Your back, friend or foe?

How many of us get home from a full days work or activities of looking after a family and feel that we could do with some kind of relief from a dull or nagging ache in the back or the neck? Read on to find out more about what could be causing your pain and how you can start to help yourself manage the pain.

Back pain affects two-thirds of the population at least once in the past twelve months. Some of those affected will find that their pain is constant. Many have endured their agony for between a month and a year. The World Health Organisation has stated that lower back pain costs Britain £6Billion per year. This is just low back pain. Many of us can be affected by other pain and injuries to the rest of the spine and neck.

Back pain can be brought on for different reasons and sometimes it is difficult to pinpoint or even diagnose the cause of the pain.

Poor posture combined with inactivity and carrying of uneven loads more one side on a regular basis will affect the back. Stress or strain of the muscles and ligaments that support the spine can be caused by a whiplash accident or overuse of certain muscles during certain activities. Some pain can be linked to a prolapsed disc or as it is often referred to "a slipped disc" This pain is because the vertebrae have been caused to bulge and press on the spinal nerves. Joints as well as muscles are prone to overuse and "wear and tear' over a period of time, sometimes causing "sciatica" which inflames or puts pressure on the sciatic nerves which run from the lower spine down each leg. There are also certain degenerative conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis, but these contribute to only a smaller proportion of those suffering with back-pain. Most cases of backache or pain are not only preventable but also controllable with a combination of understanding of posture and practising posture control exercises. Rehabilitation treatment for the back, with Physiotherapy can be an option and drugs or surgery is only as a last resort with very injured or severe injuries.

To help you understand how the back can become injured or strained brief understanding of the anatomy of the spine is required!
Within the back we have the vertebral or spinal column, made up of 24 main vertebra. We have four curves within the spine, three of these curves are the neck (cervical spine) upper or mid back (thoracic spine) and lower back (lumbar spine) the base of the spine has five-fused vertebra, where we find the coccyx or tailbone. In between the vertebra are discs made of a spongy gel-like substance. These are the spines shock absorbers so that the spine can move freely, so we can bend forwards and backwards and twist.

The spine needs to be mobile to allow for the movements of our everyday lives but the muscles that support the spine need to be strong enough to support the back in all its movements. However these muscles have often become overused or are weak and do not give the spine the assistance when it is needed, as when lifting something heavy or carrying an uneven, awkward load. Also it is vital to make sure the body is in the correct posture when lifting heavy objects and that the postural muscles are assisting correctly. As it is not just the back muscles in the body that need strength, we have other postural muscles that sometimes need re-education or exercises to make them work effectively and assist the body when it is under stress. These other muscles which help the body maintain posture are in the stomach, shoulders and buttock muscles.

It is important that we practice posture and exercises regularly to maintain flexibility, mobility and strength in the postural areas of the body. Exercise techniques such as Pilates, yoga and Swiss ball can help to develop and strengthen these postural muscles.

It is important to seek a professional opinion if you have chronic ongoing back pain. Your first option could be to see your G.P, although be prepared for a possible wait of sometimes six weeks to six months to be referred to a specialist. It is possible to go and seek help privately with a chartered physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor and this will give you access to treatment for a much quicker recovery and may involve less treatment than if you have to wait a few months.

For those of you who want to improve your backs, next month I will be helping you to understand how we can set-up the correct posture of the body and use it in our everyday lives to help keep our backs and bodies healthy and strong.