According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014-15 report), 70-90% of all Australians will experience low back pain at some point in their life.
Approximately 95% of all cases of low back pain are diagnosed as “non-specific low back pain”. This means that multiple structures could be contributing to the pain, including intervertebral discs, facet joints, ligaments, muscles, fascial tissue and dural connective tissue.
For the remaining 5% of cases of low back pain, only 4% are diagnosed as a spinal nerve root compression and only 1% as a more serious spinal pathology, such as a fracture or a tumour.
Spinal imaging methods, such as x-ray, MRI and CT scans also have a limited capacity to accurately diagnose the cause of low back pain. Common imaging findings, such as bulging discs, degeneration and spondylolisthesis, are actually normal age-related changes. In fact, a large 2015 study found that 60% of 50-year-olds with no back pain had a disc bulge on imaging!
Despite the difficulty of identifying the source of low back pain, a variety of physiotherapy treatments are effective at reducing pain and stiffness, improving functional outcomes and preventing recurrence of pain. Low back pain is a very recoverable condition, with approximately 90% of cases recovering completely within 6 weeks.
Physiotherapy treatment for low back pain will vary depending on how acute the pain is. For acute flare-ups, treatment may include gentle manual therapy, massage and mobility exercises. Your physiotherapist will also be able to provide advice about the best strategies to manage pain and movement during acute episodes of low back pain.
Following the acute stage, physiotherapy treatment often includes more targeted soft tissue massage, manual therapy and exercises. As pain decreases, physiotherapy treatments will become increasingly focused on exercise to promote self-management and decrease the risk of future flare-ups. While some of these exercises may be based on increasing core strength and control, recent studies have found general strengthening exercises are equally as effective in preventing low back pain as core exercises.
If you have recently experienced an acute episode of low back pain, or if low back pain is something that bothers you on a regular basis, physiotherapy can be highly beneficial. At Hawker Place Physiotherapy and Pilates, our physiotherapists also run private and group Clinical Pilates classes designed specifically for people with acute or chronic low back pain.
