Most people will suffer from back pain at some stage in their life. Overwork, injury, poor posture or poor physical condition can all lead to back pain. Some people suffer from chronic back pain and have resigned themselves to accepting this as their fate, however with the help of physiotherapy, back pain can be eliminated.
Physiotherapists evaluate patients suffering from back pain and design programs that will help relieve them of their suffering. In addition, we will also examine your standing, walking, sitting and lying posture to determine if any of these may be contributing to their pain. Poor posture can pull the muscles out of alignment, leading to fatigue and lower back pain. Ergonomics in the workplace and at home may also be a factor in causing back pain.
After dealing with your posture, we will advise exercise. This may sound like a death knell when you are suffering from back pain, however tight back muscles can be a key cause of back pain. Exercise, especially gentle stretching, can produce flexibility and relieve tension that oftentimes leads to lower back pain. Many Yoga poses are designed to rid the body of back pain and keep it at bay. Your therapist can teach you to perform these stretches which should become part of your daily routine.
Another exercise that helps to get rid of back pain is walking. This simple activity is useful in the beginning even if you can only tolerate five minutes of it. Wear good walking shoes and start slowly and gradually increase to 20-30 minutes a day. Some discomfort is to be expected in the beginning, but be careful to stop if it gets to be too much.
Abdominal exercises are essential to relieving lower back pain and keeping it away. The abs are part of the core muscles which support the lower back and help to keep it strong and flexible. Sagging abs cannot support the lower back and help to pull them out of alignment, leading to back pain.
We can train you to do various exercises safely and without causing you too much discomfort. These should also form part of your daily routine.