Lower back pain is a reality for people throughout the world. Although it is very common among all of us, lower back pain is not something that should be overlooked. We all use our backs every day. Back pain therefore can become debilitating. It starts to impact our movement, our enjoyment of life and therefore ultimately our happiness.

Although everyone’s degree of pain and presenting symptoms are different, lower back pains and their associated conditions can generally be assessed by an osteopath. As a practitioner at Inlign osteopath Melbourne, lower back pain is probably the most common condition I see each week.

Lower Back Pain is the Most Common Pain

It’s sobering to think that over 80% of the population experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. And 10% of people will experience significant limitation due to back pain. As my lower back pain page indicates, lower back pain is most commonly caused by poor posture. An osteopath can explain the pointers to good posture so you can reduce the damage that posture habits have on your back.

As a rule of thumb, the longer that a pain has been present, the longer it will take to treat. It’s an osteopath’s aim to make each patient completely pain free for the long term. Although we would like this to be the outcome for all patients, sometimes this is not possible. Sometimes the severity of the pain can be reduced but not completely. In rarer circumstances surgery may be required. But surgery is always looked at as a last resort as it’s an invasive permanent procedure that brings its own considerations to the table.

In an osteopathic treatment, an osteopath will assess and examine the causes of a person’s lower back pain and then offer treatments that will best release the back pain and get to the core of the problems. Treatments may include re-aligning the lower back, pelvis, and hips; stimulating the nervous system; relaxing muscle spasms; stretching the muscles that support the ligaments at the back; restoring the normal functions of the vertebrae, among others. An osteopath may also provide advice to patients to help avoid lower back pain i.e. proper posture, diet, exercise and stretching and workplace ergonomics.

To aid recovery and strengthen the associated spinal muscle groups, osteopaths will usually proscribe specific exercises. These exercises aren’t a huge commitment to complete. It’s also not entirely necessary for you to perform them. But you will only be cheating yourself. By completing exercises you are accelerating your recovery time and reducing your reliance on as many further treatments.

To learn more about lower back pain, or to book a treatment, contact Inlign Osteopathy.

X-rays are one of the most used apparatus in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities worldwide. X-rays are used to see what’s normally invisible – to see a bone fracture, a swallowed object, or  liquid in the lungs. This is extremely beneficial as it means that a doctor can investigate potential problems without having to conduct more invasive tests or operations. x-rays are an indispensable part of the health system that saves doctors time and effort and therefore in turn saves time and effort.

Are X-Rays More Harm than Good?

Each week x-ray scans are brought into Inlign osteopath Melbourne for assessment. This is great, as osteopaths are able to read the results of x-rays and make more informed treatment diagnosis decisions.

In general we all have a basic understanding that x-rays are harmful. But apart from this general statement, we often don’t know any more. As with everything in life, x-rays have pros and cons. It’s just that these pros and cons tend to be quite polorising. X-ray machines release electromagnetic energy that allows images of your bones and organs to be viewed  without surgery. This light energy released in the machine is known to be high in radiation. An x-ray is a form of an ionizing radiation which causes chemical reactions to cells when these cells are exposed to the energy emitted by the x-ray machine. Or to go one step further, when an x-ray hits an atom in your body, the electron of an atom changes into a charged ion that can cause the harmful chemical reactions. This can have the unfortunate side effect of killing or mutating cells in your body.

It should be noted that your exposure to the x-ray is extremely brief. This reduces the impact of any damage to your body. And doctors know the risks. This means that the x-ray exposure can often be localised to specific areas of your body.

You may also notice that to reduce exposure risk you are given a heavy ‘blanket’ to hold or cradle. This blanket is filled with lead, which cannot be penetrated by the x-ray, thereby protecting parts of your body that don’t need to be exposed.

Don’t think that radiation exposure can only be transferred through x-rays. We are also exposed to naturally occurring radiation through living our normal lives.

X-rays are hugely beneficial and should not be avoided if required. As the benefits of observing x-ray results outweigh the exposure risks. It’s just prudent to be aware of these x-ray risks as you should not willingly agree to a fleeting request for an x-ray, especially if you have had many x-rays in the past. If in any doubt, discuss your concerns with your doctor.

The words acute and chronic are terms that are often used when diagnosing and describing diseases, symptoms and conditions of the body. Patients visiting an osteopath often use these terms either interchangeably or incorrectly. Simply put, the term ‘acute’ is used to describe a disease or condition that has presented for a relatively short period of time, usually under three months. The term ‘chronic’, on the other hand, describes a condition that has been evident for a longer period of time, that is longer than three months.

Acute and chronic Doesn't Relate to Pain Levels

The term ‘chronic’ may also refer to a condition that is often recurring or is something that worsens every reoccurrence. A condition regarded to as chronic is something that does not affect a person suddenly and is rather affecting the various systems and body parts gradually as it also develops very slowly. In order for a condition or illness to be considered as a chronic one, the disease should last for three months or longer. If an acute illness, such as bronchial asthma or diabetes is left untreated, this may develop into a chronic condition which may be fatal to the person affected. An acute illness that does not improve over time, will gradually be revised to chronic, once three months has passed.

Acute conditions and illnesses generally affect people suddenly. Examples include, a cut to the hand, catching a cold, or being victim to an accident which causes you an injury. However, these conditions may all lead to being chronic if they’re injuries linger for longer.

It is important to note that the terms ‘chronic’ and ‘acute’ do not indicate the severity of a person’s condition but rather the duration this certain condition affects that person. It is a myth to believe that chronic injuries are more painful than acute injuries, or vice versa. The severity of a chronic or acute illnesses depends on the condition and symptoms themselves
rather than the time period noted by being acute or chronic.

An osteopath is adept at treating both acute and chronic muscular skeletal conditions. But generally speaking, the longer that you have had a condition or pain, the longer it will take to treat and alleviate.

For more information contact Inlign Osteopath Melbourne