Physiotherapy & Osteopath New Cross SE14

What is lower back pain?
It could be a mild ache or could be a sharp, stabbing or shooting pain. Lower back problems affect the spine’s stability, flexibility and strength. This may cause pain, discomfort, and stiffness. Just below the ribs down to the upper buttocks is referred to your Lower back.

What can cause lower back pain?
The most common reason could be strain of the muscles, ligaments, joints & nerves. Sitting at your desk for long hours, lifting items incorrectly, increase the strain on the joints and muscles. Modern lifestyles and work means we are sitting for long periods which can cause issues.
Lower back pain may also result from other conditions which are not related to the back itself. These include:

• Gastrointestinal
• Gynaecological
• Kidney (renal) problems

We would recommend always asking for a professional assessment of your lower back pain. We offer a FREE 15 minute spinal assessment, just ask when you book with us.

Symptoms of lower back pain?
If you are suffering from lower back pain you will normally feel stiffness and a restriction in movement. Sitting for long periods like driving or in the office can particularly cause aching or sharp pains. Pain may be in the buttocks or pass down the leg.

What are the treatment options for low back pain?
Following the spinal assessment an Osteopath would be able to outline the options in terms of treatment of the lower back pain. If you would then like to proceed with a treatment then usually this would follow the assessment.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail please use the link below or call one of the team.

Neck Pain
A lot of people will suffer from neck pain at some time in there life. In most cases it is not due to a medical problem and often the exact cause is not clear. What is very common is that the person has non-specific neck pain. This can be referred to as ‘mechanical’ or ‘simple’ neck pain. These could be:

• Minor strains and sprains to muscles
• Ligaments in the neck
• Bad posture may be a contributing factor

*** If your day consists of working at a desk posture could be a factor ***

Shoulder Pain

• Poor posture and frozen shoulder – can be painful and reduces normal movement in the joint, also sometimes prevents movement in the shoulder altogether.
  Shoulder instability – Referred to as Hypermobility. This is where the shoulder is unstable and has an unusually large range of movement.
• Rotator cuff disorders – the rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint and help to keep it stable.
• Acromioclavicular joint disorders – Osteoarthritis in the shoulder joints. Conditions that affect the Acromioclavicular joint, which is the joint at the top of the shoulder. Osteoarthritis in the shoulder joints.
• A broken (fractured) bone, such as a fracture of the humerus (upper arm bone) or broken collarbone.

Stress
Muscular tension can increase with emotional stress, especially at the base of the neck, head and jaw. This can irritate nerves, upsetting blood flow and causing headaches.

Irritation or compression of the ‘sciatic nerve’. The sciatic nerve is a group of nerves that exit the spine at the lower part of the back, which control the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg. Providing sensation to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body.

What are the Symptoms of Sciatica pain?
It may feel like a mild tingling, dull ache, or burning sensation. The pain often starts slowly and may get worse:

• After standing
• After sitting
• At night
• When sneezing
• Coughing
• Laughing
• Bending backward
• Walking more than a feet

When the sciatic nerve is compressed, it can cause a pain that radiates out from your low back and travels down your leg to your calf.

The pain most often occurs on one side. Some patients have sharp pain in one part of the leg or hip and numbness in other parts. The pain or numbness may also be felt on the back of the calf or on the sole of the foot. The affected limb may feel weak.

Common causes of sciatica pain include:

• Slipped disc
• Spinal stenosis
• Piriformis syndrome (a pain disorder involving the narrow muscle in the buttocks)
• Pelvic injury
• Fracture

If you would like to discuss this in more detail please use the link below or call one of the team.

You can gain significant health and performance benefits from regular sports massage therapy. Sports massage therapy is a form of massage therapy that helps athletes avoid or recover from sports-related injuries, and typically utilises more vigorous forms of massage to facilitate muscle healing or relaxation. Sports massage therapy should be performed before and after a competition to prevent injuries and loss of mobility.

Physical Benefits
If you are frequently engaged in sports where physical contact and bruising, such as rugby, hockey and football, Sports Massage therapy can have physical benefits. Running and cycling place considerable strain on your musculoskeletal system. Sports massage therapy can help!

• Reduced tension in the fascia
• Reduction in scar tissue
• Clearing of harmful metabolic byproducts
• Improved blood flow
• Improved delivery of nutrients to your muscles
• Improved tissue elasticity
• Relieve stress on joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles

Physiological Benefits
Pain reduction and relaxation are the two main physiological benefits from Sports Massage therapy. Also helping you keep healthy and competitive in your chosen sport.

Osteopaths train for 4–5 years at recognised specialist colleges where there skills and understanding are developed. Once graduated osteopaths are registered with the General Osteopath Council (GOsC) and become members of the British Osteopathic Association (BOA).

Treatment is a drug-free non-invasive manual medicine that focuses on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal frameworks. Treating a variety of issues, some of these are; lower back pain, back ache, neck & shoulder pain, neck ache, upper back pain, sports injuries (e.g. tennis elbow), nerve compressions such as sciatica, muscular aches or pains, muscle and ligament strains, headaches, migraines, circulatory problems, occupational injuries (e.g. postural), digestive problems, joint pains or stiffness – e.g. arthritis in hands, hips, knees etc. neck and shoulder injuries – including frozen shoulder.

Do I need to see my GP first?
Generally no. Most patients self refer without consulting a GP first. If you have severe health problems and a complex medical history, you might wish to consult with your GP first. If you have any questions please just give the team a call on the number below.

Osteopathy & Pregnancy?
Osteopathic treatment offers a gentle way of helping the body adapt to pregnancy and changes taking place, relieving aches and pains resulting from the additional weight of the baby. Common problems are low back pain, mid back, hip and pelvic pain, neck and shoulder pain, symphysis pubis dysfunction and post-natal coccyx pain.