lower back pain Archives - The Robin Kiashek Clinics

What can I do to relieve my back pain?

Google searches around back pain, relief for back pain and back pain exercises skyrocketed in 2020. Which is concerning news for me as an Osteopath.

In some ways it’s not surprising. Back pain affects up to 80% of us at some point in our lives. It’s one of the most common reasons for workplace absence and the NHS spends more than £1 billion per year on back pain related costs. Plus, there’s the challenges of the past year – the long term impact of working from home in an imperfect set up, new, different or abandoned exercise routines and the undoubted increase in stress.

So I can understand why, in the absence of the usual access to NHS services, people are turning to other sources. But Google is not the answer.

The good news about back pain

Pain of any sort can be distressing and worrying. It can lead to feelings of stress which can manifest physically as tightened muscles and thus increased pain. And so the cycle builds. But (and this is the important bit!) back pain is rarely due to any serious disease and the long-term outlook is good.

Your spine is made of solid, bony blocks reinforced by strong ligaments and muscles. It is surprisingly difficult to damage. But if strained, the surrounding muscles and ligaments can cause discomfort and pain.

Why Osteopathy for back pain relief?

In the UK, Osteopaths must be registered with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) to practise. They are highly trained professionals skilled in diagnosing health issues. This includes those that may require further investigation. Osteopathy is a safe and effective way to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of health problems. Including back pain.

I qualified in Osteopathic Medicine 25 years ago. I’ve since trained in various additional complementary disciplines to extend the options I can offer to my patients:

At your first appointment, I take a full medical and lifestyle history to get a proper understanding of the issue that has brought you to my clinic and of you as an individual. This combined with a physical examination enables me to devise a treatment plan specific to the problems you’re experiencing.

How can an Osteopath help with back pain?

At the Robin Kiashek Clinics, I aim to relieve pain and help strengthen the body, making it less susceptible to discomfort or injury. I also try to understand the lifestyle factors which may have contributed to the onset of pain. My range of gentle and effective treatments to relieve back pain includes manual Osteopathy, Western Acupuncture and Low-Level Laser Therapy.

Through these non-invasive methods and by working closely with your lifestyle, I can help minimise or even resolve symptoms and improve your overall health.

We’ve also recently added another string to our bow. With our Home Office Ergonomics service, we review your home working arrangements and make suggestions for improvement to help minimise the impact on your physical (and emotional) wellbeing.

Relief from back pain at home – Tips for self-help

If you are in pain, please don’t suffer in silence. Early diagnosis and treatment can help with recovery and get you back to usual activities more quickly. Osteopaths are considered essential workers. As such, I was vaccinated against Covid-19 in January. I also undertake weekly Rapid Flow Antigen Tests to ensure I’m Covid free. I can continue to treat patients in accordance with government guidelines through lockdown. So, please do get in touch.

Lower Back Pain

We’ve spoken before about the seriousness of back pain – a debilitating ailment that can strike at any time. And lower back pain is particularly common. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it is the most common cause of job-related disability.

Lower back pain is often associated with the over 50s, but we’ve recently seen a rise in the number of millennials wanting help with this issue.

Millennial lifestyle

Lower back pain can, of course, be the result of an injury such as a sporting sprain or strain. Or it can be triggered by an underlying, untreated chronic symptom/s, often very mild and transient, which has been influenced by long-term lifestyle factors.

The current cohort of 20-40-year-olds is the first true ‘digital generation.’ They make up the largest generation in the workforce in the UK. They are also the people most likely to be found hunched over a computer/gaming screen, in the gym lifting heavy weights and – thanks to COVID-19 – now working from home at make-shift desks.

Robin Kiashek said: “Given these lifestyle factors, it’s not surprising that Millennials are increasingly suffering with lower back pain. And in our youth we often consider ourselves invincible, so we tend to ignore warning signs such as pain and are often not sufficiently patient with our body’s need to allow time for recovery.”

How to prevent lower back pain

Prevention is clearly the best option when it comes to lower back pain. Here’s our top tips for avoiding this painful condition:

Watch your posture

Posture is key when it comes to keeping your back in tip top condition. Avoid slumping in your chair or on the sofa and don’t hunch over your desk. Also, watch out for tech neck . This 21^st century phenomena puts unnecessary pressure on your shoulders and back and is caused by resting your chin on your chest whilst looking at a phone or computer screen. If you work from a laptop then raise it so that the screen is at eye level.

Take a stand

Take breaks from your work. Try to get away from your screen, stand and move about every 30 minutes or so to get your back muscles into action. I’ve talked before about the benefits of active dynamic sitting. This is where your seating allows or encourages you to move, increase your stability and strengthen your core abdominal muscles. There are a variety of specially designed seats on the market to improve postural health and the abdominal muscles. I use the ‘Swopper Chair’ and would highly recommend it.

Exercise, exercise, exercise

It’s so important to work out the muscles in your abdomen and back. That’s because these are the core muscles attached to the spine or pelvis that help us to stand, move and go about our daily life. Just make you do so safely. If you are lifting weights, be sure to bend at the hips and not your back.

Try to relax

As a trained Osteopath and Naturopath with more than 25 years in the industry, I know there’s a close link between physical, mental and emotional health. Problems originating in one place can often show up as referred pain in another. Some people manifest stress in their minds, others manifest it physically and some will do both. This causes us to tighten our muscles, particularly around our shoulders and down our spine. We all unwind in different ways but my advice would be to find yours and make time for it!

Check out your sleeping situation

We spend a third of our lives sleeping. So, it’s definitely worth spending money on a good mattress for your back. And do be aware that a divan mattress will support your mattress and back whereas slats do not.

How we can help with lower back pain

At The Robin Kiashek Clinics, we aim to relieve pain and help strengthen the body, making it less susceptible to discomfort or injury. We also try to understand the lifestyle factors which may have contributed to the onset of pain. Our range of gentle and effective treatments includes Osteopathy, Western Acupuncture and Low Level Laser Therapy.

Get in touch

If you are dealing with lower back pain, why not call us on 020 8815 0979 or request an appointment online?

Tag Archive for: lower back pain

Relief from back pain – Dr Google isn’t the answer