Tag Archives: low back pain

General Category, Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy

Low Back Pain : Massage Therapy

January 23,2016 Sharon Tierney Leave a comment

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain: Massage Therapy
As physiotherapists and registered massage therapists we treat low back pain – a lot. It is by far the most common injury that we see. Stats suggest that almost all of us will have back pain at some point in our lives. It is also the most common cause for missed days at work. But what causes low back pain?

Low Back Pain

The lumbar spine is very complex, therefore what causes low back pain cannot be answered easily. It is critical to have the spine assessed by someone who is trained to determine what structure is sore, and more importantly why. I have listed some of the most common causes of low back pain.

Common Causes of Low Back Pain

1. Disc herniation or bulge: The disc is a shock absorbing structure that sits between each vertebrae or bone of the back. The disc has a hard outside ring around a soft jelly middle. It is often compared to a jelly donut. Pain is produced when this jelly is pushed through the firm outer shell causing a bump in the circular shape. Sciatica or pain radiating down the leg is caused if this bulge hits a nerve.

2. Joint Stiffness: Each of the vertebrae have a joint connecting them to the bone above and below. Like many of the other joints of the body – the ankle, the knee – these joints will swell and become irritated if they are stretched too far or too much work is demanded of them.

3. Muscle Spasm: Often to protect the back, the muscles that run beside the spine will go into spasm. The purpose of this is to splint the back to allow the irritated area to rest. However, often the spasm can be much worse and more limiting than the initial low back pain. Massage Therapy can be very effective at releasing the muscle spasm and helping you to decrease pain.

These are just a few of the causes, and there are many more. If you would like to know the reason for your low back pain and perhaps more importantly how to treat it, call for an appointment with a Physiotherapist or Massage Therapist today!

General Category, Massage Therapy, Physiotherapy

Low Back Pain

November 27,2015 Sharon Tierney Leave a comment

Low Back Pain

Low back pain is the most common injury that physiotherapists and massage therapists treat. In fact it is said that up to 80 % of us will have low back pain at some point in our lives.It is pain severe enough that we will miss time from work and/or taking care of loved ones. As always, the best medicine is to prevent pain. When it comes to low back pain there are many things that can be done to prevent Low Back Pain. This includes using the proper lifting techniques, proper posture and ergonomics at work, yoga – the list goes on. But the one I would like to talk about today is strengthening.
First, let me debunk a myth. Sit ups and crunches will not help prevent low back pain. Weighted extensions and dead lifts will not help prevent low back pain. Although these are important muscles of the trunk, these muscles produce movement and power not stability. It is very rare to find a low back injury that is caused by not enough movement or poor power. Most low back pain is caused by disc injury, joint stress and postural issues. To prevent these injuries, stability exercises must be done.
The stability or deep core muscles lay deeper in the body and create a cylinder around the spine to support it and reduce joint stress. This layer of muscles can be strengthened by completing planks. Planks can take on many forms depending on the muscles strength you already have. Beginners should start on their elbows and knees, while the more advanced person can complete complex patterns of movement including commando crawling. Side planks are also an important option. For variety, working with a half or full ball can add a core element to your workout. Simple exercises include bridging or completing extensions on a ball. Choosing where to begin depends on your current strength and if you are in any pain. Physiotherapists are expert at prescribing exercises, just ask and we will be glad to get you started.

General Category, Health and Wellness, Physiotherapy

Back Pain Avoidance–Raking Leaves Without Getting Injured

October 20,2015 Sharon Tierney Leave a comment

Autumn is my favourite time of year – Warm woolly sweaters, frosty morning spent in front of a fire and hiking in the beautiful autumn leaves. Of course, with these leaves comes raking. (Not a Canadian favourite.) How can we do this safely without causing shoulder and back pain? There are a few simple guidelines that you can follow.

Avoiding Back Pain

1. Warm up: Most of us know to warm up before we do sports, but raking can be just as hard on the body. A brisk 10 minute walk can do the trick.

2. Watch your technique: Step forward and back to collect the leaves. Stooping and reaching with your spine can trigger low back pain. Also, use your feet to turn. Bending and twisting at the same time can be very risky and can cause back pain.

