Low Back Pain - General Advice

Written by Andrew Woodhouse BSc |

General Advice for Low Back Pain

Low back pain (lumbar pain or lumbago) is unnecessarily common and can generally be avoided by preventative treatment, exercise (e.g. swimming, yoga or Tai Chi) and appropriate posture. This includes everyday posture and not just whilst bending and lifting.

If it is a recurrent problem, then it is unlikely to resolve without appropriate treatment and management. The latest GP guidelines indicate that in the large majority of cases (including disc injuries) one should remain as mobile, as possible and to seek a 'manipulative therapy' (such as osteopathy or chiropractic) at the earliest opportunity. Bed rest will only maintain the inflammation, whereas if you move regularly the inflammation is more likely to drain away from the area and therefore heal quicker.

If sharp pains and/or small areas of numbness are experienced in the legs then consult an appropriately qualified practitioner &/or your GP.

Hospital is indicated if any of the following symptoms are present:-

Large areas of numbness in the leg/s and especially around the anus and genitalia.
Incontinence of bladder/bowel.
Inability to urinate/defecate - that is not solely due to pain of 'forcing' or constipation, such as, from taking pain-killers/anti-inflammatories.
Loss of power in the leg/s - that is not solely due to pain.
The above symptoms are just as important without low back pain.

If in doubt contact the relevant authority for advice/treatment. Generally speaking - more immediate treatment is likely to bring quicker relief.

Which Symptoms are Serious?

From the above you can see that the more serious symptoms are actually in the body below the lumbar spine (low back), with the exception of pain on it's own. From the point of view of - What is more clinically serious - pain is less serious, as there are various causes, although the sufferer may feel otherwise. Contrast that with actual loss of nerve function i.e. numbness or muscle weakness, then in these cases we know that the most likely cause is that a nerve is being compressed, which will prevent it from working properly. For numbness, then it would be some sensory nerve fibres being compressed and for muscle weakness - some of the motor nerves to the muscles.

Sciatica

Sciatica for example just means that there is pain in the area of the sciatic nerve trunk.- in the back of the thigh. The sciatic nerve forms from several groups of nerve fibres deep in the buttock, travels down the back of the thigh and branches into other nerves just above the knee. So there may be pain above this i.e. in the low back, and below into the lower leg or foot, but it must include the back of the thigh to be sciatica. If the pain is at the front or outer thigh, then it's not sciatica. So sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis, as there are several potential causes of this.

However can have other symptoms i.e. numbness or muscle weakness with the sciatica, which is then potentially more serious.

First aid for low back pain

Alternating ice and heat for 5 mins each at regular intervals will help reduce inflammation. Not too hot or cold - i.e. wrap a bag of frozen peas in a towel to avoid sticking.
Stay as mobile as possible, avoiding bending/lifting and try to breathe slowly, deeply from the diaphragm and through the nose. Becoming anxious or 'stressed' will only exacerbate the symptoms.

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Last Updated (Saturday, 01 January 2011 18:26)

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