Osteopathy

As debilitating as it is, it does usually resolve itself. It is uncommon for this pain to persist longer than a couple of months after an acute injury.

Of the cases that do persist the majority of these (around 85%) are what is termed non-specific lower back pain.

One of the main reasons for pain persisting is the development of faulty movement patterns and postures which create repetitive stress on the back. This repetitive strain is what leads to the vicious cycle of pain.

Examples of factors which might influence lower back pain include:

- Use of repetitive postures or movements such as sitting for people with a desk-based job or lifting for nurses/health care assistants
- Muscle strains or sprains
- Lack of exercise resulting in a stiffening of the spine
- Lack of exercise resulting in deconditioning which means you are more likely to strain the back during the performance of everyday activities such as lifting and bending
- Correcting faulty movements and postures will improve the way you load and use your back. However, this alone may not resolve your pain: there are other factors that influence pain and need to be considered and addressed.

Other examples of why back pain may persist are listed below.

- Physical factors (such as altered postural and movement patterns)
- Lifestyle factors (such as chronic stress, activity levels, conditioning and sleep disturbance)
- Cognitive factors (such as beliefs, fear, negative emotions, anxiety and low mood)
- Nervous system factors (such as sensitised structures, reduced pain thresholds, altered pain processing and stress response)
- Structural pathology (which is significant for a small group of people)
Different combinations of the above examples are present for each person with back pain and combine together to cause a vicious cycle of pain.

Research shows that focusing on one aspect of pain alone such as physical influences (posture and movement) is ineffective, especially when pain is long lasting. We have to look at the complete picture as you may be experiencing many different aspects in your bodily systems that can affect your condition, such as your nervous system being on high alert, which can tighten your muslces more and exacerbate the problem more.

An approach to address all of the things which contribute to pain will give the best results. Find out more at our North London Holistic Health Clinics with Expert Osteopaths on hand to help you as well as Massage Practitioners.

Our Resident Osteopath, Andrew Doody, has written a blog dedicated to this very topic!

The essence of a holistic approach is to identify the underlying issues, resolving them, and ensuring you enjoy not just symptom relief but also long-term well-being. It’s about empowering individuals to understand their bodies better and embark on a journey toward holistic wellness.

Read Leon's blog to understand how a combination of Osteopathy and AiM which offers scientific postural analysis can move you into a better range of motion and alleviate painful habituary motion.

Read Sarah's blog if you are interested in seeing how the Alexander Technique can help you to shift into better patterns.

A good night’s sleep is essential to your health, and an important part of your overall well-being. Back pain can significantly affect a person’s ability to get the quality and amount of sleep they need. Furthermore, poor bed posture can worsen or even be the cause of backache in the first place. This is because certain positions can place unnecessary pressure on the neck, hips, and back.
Here are some pointers of how to maximise the quality of sleep you get if you are suffering from back pain.