What causes low back pain

There is a lot of confusing information about back pain and how to manage it. You may have received conflicting diagnoses or been exposed to a myriad of treatment options. In reality, back pain can arise from a number of different sources. Muscle, connective tissue, intervertebral discs, ligaments and bone can all contribute to pain, which in turn can be affected by movement, beliefs and emotions. At Superspine, we  have expertise to assess all three key contributors: (1) patho-anatomy, (2) movement and (3) pyscho-social factors, and then provide a treatment strategy that will help you recover.

The first step is accurate diagnosis……..

We need to understand where the pain is coming from. Doing a full assessment is critical, particularly if you have had persistent pain. Superspine clinicians are trained to do this Senior clinicians have postgraduate training (Doctorate, Specialist, PhD, Masters level training) while all clinicians attend professional development training within Superspine.

Manual therapy for pain relief, then exercise to aid recovery…..

Often the first part of treatment is to provide pain relief. Manual therapies are useful as ‘symptom reliever’ treatments. Our clinicians have mentored training on manual therapy (‘hands-on’) techniques, such as mobilisation, massage, dry needling and manipulation. Manual therapies can be very useful by reducing pain and/or improving movement but are only the starting point in developing a recovery strategy (and are not equally useful for all people).

The second and often more important goal is exercise-based and is designed around your personal preference. If your injury is short lasting with full recovery you may only need to resume normal activities. If you pain has not fully settled, has become recurrent or persistent, you require some type of exercise approach.

Individualized Exercise strategies

Superpine uses a targeted exercise program to optimize function and prevent recurrence. However this is not a “one size fits all” concept. There are many different types of movement related issues that require different types of exercise. Some people need strengthening, some need relaxation, some people are too stiff, and a few are too mobile. The one thing that is true for most people with back pain is that they will benefit from some type of exercise. At Superspine we have a number of exercise strategies that include:

• Hydrotherapy and swim programs
• Pilates (reformer, trapeze and mat work)
• Specific exercise targeting mobility and/or strategic muscle groups
• DAVID strength assessment and training system (see more….)
• Cardio exercise