If you’re worried about your neck pain treatment and feel like it is preventing you from leading the life you want, which for most of us is to be free of pain, then you would be well advised to seek professional osteopathic treatment.

Dr Anthony Collins and Our team of internationally experienced osteopaths can take care of your neck pain treatment requirments and help give you the pain-free life you want sooner.  Have a read of the features of neck pain below- knowledge is your first defence!

Neck Pain

If you really want to know how your neck feels go find a bowling ball and sit it on top of an upturned packet of Tim Tams. That’s pretty much how your neck bones, all 7 of them, feel on a regular basis. C1 is the first neck bone in contact with the skull is known as “The Atlas”, and if you’re familiar with Greek Mythology then you know why. Everyone else- google it!

The human head is a remarkably large object relative to the small structures that support it. In fact, the weight of the human head is around 6kg, so I’m sure you can clearly see why most of us feel tense and occasionally sore in the neck, not to mention the upper shoulder muscles- which run into the neck. In all my days I’ve never been asked to stop rubbing someone’s shoulders- now you can see why.

Some of the more common conditions requiring neck pain treatment seen from this mechanical David v’s Goliath include degenerative disc disease, pinched nerves, neck strain, herniated disc and whiplash.

More serious causes of neck pain that aren’t necessarily caused by the weight of the head also exist; these include; virus infection causing lymph gland swelling and rare infections such as osteomyelitis and meningitis.

Some other conditions also directly affect the muscles of the neck, including fibromyalgia and polymyalgia rheumatica.

Neck pain- more than just a pain in the neck!

Obviously neck pain is felt in the neck but there are a few characteristics of the pain you may be feeling that you might not think would be coming from your neck. Your pain may include some or a few of the following features:

• General pain located in the neck area, as well as stiffness in the neck muscles.
• The pain may radiate down to the shoulder or between the shoulder blades. This is known as referred pain and may be coming from a number of structures within the neck tht are injured in some way.
• It may also radiate out into the arm, the hand or up into the head, causing a one-sided or double-sided headache.
• Acute pain can give rise to abnormal neck posture in which the head is forced to turn to one side. This condition is known as torticollis.
• The pain at the base of the skull may be accompanied by a feeling of weakness in the shoulders and arms.
• There may be a prickly or tingling sensation in the arms and fingers.

Danger signals associated with neck pain

In some cases, neck pain may be a symptom of meningitis. This is a medical emergency and time is a factor.

If any of the the following symptoms occur seek emergency medical attention urgently.

• A rash develops that doesn’t fade when you press it with a glass tumbler or a finger.
• The patient feels ill or is running a fever, as well as feeling neck pain.
• It’s so painful to bend the neck forward that the patient can’t put their chin on their chest.
• Light hurts the eyes.
• Neck pain is accompanied by severe headache or continuous vomiting.
• Neck pain is accompanied by severe pain in the back.

In some cases, neck pain can be a symptom of head injury or disc trouble in the neck so;

If any of the following symptoms occur seek medical attention urgently.

• Neck pain is the result of a recent head injury and the person is becoming drowsy, confused or is vomiting.
• Neck pain is accompanied by headache.
• If there’s pain behind one eye.
• Vision, hearing, taste or balance are affected.
• Severe vomiting.
• The muscle power in arms or legs is reduced.

How is neck pain diagnosis made?

In most cases, a neck problem can be diagnosed by carrying out a thorough examination that may include all or some of the following:

• testing the movement of the neck
• testing for trapped nerves
• examination of the muscles
• examination of the movement of the joints of the spine, neck and hands
• X-rays, scans or blood tests may be necessary to make a precise diagnosis.

How is neck pain treated?

For short-term problems, manual treatment (osteopathy) and pain-relieving medicine are recommended.

With longer-term pain (ie three months or more) there’s the following choice of treatment:

• osteopath treatment
• intensive muscle training
• advice on posture and the use of a supportive pillow
• acupuncture provides relief for significant numbers of people with chronic neck and shoulder pain.

You don’t have to live with Neck Pain.

