Effective Back Pain Relief in Reading

Our team of chiropractors and osteopaths are very experienced at diagnosing, treating and improving the causes of back pain

Back Pain

Back pain is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their life. It may be triggered by poor posture while sitting or standing, bending awkwardly, or lifting incorrectly.

In most cases back pain will improve in a few weeks or months, although some people experience long-term pain or pain that keeps coming back.

Backache is most commonly felt as lower back pain (lumbago), although it can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips.

Both Chiropractic and Osteopathic treatment is very effective at removing the symptoms of back pain, and improving the functional causes that started the pain in the first place.

At Reflex Spinal Health we also offer state-of-the-art spinal decompression therapy, by means of IDD therapy. This gentle, specific, computerised traction therapy is very effective for the treatment of many conditions. These include spinal disc injuries, disc bulges, slipped disc, spinal stenosis and chronic back pain that has not responded to other conservative management.

Types of back pain

Most cases of pain in the back aren’t caused by serious damage or disease but by minor sprains, strains or injuries, a pinched or irritated nerve, or due to poor posture that has developed over time.

These types of spinal pain can be triggered by everyday activities at home or at work, or they can develop gradually over time.

Possible causes of pain include:

bending awkwardly or for long periods
lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling heavy objects
slouching in chairs (whether in front of your computer or the TV)
twisting awkwardly
overstretching
driving or sitting in a hunched position or for long periods without taking a break
overusing the muscles – for example, during sport or repetitive movements (repetitive strain injury)

Pain in the back sometimes develops suddenly for no apparent reason. For example, you may wake up one morning with back pain and have no idea what’s caused it.

Sometimes back pain can be caused by an injury or disease, such as:

a slipped disc – when one of the discs in the spine is damaged and presses on the nerves
sciatica – irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, which causes pain, numbness and tingling that travels down one leg
whiplash – neck injury caused by a sudden impact
ankylosing spondylitis – a long-term condition that causes pain and stiffness where the spine meets the pelvis

Risk Factors for Pain in the Back?

being overweight – the extra weight puts pressure on the spine
smoking – this may be the result of tissue damage in the back caused by smoking or the fact that people who smoke tend to have unhealthier lifestyles than people who don’t smoke
being pregnant – the extra weight of carrying a baby can place additional strain on the back
long-term use of medication known to weaken bones – such as corticosteroids
being stressed or depressed

Effective Care for Treating Back Pain

Short-term,acute, back pain

If you’ve only had your pain for a few days or weeks, the following advice may help relieve your symptoms and speed up your recovery:

remain as active as possible and try to continue with your daily activities
use cold compression packs – you can buy these from our centre or your local pharmacy, or a bag of frozen vegetables may work just as well

Although it can be difficult to be cheerful or optimistic if you are in pain, it’s important to stay positive as this can help you recover faster.

Long-term, chronic, back pain

Usual treatment includes:

Physical therapy – such as chiropractic or osteopathy
Stronger painkillers – be very cautious not to become dependant on these
Exercises classes – where you are taught specific exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture. This includes Pilates and specific spinal rehabilitation exercises
acupuncture or myofacial dry needling

How Can Chiropractic and Osteopathy Help Your Back?

With our unique vision of the body as a whole, our team of Reading Chiropractors and Osteopaths aim to restore function via specific joint manipulation, massage therapy and other therapies. We use a variety of manipulative techniques (meaning done by hand) for the management of back pain as there is a difference between every patient presentation each chiropractor and osteopath see. Both Chiropractic and osteopathic care is safe, gentle and effective.

There’s good evidence that osteopathy is effective in treating persistent lower back pain. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends it as a treatment for this condition.

There is good evidence that manual therapy which may include spinal manipulation – as practised by chiropractors – can be an effective treatment for persistent lower back pain.

If you have any questions please contact our clinic in Caversham, Reading today on 0118 946 2100 and ask to speak to one of our Reading Osteopaths or Chiropractors. Reflex Spinal Health have helped many people to resolve back pain and Feel Alive! Let us help you!