Woosehill Surgery

Back pain affects thousands of people, but in most cases is not serious and medical treatment is not always necessary.

MOST BACK PAIN IS CAUSED BY

• Stiffness or spasm of the muscles caused by sleeping in an uncomfortable position
• Doing activities you are not used to

OTHER CAUSES

• Being overweight
• Pregnancy
• Incorrect lifting techniques
• A disc between the base of the spine moving out of position or pressing on a nerve

COMMON BACK PROBLEMS

• Pain of the upper or lower back
• Pain spreading from the back of the thigh to the ankle (sciatica)

BACK PROBLEMS CAN BE PREVENTED BY

• Keeping active
• Keeping to a healthy weight
• Sleeping on a firm mattress
• Lifting heavy weights correctly - crouch down, straighten knees and keep your back straight

TREATMENT AT HOME

• Stay in bed, but no longer than one or two days
• Massage the painful area; apply heat
• Take painkillers
• Exercise gently

WHAT IS OSTEOPATHY?

Osteopathy is a gentle form of manual treatment that aims to reduce or eliminate pain by working on the musculoskeletal system - if the body functions efficiently it is capable of maintaining its own health.

Osteopaths work with their hands employing a finely tuned sense of touch (palpation) and encompass many different approaches from soft tissue massage and stretching, very gentle functional, visceral or cranial techniques to more robust joint and muscle articulation or manipulation as appropriate to increase skeletal compensation and therefore reduce discomfort. Ultimately the Osteopath will try to locate the predisposing and maintaining factors of any symptoms and see that these are addressed, thereby encouraging long-term health.

As a part of any treatment offered, the Osteopath will ask about and deal with other lifestyle issues that may have an influence on any pain felt and can give advice on diet or exercise, postural issues, work or driving ergonomics.

All Osteopaths complete an intensive 4 or 5 year honours degree course at an approved institution, must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and hold current insurance to be able to practise.

Osteopathy was the first of the complementary therapies to be recognised by Law in 1993 with the Osteopaths Act, and has been statutorily regulated by the GOsC since 1998 in the same way as Doctors and Dentists.

VISITING YOUR OSTEOPATH

Osteopathy is an established and recognised system of diagnosis and treatment, which lays its main emphasis on the structural and functional integrity of the body. It is distinctive by the fact that it recognises that much of the pain and disability which we suffer stems from abnormalities in the function of the body structure as well as damage caused to it. The 1993 report from the British Medical Association 'Complementary Medicine - New Approaches to Good Practice' recognised osteopathy as a discrete clinical discipline. Osteopathy is the first complementary health care profession to be accorded statutory self-regulation. Since 9th May 2000 it is an offence for anyone to describe themselves as an osteopath and practise as such, unless registered with the General Osteopathic Council.

Whilst back pain is the most common problem seen, osteopathy can help with a wide variety of problems including changes to posture in pregnancy, babies with colic or sleeplessness, repetitive strain injury, postural problems caused by driving or work strain, children with glue ear, the pain of arthritis and sports injuries, amongst others.

VISITING YOUR CHIROPRACTOR

Treatment consists of well defined manipulation techniques which are aimed to improve joint pain and muscle spasms. Chiropractic is currently the second most frequently consulted complementary therapy.

The Medical Research Council have found that chiropractic is more effective than hospital outpatient treatment for lower back pain.

Chiropractic treatment is particularly favoured for easing back pain, sciatica, tension, neck, shoulder and arm pain.