Tag Archive for: Relief from back pain

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:

Western Medical Acupuncture
Low Level Laser Therapy (also known as Cold Laser Therapy)
The Perrin Technique for ME/CFS
Neuro Linguistic Programming & Coaching (NLP)

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

Last August I wrote about back pain and millennials – some top tips for prevention. These are useful guidelines for us all and you can read them here.

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.