As Osteopaths we treat a lot of Low Back Pain.
Acute and Chronic are definitions that are used by the various medical groups including Osteopaths to define pain.
These definitions are almost irrelevant to the person suffering the pain, for them the pain is, painful and its degree is what is important.
Acute Low Back Pain is pain that has lasted less than three months. Most low back pain, though debilitating and is affecting every part of the suffers life is usually not serious from a medical / Osteopathic point of view.
It is just that the area close to the spinal colum tends to be very pain sensitive.
Low Back Pain is usually caused by some sort of soft tissue injury, ligaments, muscles or disc.
While the bones can be sore when surrounded by strained muscles it is less common that there is an issue associated with a bone but if there is it is usually much more serious and could be a fracture, infection or growth.
A well trained, astute Osteopath will be able to develop a diagnosis that directs the best course of treatment.
Chronic Low Back Pain is pain that has persisted longer than three months. It is often less intense, the sufferer has learnt to cope and compensate for the pain but still can be quite debilitating.
Chronic Pain can persist even when there is no apparent tissue damage. The nervous system has simply got used to registering low back pain and this is its new normal.
Osteopathy is very good at reducing both of these types of pain which is why we are so busy with it. The osteopath will also work to improve function and give the patient some simple exercises to maintain the improvement.
With thoughtful diagnosis and treatment Low Back Pain, Chronic or Acute, is for the most part, able to be reduced and managed.
Have a look on ‘Youtube’ to learn how to do the ‘Yoga Cat Stretch’. It is easy, only takes a couple of minutes and doing it daily will help your back function better.
At Ellerslie Osteopaths we do it all the time.
Acute or Chronic — Get the problem treated!