Please contact us, we want to help you.

ph 1300 321 300

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The term “bulge” to describe this process is often interchanged with “herniated”, “prolapsed” or “slipped”. They all mean the same thing, that being, the material between your vertebrae has moved from where it should be and is now pinching/compressing one of your spinal nerves as it exits your spinal canal/cord.

If this sounds too confusing, allow me to paint an analogy I often use with my patients… Think of a Jam Doughnut. The whole thing is a simple way to represent a typical spinal disc. The jam centre represents the soft centre of your disc, known as the “Nucleous Pulposus”. Don’t get caught up on the name- just think of the jam being squeezed out of the doughnut onto the garden-hose (your pinched spinal nerve) putting a kink in it that stops the water (nerve impulses) travelling to the garden (your muscles & skin).

You’ve all put a kink in a graden hose before, right? Well the water stops when you do this just the same way the nerve impulse stops running through the nerve properly and your muscles’ function and sensation in areas supplied by the compressed nerve are affected.

Lets say you have a C5/C6 bulging disc causing compression of the C6 nerve. C = Cervical = neck vertebrae. 5 = the fifth vertebrae from the top and 6 is the sixth.. Anatomy is simple once you know! The C6 nerve supplies skin sensation on the thumb side of your forearm and muscles that flex your elbow and wrist, like the biceps. So you could expect to have pain and weakness in the bicep and tingling or numbness in the forearm.

The same is true if the bulging disc is in your low back or lumbar spine. Only this time the muscles that are affected with pain and weakness are in your legs and feet and the change in sensation in your skin is also in that same area.

Myths – Do’s – Don’ts

Myth – 1:  You can get your “disc put back in” if you see the right person. This is complete rubbish. Please do not listen to anyone who says they can put your bulging disc “back in”. When I hear of patients heading off to see some quack who claims he/she can do this- I cringe. I challenge you to put the jam back in the doughnut after you’ve squeezed it out! Impossible, right?!  Same is true of a bulging disc- can’t be done. I will tell you what can be done to limit your pain so read on.

Do – 1: If you haven’t already- get some scans, either Cat-Scan or MRI. If I was under the age of 50, I’d go for a MRI because there’s no radiation. Excessive radiation causes cancer and in my opinion, we are exposed to enough of it without choosing to be exposed to more when you have a less radio-active choice (MRI). You can see an Osteopath or your GP for this. It costs you the same. Information is education and when battling this problem, having a good understanding of what is exactly going on, helps. Scans allow for greater understanding and they allow your osteopath to tailor your specific rehab and teach you what you can expect to happen during your bulging disc treatment.

Don’t  – 1: If your bulging disc is in your low back then Don’t sit for longer than 20mins at a time. You can push the jam harder out of the doughnut if you do causing you greater pain and loss of function. If you do need to sit for work then prop your spine to be as straight as possible, with a pillow or cushion in your low back to support the normal inward curve.

Do – 2: Have some anti-inflams and pain killers at the ready. There’s going to be times when you’ll need at least some pharmacy products to help take the edge off. Start with over -the-counter products such as Panadol and Neurofen/Voltaren. If this isn’t enough- time for a visit to your local GP for some stronger meds.

Don’t – 2: Don’t freak out. Depending on the severity of your bulging disc you will be in pain for some time..not forever. Getting results with a bulging disc can take time to determine the most appropriate course of action- but you will get there. Just find yourself a good Osteopath (I would say that:-) and a good GP who will guide you back to full recovery.

Myth – 2: Rest. Noooo. Resting makes pain worse! Seems illogical but it’s true. Be sensible of course. Going and riding your mountain-bike off road for 2 hours is obviously not smart but find the “low-Impact” middle ground. Water walking and even jogging in water is a great option.

Do – 3: Always remember- Core is King. If you happen not to know what your core is- think of your abdominal muscles wrapping around your mid-section like a corset. When you contract/tense the core, it helps take a great deal of pressure off your spine by distributing the weight through the core/corset. One of the main reasons we are susceptible to bulging discs is due to the fact that our entire upper body (60% of the body’s mass) is sitting on a vertebrae half the size of your fist. The only other support this vertebrae has is your core musculature.  And it only works when you decide to contract it- this is a concious process- not like the unconcious contraction of your heart muscle, you actually have to decide to switch your core “on”. If you are new to this concept- then you will need to be shown.  For everyone else- remember that a spine only gets injured when you change body position. Bend, lean, stoop etc. So when do you contract your core??  Exactly! Whenever you change body position!

