[Updated 6/5/2022]
Author; Dawn from Maga Therapy. Dawn has lectured and written widely, specialising in tension & stress reduction irrespective of the cause, applying the latest scientific thinking to provide logical, effective & progressive results.
Private back pain treatment
At Maga Therapy I offer private back pain treatment, it is a common issue for many of my clients. Here are my top tips for dealing with back pain. I offer some advice about what you can do to help yourself and the different options you have available for private back pain treatment.
What is the cause of back pain?
There is nothing worse than not knowing how to treat your back pain.
The acute onset of pain is the response to a ‘normal’ movement that (on this occasion) the body sees as a threat.
What happens is that the ‘movement’ causes one of the vertebrae to shear across another slightly.
The nerves in the area send a panic response to the brain, sending chaotic messages from the muscles in that area to either rotate, flex, extend, side-bend or spasm.
It is chaos and excruciatingly painful.
Acute back pain is the sudden onset of immobilising back pain. In most cases, there has been backache previously, but the most ‘normal’ movements can trigger debilitating pain, e.g. bending to tie a shoelace, brushing your teeth, or making the bed.
What do I do when back pain first occurs?
How bad the pain is will depend on the number of muscles in the spasm. If all you can do is lie there, try to get onto all fours.
Next, try to stand.
On one occasion, I remember crawling to a corner and using the wall to stand up against; the presence of the other corner wall gave me the confidence to ‘let go of one wall with a hand and transfer it to another.
I believe that confidence brings relaxation, which will help lessen muscle spasms and help with pain reduction. Sometimes I found it easier to push myself up into a standing position by pushing down onto my thighs. Once you are upright, try to walk a little, as it becomes easier to extend the amount of time walking.
The action of walking normalises the response from the brain to the muscles, and in time it will settle. I’ve experienced the most horrific back pain, so I know how back pain makes you feel and the fear of it re-occurring.
Once standing, what’s next?
If the pain is very bad, lie down again; bed rest is fine, providing your bed is firm and supportive.
The floor is good; however, many people experience the scenario of ‘once you’re down there, you can’t get up.
- Taking anti-inflammatory medication (tablets or gel) may help by reducing inflammation and pain control to allow further mobilisation and stretching.
- Ice the area.
- If the back pain is really bad and you cannot move, bed rest for 1 or 2 days may help, but remember, if you do not work the muscles, they will lose tone- even after 48hours.
How do you know if back pain is muscle or disc?
Many people worry about whether their back pain is muscle tension or a slipped disk.
The spine is made up of vertebrae; between each is a layer of cushioned tissue; a slipper disk is when this layer of tissue pushes out and presses on nerves.
Slipped disk symptoms to look out for;
- Your back pain gets worse when you sneeze or cough
- You are unable to walk a few steps without pain
- The back pain started shortly after you gained a lot of weight
- You have pain, tingling or a loss of sensation in your limbs
- You have severe neck pain
Can back pain be cured permanently?
Often you get a re-occurrence of acute episodes, and in time you can end up with a serious and debilitating back issue with other complications. Prevention (as always) is better than cure.
I find myself dealing with chronic and acute back problems on a very regular basis. Initial deep tissue work and minor adjustments will bring about an instant response of releasing the tension, coupled with the knowledge of how to strengthen and protect your back you could have even greater confidence and knowledge to minimise the severity and frequency of acute back pain.
Which specialist is best for back pain?
Depending on the severity of your condition, different specialists can help. They fall under several categories; Primary care providers, Spine specialists & Therapists. Your GP and other specialists are your primary care providers, such as gynaecologists or paediatricians. Chiropractors are also considered primary care providers.
Spine specialists include surgeons and medical specialists like neurologists & rheumatologists. Therapists include physical therapists, occupational therapists and clinical psychologists. Massage therapists fall under this category and can help with rehabilitation for back pain and ongoing care.
