Low Back Pain & Sciatica

It is common for chronic back pain to gradually develop and progress over time without a specific known onset. It often occurs when the structures of the low back are exposed to prolonged stresses which accumulate over time such as poor sitting, sleeping or standing posture, repetitive lifting and carrying and prolonged driving. The resultant outcome is overloading of the spinal tissues leading to dysfunction, fatigue and pain.

Often acute back pain develops after the smallest of movements such as bending over to pick up a pen or sneezing. This sometimes follows a hard day at work especially if this has involved a prolonged time in a sustained posture for example bending over to do the gardening. It can be suggestive that there is a weakness within the deep stabilizing core muscles.

Some patients may recollect a specific event or activity where they felt a pull or twinge in the back, this is often not especially sore at the time, but then hours after as both inflammation and muscle spasm begin to occur the pain becomes more severe.

Sciatica is used to describe pain into the buttocks or legs. Commonly it is due to irritation of the nerves which supply these areas as they leave the lower lumbar spine. True sciatica is due to irritation of the sciatic nerve and can present with pain, pins and needles, numbness or weakness down the back of the leg, into sole of the foot and to the big toe. The most frequent cause of this is a prolapsed (slipped) disc, this is where the disc bulges and the resultant effect is irritation of the sciatic nerve as it leaves the spine at this level. However this is not the only low back complaint which causes in symptoms into the lower limb, other structures capable of this include the lumbar facet joints, sacroiliac joints and the muscles.

Our chiropractors treat low back pain using a tailored package of care which is determined by your presentation, case history and individual requirements. It is based on years of clinical experience, as well as current research and guidelines (2, 3). Treatment may include gentle specific manipulation of the joints in the low back, known as spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), to increase the movement at any restricted joints and help reduce local nerve irritation. Massage, myofascial release techniques, trigger point therapy and cross friction may also be used to ease out any fibrous adhesions (knots) and tension in the surrounding musculature.

Most importantly home rehabilitation, postural and ergonomic advice to address any imbalances and possible attributing factors will be provided to you by your chiropractor.