Do – 4: Do get some bulging disc treatment. Yes, I have said that you shouldn’t believe anyone who says they can put your bulging disc “back-in” BUT this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get treatment. When your disc bulges it irritates many muscles in the spine around the bulge and this can cause your body to become compensated in many other areas, increasing the overall pain and level of impact on your ability to function normally.

Remember- your disc can remain bulging and even show signs of nerve compression and you MAY NOT feel any pain. That’s right- many people walking around normally and in no pain have bulging discs sitting on nerves.  For some reason however, they are not in pain. My theory is that their sleeping giant (bulging disc) is not being irritated through poor habits of posture, sitting, bending, etc.  Through appropriate and effective hands-on treatment and rehabilitation programs, many of you can achieve this state of relative comfort too.

Do – 5: Call your GP immeadiately of you have numbess or loss of sensation in the saddle (perineal) area or change in urinary or bowel habit- retention or loss of control.  In this case your bulging disc in the low back may be pinching a nerve essential to the proper on-going function of these areas and emergency spinal decompression is required. Again- this is why everyone who suspects they have a disc bulge should get scans and should see their osteopath. Professionals are trained to spot these warning signs.

There are many other things you should be doing and shouldn’t for that matter, but these are some of the more important ones that I recommend. Remember- you don’t have to suffer in silence with a bulging disc- much can be done to improve your symptoms and send the Giant back to sleep!

Give me a call anytime if you’d like to know more about bulging disc treatment, or just drop into the clinic in Stones Corner.

Enjoy the journey!

Anthony

Ps: Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions. I will answer your questions to the best of my knowledge (and as soon as I can) but will respond privately to the email attached to your comment to allow for a level of privacy.

The comments that you leave will be viewable by all, (if appropriate) and I hope some of your shared journey will give hope to others suffering similar pain. In my opinion, knowing that we are not alone in our personal struggle in life is a huge part of winning the battle, so I thank you all for sharing your story.

If you would prefer to contact me privately, please visit the website contact page and leave a message there.

AC

Here’s a link to an interesting video on how to avoid body postures that create dangerous intra-disc pressure. Just copy and paste this link into your we browser.

Great video of how body postures create increased pressure on your discs: click here! So avoid them where possible.

PPS: Oh, and if you gained benefit from what you’ve read just now, please feel free to “Like”, “Tweet” and “Share”. Thanks again.

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When my patients describe their sciatica pain and I ask them, “when did this pain come on?” the answers I get often vary from sudden and instant, to a gradual build up over time. If you have sciatica, you may also be feeling weakness, numbness or pins and needles feelings in parts of your legs, feet and/or toes. You may also notice that when you sit, cough or sneeze your sciatica symptoms may become worse. These are all signs of an irritated nerve.

What causes Sciatica?

Sciatica, is a set of symptoms that relate to your sciatic nerve being irritated in some way and at some point in its course. So, what irritates the sciatic nerve? A number of conditions:

• Herniated or “slipped” disc: puts direct pressure on a nerve. Much like the jam being squeezed out of a jam dough-nut the jam (disc) sits on the nerve and irritates it. This jam cuts off the electrical nerve signals to the leg and that’s why you get the symptoms of nerve compression i.e. Pins and needles and numbness.
• Piriformis Syndrome: The piriformis is a muscle deep in your but-cheek and when it becomes tight it may go into spasm and irritate the nerve that lies right next to it- you guessed it- your sciatic nerve.
• Spinal Stenosis: is basically narrowing of the spinal canal, and much like putting a kink in a garden hose, a kink here will decrease the room for the water (nerves) to pass through.
• Spondylolisthesis: Now that is a mouthful! Your spine is made up of blocks of vertebrae- this condition is where one vertebrae or block slips forwards. This slippage causes a narrowing in the dimensions of the canal or the kink in the garden hose scenario again.

Have a read of my other post about treatment for sciatica.

Sciatica can be treated effectively. You don’t have to live with pain.

Ph 1300 321 300 for all bookings.

