Low Back Pain

Approximately 80% of people will experience lower back pain at some stage in their life. It is one of the most common reasons for people missing work and seeing a doctor or physiotherapist. Although it is extremely common it can often a bit of an unknown to the general public as to what is the cause for their pain and disability.

There are many different causes of low back pain from strains/sprains, posture related pain and overuse injuries. This blog post will mainly focus on acute strains or sprains of the low back.

Similar to other joints around the body, strains or sprains to the low back occur when a stress is placed on a tissue that exceeds what it is capable of handling. An example of this could be someone bending over to lift a heavy object off the floor. However, a heavy force is not always required to strain the back. Repetitive movements of small force can also do this. 

Again like other joints around the body, different structures around that area can be irritated or strained. For the low back this can be surrounding muscles, ligaments, facet joints, discs or a combination of a few structures.

Timeframes of recovery will vary depending on what structures are involved, the severity of the injury, the demand of the person and lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress levels, diet ect.

What Can I do?

The back responds very well to movement. It is encouraged to continue to keep moving within your pain limitations.  Identify positions and movements your back feels better with adopt these positions rather than the painful ones.  This will differ from person to person so your physiotherapist will go over these particular activities/positions with you.

What can’t I do?

Your pain and symptoms will often be exacerbated immediately during specific activities. However, an increase in symptoms can often be noticed after completing particular tasks or even the following morning/day.

It is important to identify these activities or postures and avoid over repetition of them or prolonged time spent in those positions.  These activities are often simple tasks we complete on a regular basis throughout the day so it is often unrealistic to completely avoid them. Instead, modifying how we complete them or limiting how much of them we do of them will be more effective. Eg sitting posture or length of time spent sitting.

Do I need a scan?

The majority of back injuries do not require any scans or imagining and will resolve without the need for a scan. Scans can also be misleading at times as they tend to show everything that is happening in your back even when it’s not the source of your pain. Scan results can make people anxious, worried and stressed which can make their pain significantly worse.

 Imaging of the low back is potentially required when treatment/management of the injury could potentially change depending on the diagnosis or extent of the injury.  Your GP or physiotherapist will discuss with you if they think imaging is required in your case.

Do I need surgery?

Again, like imaging most low back injuries do not require surgery. However, there are circumstances where surgery may be required or beneficial in addressing certain injuries.  Obviously there are risks when any surgery is performed and so they are only recommended when they are truly needed.

When can I return to exercise?

This is a difficult question to answer as it will depend on a number of factors including the type of exercise you are attempting to return back to, the severity of the injury and previous injury history. However, in general, most soft tissue injuries have a recovery timeline of about 4-6 weeks. There will often still be things you will be able to do during your rehabilitation. This will usually start off with activities that do not exacerbate symptoms followed by modified versions of more complicated tasks with the aim to progress back to your previous level of function.  

Will this injury reoccur?

Like most injuries there is always a risk it re-aggravating Your treating physiotherapist will advise you on ways to best prevent this from happening. This will often involve an exercise program to address any deficiencies and optimising technique and posture with specific tasks/activities.

Wrist and Hand Injuries

We use our hands repeatedly every day so it’s not surprising that sometimes we develop pain and discomfort in our fingers, wrists and forearms. Injuries in the wrist and hand can be caused due to traumatic events (e.g. a fall on an outstretched hand) or overuse, repetitive activities (e.g. computer use, racquet sports).

ANATOMY

The wrist and hand complex is made up of 27 bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and blood vessels. Damage to any of these structures can cause pain and can affect your ability to use your hands effectively.

COMMON WRIST AND HAND INJURIES INCLUDE:

·         Fractures

·         Tendon pathologies e.g. Mallet finger, De Quervain’s Disease

·         Ligament injuries e.g. sprains

·         Joint inflammation

·         Nerve entrapments e.g. Carpal tunnel syndrome

·         Arthritic conditions

·         Ganglion cysts

If hand and wrist injuries are not assessed and treated properly this may lead to further impairments in the future.

EARLY MANAGEMENT

Should include rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE principle) for the first 48-72 hours. Anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) also have a role in early management, taken in the form of tablets and topical gels.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Your physiotherapist will go through a comprehensive assessment to determine the source of your pain. Once the source of your pain has been established the initial aim of treatment includes education and addressing acute symptoms (pain, lack of movement and loss of strength).

When indicated your physiotherapist will start to address other issues such as loading, muscle imbalances, poor posture and biomechanics.  

PREVENTION

To reduce the risk of recurring wrist and hand injuries it is important to maintain adequate strength and length of the muscles around the wrist joint.

Your physiotherapist will advise you in activities that should be avoided to decrease irritation.

RETURN TO SPORT

When returning to sport it is essential that you discuss this with your physiotherapist. Your abilities will be assessed through a series of tests to determine whether you are ready to return to pre-injury activities and/or sport. 

UNDERSTANDING PAIN

An excellent video on what our understanding of pain currently is and in particular the complexities of chronic pain.

SPORTS INJURY MANAGEMENT SEMINAR

a FREE seminar on sports injury management presented by the Physiotherapists at East Vic Park Physiotherapy. Topics will include muscle contusion (corkie) management, post-game recovery and a practical session on strapping. 

Whether your sports season is heading into finals or you are about to start gearing up for the summer season ahead, the information presented will help you to perform at your best.

Appropriate for all athletes, parents, trainers and coaches.

Food will be provided - let us know if you have any dietary requests.

Spaces are limited so call us on 9361 3777 to secure your place now.