) is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their lifetime. It usually feels like an ache, tension, or stiffness in your back. It can also be sharp, and acute and affect the pelvis, groin, buttocks, and legs. Also, see our section on sciatica.
Symptoms can occur in other areas such as the buttocks, groin, hips, thigh and legs(sciatica), and feet. Problems in the spine can also cause symptoms such as a trapped nerve. This causes pins and needles. symptoms also include pain or ‘a toothache’ in the leg and numbness in the leg or foot.
What causes it?
It can be triggered by a myriad of different things, such as bad posture whilst sitting or standing, bending awkwardly, slipping over, or lifting incorrectly. It can also be caused after an accident or because you have weak back muscles or poor muscle tone/balance.
Symptoms can also be made worse by physical and emotional stress. This is called the biopsychosocial model of health.
There are also medical conditions such as spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), Ankylosing Spondylitis, and arthritis to name a few that will cause back pain.
These conditions are however much less common but also need to be diagnosed.
How is Back Pain treated?
Understanding how the body is affected and has adapted allows for effective treatment. Treatment focuses on restoring joint function and range of movement and improving muscle tone, stability, and balance. It also includes rehabilitation exercises and general advice on how to improve and care for your back. We then also look at the way the whole body works together to help stop the problems from returning.
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