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Over time, poor posture may be caused by habits from everyday activities such as sitting in office chairs and looking at the computer, driving, standing for long periods of time, or even sleeping.

Poor posture can easily become second nature, causing or aggravating episodes of back pain and damaging spinal structures. Lucky for you, the main factors affecting posture and ergonomics are completely within your ability to control and are not difficult to change.

The following guidelines suggest several ways to improve posture and ergonomics (good posture/body mechanics in the work-place), especially for people who work sitting in an office chair for most of the day.

• Back pain caused by poor ergonomics and posture: know the warning signs.

If your back pain is worse at certain times of the day or week (but not during weekends) it may be the result of poor ergonomics and posture which occurs after a long day of sitting in an office chair in front of a computer.

Some of the typical warning signs of pain caused by poor ergonomics and posture include pain that starts in the neck and moves downwards into the upper back, lower back and extremities; or pain that goes away after switching positions while sitting or standing; sudden back pain that is experienced with a new job, a new office chair, or a new car; and/or back pain that comes and goes for months.

• Get up and move around and stretch out.

Picture yourself at the end of a long day; I would hazard a guess and say you’re hardly standing straight in this vision. As muscles tire, slouching, slumping, and other poor postures become more likely; this in turn puts extra pressure on the neck and back. In order to maintain a relaxed yet supported posture, change positions frequently. One way is to take a break from sitting in an office chair every half hour for two minutes in order to stretch, stand, or walk.

• Try to keep the body in alignment while sitting in an office chair and while standing.

When standing try and distribute your body weight evenly to the front, back, and sides of the feet while standing; feel your connection to the ground. While sitting in an office chair, take advantage of the chair’s adjustable features. Sit up straight and align the ears, shoulders, and hips in one vertical line. Any single position, even a good one, will be tiring if held for too long.

Try alternating between leaning forward with a straight back and with sitting back, using the back support of the office chair to ease the work of back muscles.

Also be aware of and avoid unbalanced postures such as crossing legs above the knees while sitting, leaning to one side, hunching the shoulders forward or tilting the head.

When trying to achieve good seated posture, ask yourself one simple question: what muscles can I relax or support with the chair or props (pillows foot stools) that will make me feel more comfortable.  Good posture is not necessarily sitting or standing as straight as possible, it is minimal muscle activation.

• Use posture-friendly props and ergonomic office chairs when sitting.

Supportive ergonomic “props” can help to take the strain and load off the spine. Ergonomic office chairs or chairs with an adjustable back support should be used at work. Footrests, portable lumbar back supports, or even a towel or small pillow can be used while sitting in an office chair and while driving.

The use of purses, bags, and backpacks that are designed to minimize back strain can also help you achieve good posture. Proper corrective eyewear, positioning computer screens to your natural, resting eye position can also help to avoid leaning or straining the neck with the head tilted forward.

• Increase self-awareness of posture and ergonomics in everyday settings.

Being aware of your posture and ergonomics at work, at home, and at play is a vital step towards instilling good posture and ergonomic techniques. This includes making conscious connections between episodes of back pain and specific situations where poor posture or ergonomics may be the root cause of the pain.

The posture related neck and back strains I see regularly are usually caused by what you do most of.  Try and give some objective thought to what that is and you’ll go a long way to being aware of the postures that cause you daily discomfort.  Better still get someone to take a few photos of you in a typical work posture.  You’ll be surprised how you look, and they may help you gain better postural objective analysis.

• Use exercise to help prevent injury and promote good posture.

Regular exercise such as walking, swimming, or bicycling will help the body stay aerobically conditioned, while specific strengthening exercises will help the muscles surrounding the back to stay strong. These benefits of exercise promote good posture, which will, in turn, further help to condition muscles and prevent injury.

There are also specific exercises that will help maintain good posture. In particular, a balance of trunk strength with back muscles about 30% stronger than abdominal muscles is essential to help support the upper body and maintain good posture.

• Wear supportive footwear when standing.

Avoid regularly wearing high-heeled shoes, which can affect the body’s center of gravity and change the alignment of the entire body, negatively affecting back support and posture. This is especially important as you age.  High-heeled shoes require good spinal and pelvic mobility and as you age there is a natural decline in this capability and you will be more at risk of injuring you back and muscles if used for long periods.

