Some information on Low Back Pain
- 70 -90% of all Australian’s will suffer with LBP in their lifetime (A.B.S. 2012)
- The biggest predicator of LBP is previous LBP
- Pain can come from the discs, joints, muscles, ligaments, nerves and brain.
But why does low back pain occur?
There are many reasons why low back pain can occur – from trauma to poor posture, to overuse, to pathology and disease. However, the biggest reason why the low back becomes painful is simple biomechanics;
- Generally speaking – the lumbar spine (low back) is made to be a stable area of the spine, with only 17 degrees of all spine rotation coming from this area.
- The hips and thoracic spine (mid back – in between shoulder blades) are made to move, with up to 75 degrees of rotation coming from the thoracic spine alone.
- In general, patients who present to us have stiff thoracic spines and hip joints – mostly because of a prolonged sitting posture. The more we sit, the stiffer these two areas become.
- If something is stiff – but really is made to move – and then is called upon to move with daily activity, trouble may occur overtime. Perhaps not now, but in a month, 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc.
- The meat in the sandwich – the lower back or lumbar spine – will be required to move more than it really wants to (being a stable area). Overtime, the joints, the discs, the ligaments, the muscles of the low back will be overloaded and required to do more than it wants to. This may cause injury and pain.
What can we do at the Sports & Spinal Group?
- Mobilise the hips and thoracic spine
- Encourage you to avoid sitting for long periods of time – get up and move. Standing desks are great for this – it is not the posture of standing that is so good, it’s the fact you have the opportunity to move.
- A “good” posture may still not be ideal IF you do not MOVE
- Prescribe a daily stretching/mobilising/strengthening routine
- Encourage you to move more
- Encourage you to move more
- Encourage you to move more