3. Use your knees to lift: Although leaves are not usually heavy, the repetitive motion of bagging the leaves can also cause low back pain. Squat to pick up the leaves uses the big muscles of your legs and bottom to do the work. If this causes knee pain, talk to you physiotherapist for healthy and safe alternatives.

4. Take breaks: Switch activities every 10-15 minutes to let muscles rest. This can change from raking to bagging to weeding the garden. Although you are still working on cleaning up the yard, different muscles are in use, spreading the demand through the body.

5. Don’t do it all at once: Listen to your body, if it is telling you that enough is enough, then stop for a couple of hours, or even a couple of days, the leaves are not going anywhere.

6. Wear proper footwear: Damp leaves can be slippery. Make sure to wear sturdy footwear to prevent slips and falls.

7. Double check: if you have a heart condition, talk to your doctor before taking on this chore.

General Category

Low Back Pain Treatment: Physiotherapy

September 22,2015 Sharon Tierney Leave a comment

Low back pain is incredibly common. It is estimated that up to 5% of the population in Mississauga has Low back pain at any given time. The good news is that low back pain treatment can usually be very quick if you are give the right information at the right time and you have a skilled physiotherapist to guide you.

Low Back Pain Treatment

The use of modalities such as interferential stimulation and heat can be useful to break down muscle spasm. A thorough assessment by a physiotherapist can usually find one movement that you can do that shuts the low back pain “off”. This movement is specific to each injury but is very powerful in controlling the pain.

Advice on activities to limit, adjust or eliminate is also a necessary and helpful part of any assessment and low back pain treatment. Most often, activities are modified only temporarily, and normal activities can be resumed as soon as pain control has been established.

The culprit for many low back pain injuries is a disc bulge or sometimes a herniation: this refers to damage on the edge of a disc that allows the material inside the disc to bulge out. Often this bulge can lead to pain travelling into the buttock or down into the leg. Once again, this can often be solved fairly easily if you are given the correct information quickly after an attack starts.

Disc injuries are often the fastest injuries to heal if the Low Back pain treatment that you receive is accurate. Once a specific movement has been identified that shuts the pain off, this movement is repeated several times throughout the day in response to the onset of pain. This allows the pressure to come off the injured disc and helps it to heal quickly. The outcomes for these types of injuries are excellent if you see a qualified and skilled physiotherapist. Try to find a physiotherapist that is trained in McKenzie to at least a level C if not higher. These therapist have some of the best training available to deal with Low Back Pain Treatment. PhysioNow has therapists trained in McKenzie level courses at both locations in Mississauga.

Call a physiotherapy clinic now! Ask for a same day appointment and get started on your recovery today!

Exercise, Health and Wellness, Physiotherapy

Back pain – Do you need surgery?

March 22,2014 Sharon Tierney Leave a comment

Back Pain- do you need surgery?

Back pain is one of the most common injuries that we see at our office! Most pain medications barely touch the pain- they just take the edge off and knock you out. The good news is that back pain is an injury that can be treated conservatively by a skilled physiotherapist! There are several different sources of back pain with the most common being disc pain due to a disc bulge or herniation. The source of the pain is often simple to diagnose.

Assessment can be completed quickly in one visit and treatment can start the same day. In my experience, more than 75% of patients are fast responders meaning that their symptoms can begin to lessen very quickly after the first visit. The trick to shutting off back pain is to identify the location and angle of the disc injury. Very simple stretching exercises can then be performed to close down on the injured disc thereby rapidly shutting off the pain.

An experienced physiotherapist can identify the source of your back pain and help you get on the road to recovery.

99% + of patients can avoid surgery by participating in physiotherapy. Call today to book an appointment! We can help! An assessment will take about twenty minutes. The physiotherapist will look at movement patterns of your back. In other words, we try to see which movements make your back pain better and those that make your back pain worse. From that, we can usually figure out the best movements to make your back pain go away quickly. Its really simple if you see a physiotherapist experienced in assessing back pain. It is best if you follow up with your physiotherapist at least twice per week and perhaps three times per week depending on how fast the back pain is changing with treatment. In very short order, you should be back to enjoying all of your normal activities again. Some simple prevention exercises will help to keep you out of trouble. Your physiotherapist can show these to you before your treatment program is complete. Call today to get started!

Low Back Pain