Back pain is very much a modern epidemic. Lower back pain is considered the most common cause of disability worldwide, and it’s estimated that as many as 80% of us will suffer from back problems at some stage during our lifetimes.

For those who suffer from chronic and ongoing back pain, you can feel like you’re between a rock and a hard place as often the only solutions are a choice between medication or surgery, neither of which can seem particularly appealing.

Osteopathy can serve as an alternative – offering a drug-free and non-invasive treatment that reduces pain and re-dresses back problems.

How osteopathy can assist back pain

Back pain is not simply a matter of the problem beginning and ending in the back; usually the problem arises elsewhere, with other symptoms occurring in many other parts of the body. This may include the buttocks, legs, hips and groin.

Osteopathy considers the health of the musculoskeletal system as critical to overall body health and general well-being. Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy that focuses on ensuring the musculoskeletal system is aligned, and can be especially effective where a trauma has been suffered and the body needs a helping hand to heal.

For those who suffer from back pain, the result of osteopathy can be:
• Improved joint mobility
• Relieved muscle tension
• Improved blood flow
• Enhanced tissue elasticity
• Reduced pain and stiffness affecting the muscles and joints

Forms of back pain osteopathy can treat

Sciatica
Osteopathy can both diagnose and treat sciatica, which is especially important as this condition can have many potential causes. There may additionally be further, underlying conditions, which osteopathy can also assist:
• Taught muscles in the buttock or trauma to the lower back
• Herniated (bulging) disc in the lower back
• Arthritis suffered in the lower back or hip
• Pregnancy (pain caused by changes in the pelvis and lower back)
• Growths of bone along the spine

Lower back pain
There is extensive evidence about the benefits of osteopathy when treating lower back pain – most specifically that the manipulation during treatment can assist pain in the lower back and is particularly effective for sub-acute or chronic low back pain.

Upper back pain
Upper back pain can be cause by trauma, sudden injury, or can develop over a long period when strained or stressed by a poor posture. Osteopathy can diagnose the cause of upper back pain, and can provide for lifestyle advice should the condition have been caused by strain or poor posture.

Shoulders
Shoulder pain can be brought about as a symptom of an array of conditions, including:
• Rotator cuff problems
• Acromioclavicular joint pain
• Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis
• Referred shoulder pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Shoulder instability

If you’re suffering with any of these conditions, give us a call on 020 8316 5316 to see how we can help. Back pain treatment is the number one reason why people come to us, so we’re highly experienced in helping people overcome back pain.