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BACK, NECK AND SCIATICA PAIN |
What causes lower back pain?
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Lower back pain is usually caused by a weakness in the muscles of the lower back and postural stain, not enough exercise, obesity, and sitting for too long.
Congenital problems such as one leg longer than the other can cause back pain. Trauma and accidents can cause lower back pain, over exercise and slipped disc, can also contribute to lower back pain.
Internal muscular pressure (intrinsic pressure) pressing on the nerves of the neck/back.
All Chartered physiotherapists at City Clinic Group are highly specialized in the diagnosis of neck and lower back pain. Through spinal examination using neurological and orthopaedic examination, we test your spinal joints, strength of ligaments and muscles, and reflexes and sensory changes.
We can also refer you for an MRI scan if required.
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What causes lower back pain?
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The majority of lower back pain is mechanical, that’s to say it’s been caused through lifting sport, twisting or sudden movement.
Pain from injury can be caused by a car accident, whiplash, gardening, sports injuries, or repetitive strain to muscles or facet joints in the spine.
Your back pain may be felt in the muscles, or shooting pain may be felt down the outside and sometimes the inside of the leg to the calf or knee.
Back pain limits your flexibility. We have all experienced awakening in the morning and been unable to put our socks on.
Lower back pain can be the cause of nerve or muscular irritation, and spinal joints locking.
Degeneration of the spine may be a part of ageing, conditions such as arthritis or disc disease osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can cause back pain.
Occasionally lower back pain can be an indicator of a more serious medical condition.
Back pain following fever, may be an indicator of more serious problems.
Weakness in the legs may show a compressed nerve or disc.
Diabetes sufferers may develop back pain and this may be neuropathic in nature. People with the above symptoms should contact their Health professional or General Practitioner, immediately for a quick diagnosis and given appropriate treatment to prevent more permanent damage.
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Why is back pain so painful?
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Usually the deeper muscles of the back are involved and sometimes it is the ligaments and tendons of the spine.
Pain signals are sent to the brain.
This starts a cycle of pain and nerve irritation with spinal joint fixation, if left untreated for more than six days, it will result in degeneration of the facet joints of the spine, which will trigger the first stage of arthritis of the spine.
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| Neck Pain |
Sitting at desks and computers, long period driving, poor posture and ergonomic factors can cause muscular neck problems, including headaches and referred Arm Pain. Necks are also vulnerable to injury in road traffic accidents (whiplash). Physiotherapy is helpful in the treatment of neck pain as well as Massage and Acupuncture.
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Sciatica
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It was commonly thought until quite recently that sciatica was the result of a herniated or ruptured disc in the lower back, in some cases this was the result of the pain.
However recent studies have shown in a great number of sciatic sufferers, the pain was coming from the piriformis muscle (deep muscle of the back side). If this muscle is allowed to go into spasm it may create internal muscular pressure that presses upon the sciatic nerve.
The symptoms of sciatica are pain running down the outside of the leg sometimes effecting the hip, knee and ankle and sometimes walking.
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Treatments for piriformis dysfunction
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Treatments for piriformis dysfunction can vary from Joint manipulation to Laser therapy or acupuncture to massage the sciatic nerve and in 13% of the population wrap around the pirformis muscle, causing a great deal of pain and mimicking sciatica .
The remaining 87% of the population the sciatic nerve either goes over or around the pirformis muscle.
In a majority of cases piriformis dysfunction is a deep muscular spasm that usually effects one buttock and can give referred pain that runs down the leg affecting the knee the ankle and walking.
Spinal manipulation does not tend to be successful because the pain is not from the spinal joints or originating from the discs.
Deep massage tends to not reach the deep underlying tissue.
Electro acupuncture seems to be the best treatment of relieving the deep muscular spasm of piriformis dysfunction.
Once an acupuncture needle is inserted into the skin and deeper muscles of the body, chemical reactions take place that release endorphins which in turn release the body’s own pain killers. Also the muscle is irritated causing the muscle initially to go into spasm once electrical stimulation is passed through two needles which are positioned within the piriformis. |
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City Clinic Group including City Back Pain Clinic
conveniently located
at SE1 location
Tulip House, 70 Borough High Street, London Bridge SE1 1XF
Private Medical Insurance Accepted & Billed For You
AXA PPP, Norwich Union, BCWA, WPA, HSA and Sun Alliance
© 2010 Christopher Curtis, Chartered Physiotherapist, Qualified Acupuncturist
Call Free Phone Now : 0800 328 3704 |
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