• Always remember good posture and ergonomics when in motion.

Walking, lifting heavy materials, holding a telephone, and typing are all moving activities that require attention to ergonomics and posture. It is important to maintain good posture even while moving to avoid injury.

Back injuries are especially common while twisting and/or lifting and often occur because of awkward movement and control of the upper body weight alone. Tennis elbow is on the rise in my clinic due to excessive mouse use and poor ergonomic positioning of the arm.

• Create ergonomic physical environments and workspaces, such as for sitting in an office chair at a computer.

It does require a small investment of time to personalize the workspace, home, and car, but the payoff will be well worth it. Undue strain will be placed on the structures of the spine unless the office chair, desk, keyboard, and computer screen, etc. are correctly positioned. If you work in a company that has access to Human Resources, then ask for an ergonomic work-station assessment.

• Avoid overprotecting posture.

Remember that it is important to maintain an overall relaxed posture to avoid restricting movements by clenching muscles and adopting an unnatural, stiff posture. Remember; good posture involves minimal muscle activation, that is, it must be a relaxed body-alignment.

For individuals who already have some back pain, it is a natural tendency to try to limit movements to avoid the potential pain associated with movement. However, unless there is a fracture or other serious problem, the structures in the spine are designed for movement and any limitation in motion over a long period of time creates more pain and a downward cycle of less motion and more pain, etc. So don’t try to sit up straight like a statue for hours and remember; we were made with round joints in the skeleton- not square ones so keep moving throughout your day and your body will thank you for it.

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Are you getting a wider butt as you get older? Do you often look in the mirror while wearing your favourite jeans and think that the old hips are a little “fuller” than they used to be in your twenties? Then you’re probably right; but if you assumed it was due to the accumulation of fat on the hips, then you’re only partially correct.

Sure, as we get older it’s only natural to sneak on a few extra pounds in the middle-years, usually depositing mostly where we least want it; hips, thighs and butts for girls and the old “Ned Kelly” for the gents. Nature and time can be so unkind!  However recent research published in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine has found that pelvic bones widen as you enter middle age and continue to grow even among those over the age of 70 years!

While it is often assumed that the widening of the hips is due to an increase in body fat, researchers led by Dr. Laurence Dahners say that it is a natural process not linked to weight gain and that the pelvic bones of a 40 year old are wider than when he or she was 20 years of age.

The researchers examined the CT scans and found that width of the pelvis, the distance between the hip bones and the diameter of the hipbones increased in size as they grew older and continue to widen even as they stopped growing (vertically).

So folks, from the results of this research it would appear that the “middle-aged spread” has a two-pronged attack to rob us of our youthful physique!  Ok, so you’re probably wondering what you can do to limit the scourge of the imminent big butt?!

Although not mentioned in their research I would logically assume that some among us are more susceptible to widening of the hip bones than others, as I often say, a Bulldog doesn’t get to look like a Greyhound by eating like one!  Genetics- that random unification of your parents DNA that created all that you are, for better or worse, in the physical sense at least.  No changing them.

Don’t want a big butt; then get your ass into gear…

According to research in the field of exercise science we tend to lose 0.5 Ibs. of muscle each year starting around the 3^rd to 4^th decade of life depending on activity level.  This doesn’t sound like much but after a decade you’re down 5 Ibs. of metabolically active muscle tissue that is essential for effective fat burning.

The amount of muscle tissue you have will determine your ability to burn fat, that is, the more muscle you can maintain as you age the less fat you will store.  To achieve this you NEED to perform regular strength training sessions 2-3 times each week.  And if you’re trying to limit the big butt expansion then you need to be working the butt muscles- the gluteus min/med/max- best achieved through squats, lunges, step-ups and many more.

What’s all this got to do with your low back pain?

So far we know that our pelvic bones get wider as we age- and by extension, if they get wider then the biomechanical relationship between the hips, pelvis and low back must change also.  Does this widening contribute to early wear and tear and low back pain and pelvic pain as we age?

We already know that the general build up of wear and tear (known medically as Osteoarthritis) in the pelvic bones and spine as we age is a cause for low back pain, loss of function and generally has a negative impact on our quality of lives.

