Upper & Lower back pain
Back pain is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal conditions affecting daily activities, sleep, and work performance. Physiotherapy addresses movement limitations, muscle weakness, and mechanical stress affecting the spine
Treatment combines hands-on therapy, guided exercise, and education to improve spinal support and functional movement
How Physiotherapy Helps
Physiotherapy targets the “root cause” in the neck rather than just masking the head pain. Treatment typically involves a three-pillar approach:
A physical therapist’s approach is tailored to your specific diagnosis and functional limitations, but generally focuses on reducing pain, restoring mobility, and building strength to prevent recurrence.
Mechanical Low Back Pain
This broad category often stems from poor movement patterns, muscular imbalances, or issues with the small facet joints. Physiotherapy addresses this by:
Posture and Ergonomic Correction: For pain caused by things like sitting at a computer all day, a therapist will analyze and correct your posture and workplace setup.
Strengthening and Core Stabilization: Developing strong core muscles (abdominal, back, and hip) is crucial. A “strong core” acts as a natural corset, providing stability and reducing the load on the spinal joints.
Manual Therapy: Specific hands-on techniques (joint mobilizations or spinal manipulation) can restore normal movement and reduce stiffness in the facet joints.
Targeted Stretching: Tight muscles can pull your spine out of alignment. Therapists identify tight muscles and provide specific stretches to alleviate tension.
Disc Irritation & Herniation
The goal is to reduce pressure on the intervertebral disc and create space for the nerves.
Core Stabilization (Crucial): Just like with mechanical pain, building core strength is vital to create a stable foundation that reduces pressure on the affected disc.
Directional Preference Exercises: Physiotherapists often use specific movements (the McKenzie Method is one common approach) to help “centralize” the pain—moving it from the leg and into the back. This typically involves exercises that emphasize certain spinal directions (often extension) to relieve pressure on the herniated material.
Traction (Manual or Mechanical): This involves applying a gentle pull on the spine to increase the space between the vertebrae, potentially relieving nerve compression.
Pain-Relieving Modalities: Techniques such as electrical stimulation (TENS) or ice therapy can be used in the acute phase to help manage pain.
Sciatica Symptoms
Sciatica isn’t a diagnosis itself; it’s a symptom that something is compressing the sciatic nerve. If a herniated disc is the cause, the disc irritation treatment above will apply. Physiotherapy also helps by:
Nerve Glides/Mobilization: These are specific exercises designed to gently mobilize the sciatic nerve within its canal. This can reduce irritation and improve the nerve’s ability to move freely.
Myofascial Release: If muscle tightness (like in the piriformis muscle) is contributing to the nerve compression, deep tissue massage and myofascial release techniques can provide significant relief.
Progressive Strengthening: As pain allows, therapists will implement strengthening exercises for the lower back, hips, and gluteal muscles to provide dynamic support and prevent future compression.
Muscle Strain (Back Strain)
With a muscle strain, the treatment is focused on tissue healing, restoring flexibility, and then strengthening to prevent future injury.
Progressive Flexibility and Stretching: Following the initial rest period, targeted and painless stretching of the muscles is gradually introduced to restore their full length and range of motion.
Soft Tissue Mobilization/Massage: Therapists use manual techniques to improve blood flow to the injured muscle, which can speed up healing and break down scar tissue that may be limiting movement.
Correcting Movement Patterns: Since strains are often caused by sudden, awkward movements, a physiotherapist will analyze your movement. For example, they may teach you proper lifting techniques to protect your back during daily activities or sport.
Strength and Endurance Training: To prevent a recurrence, the therapist will create a strengthening program targeting the injured and surrounding muscles, preparing them to handle the demands of your daily life and activities.