Is your back pain changing how and what you do?
Lower back pain is very common and affects many people at some point in their lives. All too often people think it is normal to have pain or stiffness and that it will go away on its own. There is no clear reason why it’s happened, but it doesn’t seem to be shifting… Often it is explained by a bad nights sleep, age related stiffness, posture. Sound familiar? You are not alone. Lower back pain and sciatica are THE most common injuries we see in our Clinic.
(When it comes to living with back pain everybody we see wants to know “Why has this happened to me?” “I’ve rested for ……. Weeks/months and it’s still not going away”)
We’ve prepared a FREE Back Pain Guide to help you
- Tips and Recommendations on what you can do to help reduce back pain
- Expert Advice written by an experienced Chartered Physiotherapist
- Enhance your Knowledge with this back pain reference guide
Does this sound like you?
Another scenario we hear about all the time in our clinics is that patients have been advised to rest and take painkillers. Or to rub in an anti-inflammatory cream. If this does help, the effect is often short lived. The patient is left still unable to enjoy the activities that they want to do.
Have you been through this yourself?
So why does back pain last so long?
One of the main reasons that people seem to struggle with back pain for so long is that they have access to too much information. Too much advice is offered from too many sources which, whilst well meant, can be conflicting and confusing. Friends, family, work colleagues, not to mention Google!
With so much conflicting information it is no surprise at all that many back pain sufferers give up looking for a solution and end up living with a poorer quality of life.
So what does cause back pain?
It’s easy to think that the thing you were doing when you first felt your back pain was what caused it. In fact it is more likely to be years of incorrect posture that caused the muscles in your lower back to get weak and be unable to handle that final lift, twist or bad sleeping position.
It’s the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ analogy!
Years of misuse and weakening will eventually take its toll on your back and leave you in pain and discomfort, unable to do the things you used to take for granted. You accept it as something that happens to everyone at some point. And accepting it means that you are less likely to seek advice and receive effective treatment.
Age is not a diagnosis!
Let’s be very clear about this, age is not a diagnosis!
It can’t be. If that were the case, then how can an 80 year old run a marathon and a 50 year old be unable to walk to the shops or even get out of bed? And you shouldn’t accept it as a reason for back pain either.
A good physiotherapist should never tell you back pain is purely age related.
Here are 5 common reasons why your back pain is lasting longer than it should:
1
You thought your back pain would simply go away on it’s own.
2
A family member, friend or work colleague told you that everybody gets back pain as they get older, so you just accepted it as something you have to live with.
3
In the past you’ve tried other healthcare professionals, or even a Physio.
4
You tried exercises you found on YouTube, or other ‘Googled’ remedies, but they either didn’t help, or made your back pain far worse.
5
You stopped being active and decided to rest instead, thinking that was what your back needed, but all the rest did was make it feel even more stiff and tight.