Muscle strengthening is a key component of exercise for osteoarthritis sufferers because of the relation between muscle weakness and pain and function.  That is, the more muscle we lose, the weaker we are and the greater the loss of function and increased pain in our osteoarthritic joints.

Are you seeing what I’m getting at folks?  Time to move that ASS! Get Physical! But don’t just race out the door and join your local gym.  You need a specific exercise prescription if you have a history of low back pain and pelvic pain, from a registered practitioner and whatever you do, take it slowly and maintain perfect technique- otherwise you’ll be paying my mortgage in treatment sessions to fix it!

The moral to this blog:

• You can’t escape a big bum…totally, anyway.
• Strength training = More Muscle = Greater Fat Burning = Less Fat = Smaller Bum.
• Getting Older = More Osteoarthritis = Loss of Function and Pain = DO STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISE!

Enjoy the Journey!

Anthony Collins

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My first piece of advice is, take a deep breath and relax.  Low back pain is very common. About 80% of Australian adults will miss work at some point because of it. And most of the time, it’s neither permanent nor serious: 95% of backaches go away within six weeks, with no specific treatment, and potentially much faster if you seek treatment, advice and management strategies from an expert in the field of manual medicine.  Following are 7 essential things to know about dealing with a bad back…

1. Prevent or Treat spasm first

Being anxious or stressed-out about back pain — or stressed out in general — will increase your chances of muscle spasm, which is itself both a source of back pain and an amplifier of other sources of pain. In addition to psychological stress, caffeine, dehydration, lack of sleep and low sodium are also likely to increase spasm and cramping.  So drink water, limit the espresso’s and get some shut-eye.

Muscle spasm nearly always present to some degree with back pain.  What does spasm feel like? When you’re bent over to one side and just can’t straighten up, that’s typically muscle spasm. The “stiff back” that hurts more than usual is also likely to be the result of spasm. Your first order of business should be rest and heat or Ice (the jury is still out on those two).

2. Listen to your body

If you know it’s going to hurt to try to move that refrigerator right now, don’t do it! Your pain will not lessen or recede any faster if you ignore it and fight your way through. No prizes for stoicism when dealing with a bad back. Forcing yourself to bend, twist or lift makes things worse. Common sense, right?

Take it easy when your back hurts. Sit or sleep in the most comfortable position you can find. In most cases this means lying on your back with three or more pillows under your legs so that the hips and knees are both flexed 80 to 90 degrees.  Lying on your side (usually there’s one side more comfortable than the other) is also comfortable for back pain sufferers.  You can use a pillow between your legs to take pressure off your back in this position too.

When sitting- don’t sit in your favourite slouchy TV sofa!  It will aggravate your pain. Try and sit in a simple kitchen-table chair with a pillow or rolled-up towel in your low back for support. Maintaining a neutral spinal position is what you’re trying to achieve. Even minor slouching in chairs can exacerbate back pain.

Walking can be pretty painful early on, so avoid it at first (usually the first 24-48hrs). As the pain subsides and you straighten, going for a walk — with nothing in your hands, feet pointing straight, head up — is usually beneficial and may help improve your condition.

Listen for danger signals from your body as well. Electrical pains radiating down your legs; numbness or weakness in the lower extremities or crotch; or any loss of bowel or bladder control mean it’s time to seek out a doctor. If so, make the call.

3. Start with the basics

Rest, anti-inflammatory pain medicines like ibuprofen (Neurofen), Voltaren or Panadeine and a 24-48hrs will take the edge off some of your symptoms.  Applying heat or cold on the back relieves some patients’ pain. In the hot-versus-cold debate, I’ve had an equal number of patients benefit from one but not the other. (Sorry, there is no official medical answer.)

Stretches and exercises to relieve low back pain — the kind you read about in self-help books and magazines — can be great or terrible, depending on the exercise and what’s causing the pain. If you’re doing this on your own, it makes sense to play the odds when it comes to these therapeutic maneuvers. For safety and effectiveness I can recommend only one. See Tip 4.

