| Lower back pain is one of the largest complaints to Manchester Osteopaths and has reached epidemic proportions in the western world. Research shows that 60% of the UK’s population will suffer from it at some stage during their lives.
Back pain responds well to osteopathic treatment – reducing pain and restoring mobility and quality of life.
The scourge of back pain
Lower back pain now affects two-thirds of the adult population of the UK; it is the
nation’s leading cause of disability.
Four out of five people will suffer back pain lasting more than a day at some point
in their lives.
Over £480 million a year is spent on services used by sufferers of back pain,
including 14 million GP consultations, seven million therapy sessions and
800,000 hospital beds.
Back pain is very common in children. Around 50% of children in Europe
experience back pain at some time.
Back problems and repetitive strain injuries cost British industry £5 billion each
year.
Doctors write 55 million prescriptions for painkillers each year.
Back pain – causes and effects
The trouble with back pain is that it can do more than just give you a pain in the back. It
can create difficulties with walking, sitting, bending and lifting and can even lead to
depression and incontinence. It can also be the cause of pain in the buttocks, groin or legs (commonly called sciatica), in the head, neck, shoulders and arms. It can also be one of the effects of hip, knee and foot problems.
Back pain can result from bad posture, a sudden jerky movement, a lumpy mattress or poor lifting techniques. It can also be caused by injury in a work place, by a sports accident or by muscular spasms. It often occurs during pregnancy or, because of decreased flexibility, as people get older.
There are also many diseases and pathological conditions that can lead to back pain.
These include abdominal or pelvic disease, anxiety, arthritis, cervical or lumbar
spondylosis, dermatological problems, kidney disease, rheumatic conditions, tumours and scoliosis.
Our modern, sedentary lifestyles have a profound effect on the development of back pain; indeed one of the most effective ways of preventing it is simply to stay active.
An average adult in the UK spends at least two hours a day in front of a computer
screen or television set, and back problems can be triggered if they don’t sit properly.
In an age of mobile phones and computer games, such troubles are increasingly
inflicting children of school age as well.
Osteopathy and the treatment of back pain
Osteopathic treatment is often the most effective first line of attack in correcting
problems caused by back pain. Speedy access to our clinic Manchester Osteopaths for treatment in acute attacks often averts the possibility of conditions becoming chronic.
By correcting any underlying mechanical disturbances in the musculo-skeletal system, osteopaths can greatly relieve pain and distress, minimise dependency on drugs and slash the cost of treatment for side effects.
Osteopathic treatment often negates the need for further medical investigation or
surgery, although Manchester Osteopaths are skilled in diagnosing problems that require such investigation or treatment.
Back problems account for over 50% of the cases osteopaths see. |
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