Wednesday 14 March 2012

The Demon Back Pain



A couple of weeks ago we posted a blog about posture and we had some feedback about backs in general, and questions about back pain in particular. So we thought we'd write another wee note about the demon that is back pain...

www.lower-back-pain-answers.com http://goo.gl/D26Sz
Why oh why are you afflicted with back pain and everyone else is fine? Don't worry, you're not alone by any means: two thirds of us will suffer back pain at some point in our lives.

Happy days.

But why is back pain so common? What causes it? And how the heck do you get rid of it?!

Let's start with a wee bit of background (no pun intended...)

First we need to know what makes up the back so we can get an idea of which structures are causing the problem. The spine is made up of 33 bones or vertebrae, separated into the cervical spine (at neck level), thoracic spine (where your ribs attach), lumbar spine (in your lower back) along with the sacrum and coccyx (tailbone) which are fused together.

The vertebrae are narrow and smaller at the top of your spine (below left), growing thicker and wider towards the bottom of your spine, where they bear more weight (below right). The spinal cord passes through the middle of these vertebrae so that it is protected by the bone on each side.

The Cervical Vertebra (Neck) http://goo.gl/iSXS2

The Lumbar Vertebra (Lower Back) http://goo.gl/X7jpa












In between each vertebra lies a disc. The intervertebral disc (to give it its Sunday name) is made up of a fibrous outer layer, and a jelly-like interior. The disc has lots of nerves supplying it, which means that it is very sensitive to pain.

Each part of your body is supplied by nerves which detect sensations and pass these to your brain to make sense of, and also carry messages from your brain, e.g. to muscles to make them work. At each level of the spinal cord, spinal nerves "peel off" and split into lots of smaller nerves which in turn supply all the different parts in your body, like "electric wires".

At the sides of the vertebrae, there are nicely formed spaces called foramen for the spinal nerves to pass through, so each segment (vertebra, disc and foramen with nerve passing through it) looks a little like this: 

www.spine-inc.com http://goo.gl/Yb1Ho

Ooft. Hands up if you're still with us! Not long to go now...

Each of the vertebrae are attached to one another by a number of ligaments (tough cord-like structures) and the whole of the spinal column is controlled by muscles, which are the only structures that you can voluntarily shorten (or contract). This is important.

Why?

Well, we've covered the basics of what makes up your back. If any of the above structures (bone, ligament, disc, muscle etc) are damaged, it is liable to become painful, therefore you move it less, therefore it stiffens up and becomes weak. If the foramen (the spaces through which the nerves travel) narrow down, then the nerves can become compressed, leading to aches, pains and sometimes tingling or numbness.

So....

You need the muscles, the only contractile thing in your spine, to keep you moving, and reduce the stiffness, which will in turn help reduce your pain. Quite often the damaged structure heals, but the stiffness in the rest of your back remains a problem.

www.imageenvision.com http://goo.gl/dT7ba
Your back loves movement! The more movement there is between all the little joints and for all the bits and pieces in your spine, the better you'll feel. Not least because you're able to sit comfortably, as well as do all those other things you need your back to move for: walking, reaching, vaccuuming, hugging, putting your shoes on, pulling a jumper over your head, cycling, picking up the shopping, twisting to see what's behind you...



Here are some simple exercises that you can do a couple of times a day to help get your back moving. They won't take long, and all you need is a wee space to stretch out into.

Warning: Disclaimer coming up! Remember that the exercises are not a substitute for a professional opinion. Be sensible and seek individual advice from your doctor or physiotherapist if your back pain is severe or lasts longer than a few days or if you have other symptoms like weakness, numbness or pins and needles.


www.physiotools.com

These exercises move your lower back into flexion (bending forwards), extension (bending backwards) and rotation. Each of them can be part of a program to help you maintain your flexibility and movement, as well as strengthening your core to support your spine. This will help ease your pain and most importantly, stop it recurring.

You can also ask your GP or pharmacist about medications such as painkillers or anti-inflammatories which can help settle back pain and let you get back to your normal activities.

4 comments:

  1. My back has been hurting for a couple of days, particularly in the hip area for some reason. It tends to hurt more when I feel stressed so it was great reading your article; I like the bit about the spine loves movement, that's a great tip. I'm going to try out the exercises too. In fact I did the first four this morning and feel a bit better already. Thank you so much! :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah! We're really glad you found the blog useful - it's worthwhile writing it if even one person can use the information to help them feel better! Jen FCP :)

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  2. I used to suffer from back pain until I discovered somatics. Read all about

    http://t.co/t0EJIdZv

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's good that you have found something that works for you. Somatic exercises are based on contracting muscles and allowing the 'tight' muscles to relax. Physiotherapists use the same principles in their treatments.

    Remember: It is important to ensure that you seek the correct professional help and medical advice.

    ReplyDelete