One third of the UK suffers from low back pain. Read on for advice from Anna Scott about how osteopathy might help.
According to NICE (2009) approximately one third of the UK population is affected by lower back pain per year and between 2010-2011 there were an estimated 7.6 million days lost at work due to back pain (NHS 2012).
Why do so many people suffer from low back pain? There are numerous causes of lower back pain. The anatomy of the pelvis and spine are complex with many elements that can be injured, such as ligaments, joints, discs and muscles. Often people do not know how they have injured their back and it is not uncommon to be doing a very simple activity for example putting socks on when their “back goes”.
Osteopaths are trained to assess and treat a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems and by taking a thorough case history and conducting a full examination can help determine the cause of your pain and advise on how to address it.
Knowing what to do when you are experiencing back pain can help significantly and it can also help you feel more in control of the pain. Whether this is your first episode of lower back pain, or you suffer more regularly take a look at our top tips for low back pain information sheet for simple advice on how to manage your back pain more effectively.