5 back pain causes Qibodywisdom’s can help you with in our local clinic serving Dartford/ Swanley/Hextable, BR8 7PE:

 

Brief overview:

1. Back pain from stress, anxiety, depression

2. The well known cause of back pain: the prolapsed disc

3. Muscular back pain

4. Non-specific low back pain

5. Whiplash

6. Issues, that need further investigation

 

You don’t have time to read, but want help now? Book an appointment Hextable/Dartford/Swanley area HERE

 

Did you know that most people at some point in their life will suffer from back pain? You are not alone.

Let’s have a look at some common triggers we can help with in Dartford, Swanley

 

1. Stress, anxiety, depression have a significant contribution!

It might surprise you that I am not kidding here at all.

It’s more and more openly talked about, but it is quite a bit more important than you might assume at first thought.

Let me help you understand this one a little more. Pain in itself (not only back pain) is part of the bodies warning system. The brain and spinal cord are constantly receiving feedback from the body. That information gets filtered and sorted as to what you need to know about.

 

If your brain and spinal cord ( and a few other systems) are already on alert, because you are stressed or suffer a mental health disorder, you are much more likely to feel pain from things that go “wrong” in the body.

Why because your entire warning system is already on alert and it doesn’t take much more to trigger alarm bells.

 

What does that mean? It means that 2 people could have an identical “injury” or physical abnormality, but different or even opposite experiences of the problem .

 

Take the commonly knows Disc prolapse (below) as an example ( you might have heard this one being called a “slipped disc” –  thankfully discs don’t slip, so we won’t use that term any further from this point; “slipped disc” is a misnomer !)

 

 

2. The well known cause of back pain: Prolapsed disc

Prolapsed discs are unbelievably common. We all know someone who has suffered from one.

Did you know that 50% of people WITHOUT back pain also have them?

Why don’t they have symptoms then while others do?

Simple, their body does not feel threatened by it. You might wonder if theirs just aren’t as bad as the suffering people. Nope, even that is not consistently the case. I have seen some “horrendous” looking MRI’s and the patient whom they belonged to wouldn’t have known it looked the way it did, as they weren’t particularly inconvenienced by it.

This goes for knees, too. I have seen some pretty unsightly knee x rays, and other than the patient being a little stiff, they didn’t much care about it.

 

Back to the back, so your takeaway message is, just because you have back pain does not mean you are a. broken, b. unfixable c. going to always suffer from back pain

Your nervous system and body’s amazing ability to NOT feel pain can be learned or re- learned and most people can get back to a more comfortable life

 

Have you suffered from back pain for more than a few months?

You might be left with sensitivity rather than a non-healing injury

The vast majority of healing has generally happened after 2-3 months. That’s hopefully great news for you because it means you can safely start to ease yourself back into movement and full function. Slow and steady wins the race here, no jumping in the deep end.

If you want to read a little more about an oversensitive nervous system, click here ( link to overprotective nervous system)

 

3. Muscular pain

Muscular back pain can be either acute ( as in fresh and new) or chronic.  Chronic (i.e. more than 3 months) most likely falling into the sensitivity categories like described above or due to an underlying condition (autoimmune problems for example)

 

Muscular (back) pain can arise from either an injury or overuse. Injuries are easily identified by a sudden onset while you are performing a strenuous or awkward activity. You may have bruising, local swelling heat. Intensity of pain usually varies.

Overuse comes from, well, doing too much for too long, often from repetitive work or sporting activities. Your muscles are basically tired and in need of a holiday.

Sometimes overuse in one area (often the back) can come from other areas not doing their part.

Your back might be doing overtime because your hips aren’t working, or you are not breathing well  enough. Sometimes the “underperforming area” might be a little further away than that, but your Osteopath will help you figure that one out.

 

 

4. Non-specific low back pain

Interestingly sometimes you can have pain in your back without having any discoverable or obvious problems.

There isn’t a swollen joint, or a disc problem or even anything much else to find.

This one brings us back to sensitivity. It might not at all be your back that is the problem, but something else entirely. How stressed are you? How is your family and work life? How well do you sleep? How rested and balanced do you feel?

Sometimes the back (or other body parts) simply function as the mirror for what is happening inside.

Try a little fun exercise: first feel into your body and get a general idea of your bodies tension- you can be as specific or non-specific as you like. Then simply change your thoughts – do a few minutes of purely “happy and relaxing thoughts, smile” – do you feel a change?

Now for a few minutes think nothing but negative thoughts – frown and be grumpy. – what do you feel? Do you feel a change in tension?

 

5. Whiplash

You thought whiplash was only in the neck right? You are right, it does affect the neck most commonly and is often described as a neck injury.

However, whiplash is a “whole body thing”. Especially in motor vehicle accidents.

The neck often does get the worst of it, because it is the most mobile part of the body when being strapped in by a seat belt, but the rest of the body is also affected. (more here on whiplash)

 

About 60% of people with whiplash also suffer from low back symptoms after an accident.

Usually symptoms disappear after around 3 months.

It is however difficult to predict how long an individual might suffer from whiplash. Some unfortunately suffer for years, especially if not treated early enough.

Be sure to get checked at least once by your Osteopath after an accident to get the all clear. Sometimes only the pain subsides, but your body has permanently adapted how it moves.

 

6. Issues that might need further investigation

There are more cause  of back pain than mentioned above, some more sinister than others unfortunately.

If

1. your back pain doesn’t sound like anything above,
2. comes with weight loss,
3. fatigue,
4. lumps,
5. unusual skin rashes,
6. never improves with resting,

please get seen by your doctor before consulting an Osteopath to get the all clear for treatment first!

 

 

Are you ready to get rid of your back pain? Get help here from Kathi, Qibodywisdom’s Osteopath in Swanley/Dartford/Hextable, BR8 7PE.

 

You still have reservations? I got your back! Get in touch and ask us anything that is concerning you here.

 

Links for more information if you fancy further reading

NHS on back pain

Institute of Osteopathy

GOsC