Back Pain Causes and Treatments

Lower back pain is an all too common affliction, impacting a significant portion of New Zealanders, young and older. While the causes may vary, physiotherapy has been shown to offer effective relief for many. If you’ve suffered from it, you’ll know all too well that back pain can be a debilitating experience, affecting daily movements and overall quality of life. It can occur from various causes such as improper lifting methods, accidents or even from general wear and tear. Thankfully, Cairnhill Physiotherapy provides comprehensive solutions for both acute and chronic back pain.

 

Causes of Back Pain

Acute injuries can result from improper lifting techniques, sporting accidents or something as simple as mishaps in the home. These injuries can affect various parts of the spinal structure including the joints, ligaments, discs, nerves and surrounding back and neck muscles. Chronic injuries, on the other hand, can stem from acute injuries that have healed incorrectly, poor posture, or general age-related wear and tear. Posture and muscle imbalances can also contribute to chronic back pain.

 

Back Pain Treatment at Cairnhill Physiotherapy

 

At Cairnhill Physiotherapy, we employ a hands-on approach in treating back and neck pain. This involves techniques such as soft tissue release, joint mobilisations and manipulations. Our treatment plans aim not just at relieving pain but also at addressing its root cause.

 

Neural Mobilisations

In addition to traditional physiotherapy methods, we also incorporate neural mobilisations, strengthening and stretching exercises into our treatment plans.

 

Tailored Rehabilitation Programmes

We develop targeted strengthening programmes that incorporate activation exercises and evolve into more functional exercises as part of your rehabilitation.

 

Headaches and Physiotherapy

 

Headaches can be a common symptom associated with neck and back pain, resulting from poor sleep, increased muscle tightness in the neck and shoulders, poor posture or following a head or neck injury.

 

Cervicogenic Headaches

The pain you experience during a headache can originate from the joints in the upper neck, muscles in the shoulders or the base of the skull, or the nerves in the neck. This type of headache is known as a cervicogenic headache and can be debilitating, affecting your enjoyment of life.

 

Managing Headaches with Physiotherapy

At Cairnhill Physiotherapy, we can diagnose the kind of headache you are experiencing and educate you on why it is occurring and how to manage it. We use joint and soft tissue mobilisations, taping techniques and acupuncture to reduce muscle and joint tightness and restore normal mobility.

 

Acupuncture Therapy for Back Pain

 

Acupuncture has been used as a pain relief method for many years. At Cairnhill Physiotherapy, we have been offering acupuncture therapy to treat pain, muscle tightness and swelling for the past 50 years.

 

Understanding Acupuncture

The acupuncture process involves inserting fine needles into specific points in the body to relieve pain, muscle tightness, and swelling. These needles stimulate underlying nerves, triggering a chemical release in the muscle, spinal cord, and brain. This chemical release helps suppress or change pain and promotes natural healing.

 

What Can Acupuncture Treat?

Acupuncture is part of a holistic approach to treating a range of injuries from muscle and ligament sprains to tears, groin injuries, and joint pain and swelling. It can also assist patients in pre and post-operative rehabilitation.

 

Back pain can be a challenging ordeal, but with the right treatment and care from Cairnhill Physiotherapy, you can regain your mobility and improve your quality of life. Our team of experienced physiotherapists are here to help you every step of the way, providing comprehensive and personalised treatment plans.