4.  The 90-90 Stretch

When it comes to stretches, my best advice for the most common, “generic” backache is the “90-90” position: lying on the floor with your calves flat on a chair or other horizontal surface, hips at 90 degrees to your body, knees flopped comfortably apart till you are not using any muscle force to stay there. The idea is to rest your spinal muscles and hip flexors completely. With the small of the back flat on the floor, thighs roughly vertical and calves horizontal, the back muscles that have been straining all day to prevent painful motion can relax.

A tall person needs some flat cushions to make the chair higher, a shorter person needs a lower chair — like the seating surface of a couch. A sturdy box of just the right height, covered with a blanket works well too. Arms should rest comfortably out to the sides, head flat on the floor. Once you settle in and get relaxed, stay in that position for 15 minutes. This breaks spasm in some muscles, opens up the nerve spaces and evens out the forces across the small joints of spine. If it feels good and gives any relief the first time you try it, continue to do it three times a day.

5. Know when to seek help

a) Severity. If you are utterly debilitated by your back pain, you need to see a General Medical Practitioner who can prescribe drugs. However, it is not recommended to take narcotics for low back pain for a host of reasons, the most important of which is that the drugs can and usually will make the pain worse if you stay on them for more than a couple of weeks. But if you need drugs, you do need to see a physician — who I hope will have the sense to use every means possible to get you off painkillers as soon as possible.

b) Risk. Yes, some backaches are caused by things that can kill you: an aneurysm, cancer, spinal infection, even kidney problems can present as back pain. M.D.’s, Osteopaths and Chiropractors are trained to watch out for these.

What are the common signs that something rare and risky may be causing your backache? Ask yourself: is it the same old backache you get every time you shovel the walk? If so, then it’s probably not risky. Does the pain get worse at night in bed, boring in like a toothache? That could be cancer or an infection. Weight loss and fever along with the bad back are very bad signs too. Is the pain sudden and severe, ripping down your back or into the groin? It could be aneurysm or kidney stone. This last scenario is one of the few back pain emergencies — go straight to the emergency department with this. Numbness of the crotch region, loss of bowel or bladder control also are serious signs and medical help must be sought immediately.

6. Who treats back pain?

During a debilitating episode of back pain your natural reaction will often be to seek medical help. Your first point of call may be your G.P. who can prescribe appropriate medication to ameliorate the symptoms.  But yes folks, you have to get the cause of the pain seen to also- and that’s where it gets confusing… These days there are a plethora of health care professionals who claim to treat back pain.  Knowing who to see and what sort of treatment best suits you is a veritable minefield that many of my new patients have struggled with.

In Australia you are generally in safe hands if you stick to an APHRA registered health care provider- along the lines of Osteopathy, Chiropractic or Physiotherapy.  Such professionals have undergone many years of stringent training and assessment and are qualified to assess and treat your pain. Which one suits you is a personal choice.  Quite often a recommendation from a friend to seek out a particular professional is a popular choice.  Osteopathy is great for back pain- but I’m obviously biased! My advice: do some Googling and learn about what each of these professions can offer and which may best suit your personal needs. There you go; pretty diplomatic I would say!

7. Self-Management

In our clinic we tend to see many patients in a vicious-cycle that sees them encountering the same debilitating back pain every 18months or so.  Although we encourage patients to continue with their prescribed exercises to prevent recurrence, I guess human nature dictates that it is likely we’ll stop these good management strategies and eventually succumb to back pain again at some point. After a bout of tooth pain I floss and brush like a mad-man… for awhile at least!

If you’re not great with self-directed home exercises, then why not seek out a Yoga or Pilates class.  Yoga is brilliant for improving flexibility in your muscles and it’s a great way to de-stress.  Pilates is focused more on dynamic strength and core strength, than flexibility.  Core strength refers to a few muscles around the abdominal area that help protect and support your spine.

Doing Pilates classes helps you get stronger core muscles- but beware- just doing these classes doesn’t ensure you will be exempt from back pain just because you have a strong core!  Core muscles are under conscious control i.e. you have to tense them and use them when your spine is in a compromised position. I.e. Unpacking the dishwasher, brushing your teeth and picking up dirty washing.  These actions are popular responses from my patients when I ask them; what happened?

I hope you found my 7 tips for back pain helpful!

Enjoy the journey!

Anthony Collins

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