Back pain is common in Australia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that about 4 million of us experienced back pain in 2017-18 and that about 70-90% of us will suffer from it at some point during our lives. Back pain comes from a range of conditions that affect the bones, joints, muscles,…
About a quarter of Australians suffer from back pain, making it an incredibly common problem. Around 80% of us will have back pain at some point in our lives. In most cases, back pain is annoying but not debilitating. However, about 10-20% of people with lower back pain find that it is intensely painful and…
Posture is the position you hold your body in while standing, sitting or lying down. You might stand tall or slouch, you might sit upright or hunch forward over your keyboard, you might have just the right pillow or one that is too low or too high. For many of us, posture is unconscious. You’ve…
If you’re living with back pain, you’re not alone. A recent snapshot of Australians’ back health, by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported that one in six of us – or 16% of the population – sought treatment for back pain in 2015. The AIHW research found that 14% of people living…
If you’ve ever been out on the sporting field – or even just out throwing a ball for the dog – and felt a pain in your lower back, you’re far from alone. Lower back pain in athletes (amateur or elite) is one of the most common pains experienced. It can come and go quickly,…
If you’ve ever complained of an aching back, chances are you’ve been told by well-meaning family or friends to take a couple of paracetamol and go and get some rest. While that advice can be appropriate in some circumstances, it can cause more harm than good. In fact, often the thing an aching back needs…
It’s an important muscle you may never have heard of, probably can’t pronounce and likely wouldn’t be able to point to on your body. And, there’s a chance it’s responsible for your back pain. The psoas (pronounced SO-as) major is a long muscle located in your lower back. It’s one of three muscles that connects…
Did you know that an activity you do all day, every day may have the power to reduce your back pain? Back pain can be seriously debilitating, having an impact on every aspect of our lives. If you experience back pain, you’ve likely already tried a range of medications and treatments to improve your condition.…
Ways to relieve a backache Persistent, nagging backache affects around 85% of us at some time in our lives. Our clients often experience this frustrating and painful complaint as lower back stiffness and muscle ache. In most cases can be treated successfully by combining physical therapy and lifestyle changes. As skilled and experienced spine specialists…
When it comes to causing trouble the tiny piriformis muscle certainly punches above its weight. While estimates vary, around 6% of pain that feels like classic sciatica is probably due to piriformis syndrome. If you’re experiencing a shooting or numbing pain that runs from your lower back or buttock down your leg and possibly into…