12 ways to relieve constant backache 

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 we diagnose and treat all kinds of back pain. When you come to us for help with backache, our physiotherapist conducts a thorough biomechanical assessment and a complete review of your health history.

If we find that your constant lower backache is essentially mechanical pain, due to problems with posture and lack of movement, we will customise a treatment plan to relieve your aches and address biomechanical and lifestyle causes.

Combining physiotherapy with confident, skillful self-treatment is the key to managing and resolving nagging mechanical backache. We aim to provide tailored treatment and advice to support you to change or adapt your lifestyle to regain and maintain a strong healthy back.

6 ways your physio can help to relieve constant backache

1. Using manual ‘hands-on’ therapy designed to mobilise spinal joints and relieve muscle stiffness
2. Offering dry needling aimed at relieving pain and increasing blood flow to promote healing
3. Teaching you a set of ‘at home’ strengthening exercises – to help correct posture, build core stability and increase endurance
4. Providing sport-specific advice and treatment to:
   1. correct technique errors
   2. strengthen specific muscle groups that protect your back as you exercise
   3. help you choose your most appropriate sporting activity if you decide to start something from scratch

5. Teaching you lifting techniques to help protect and strengthen your back for work and recreational lifts
6. Monitoring and adjusting your treatment and recovery plan as you progress

 

6 things you can do to help relieve backache

1. Get and stay active – find a low impact activity you love and do it for at least 30 minutes a day. Walking swimming or cycling may be good options, but your physio can help you choose the exercise that’ll work best for you and your back.

2. Build strength and flexibility – commit to doing the exercises your physio recommends. Take care of your core and strengthen and stretch the muscles that help you keep a healthy back including your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

3. Pay attention to your posture – check that you’re standing straight and not slouching. Support your lower back when you’re sitting, use a footstool to elevate your legs and take pressure off your back. Lift carefully. Your physio can check, adjust and help you maintain a healthy posture.

4. Move often – if you sit for prolonged periods at work or at a home, stop it! Get up from your desk or the couch about every 20 minutes and move or stretch or chat. 

5. Adopt healthy habits – keep an eye on your weight, eat well, quit smoking, take time out from a hectic routine, treat an achy back to a heat pack, a hot shower or a massage. Because stress of all kinds can contribute to back pain.

6. Don’t wait – early diagnosis and treatment centered on pain relief, and a plan to improve your posture and mobility and strengthen your muscles can help relieve backache and reduce the risk of it reoccurring.

“Constant back pain is a complex condition, so the combination of hands-on therapy and exercise is the key to management. Staying active,  a positive attitude and  healthy lifestyle are also proven to be important to recovery. We are here to help and always ready to work with you to win over constant back ache” Kelvin Choi – Physiotherapist and Accredited Exercise Physiologist of The Brisbane Spine Clinic

 

If constant lower back pain is disrupting your sleep, your work, your sport or your social and family life book an appointment.