Ted's Back Pain
Ted, a 58 year old self-employed painter and decorator came to the osteopath complaining about his low back pain. He described during the consultation a sharp biting pain that had been bothering him for 7 weeks and had forced him to give up work for the moment. He knew that just before the start of this episode of pain, he had been busy at work, painting walls and ceilings in the new houses that were being built in town. When asked about previous problems with his back, he revealed that he had been in a motorcycle accident when he was a teenager and had “crushed his pelvis” and was on traction in hospital for weeks. The result of this accident was that he had occasional pain in the back throughout his working life, but it usually got better after a few days.
With the medical history taken, the osteopath examined Ted, starting with a standing assessment of his general posture. This showed the osteopath:
i) where the pain was
ii) how Ted’s body was adjusting to the pain and
iii) how the body had compensated for the injury many years ago.
By getting Ted to move through various ranges of motion the osteopath was able to check the flexibility of the spine and how and where the soreness limited movement. Then the movement of individual vertebra (the bones of the spine) were assessed, with the osteopath feeling by palpation how each vertebra interacted with the spine. After doing this the osteopath explained to Ted what they thought was wrong and what was going to happen during the treatment.
Where Ted’s spine met his pelvis was very restricted in its movements, caused by years of wear and tear, and altered posture due to the accident. However, this in itself had not caused too much of a problem as Ted had been able to work. The recent increase in repeated activity of work (painting ceilings) had compromised his back problems and resulted in the small joints of the vertebra being irritated by constant stretching and reaching. This had caused the muscle tension in his lower back to build up, producing his back pain.
Most injuries or aches and pains can be found to fall into one of three categories; unaccustomed activity which the body is not used to, such as digging over the garden all day or decorating; micro trauma caused by repeated actions, often referred to as repetitive strain injuries, when by doing the same movement over and over again the body wears down; compensatory failure, this occurs because old or previously injured areas of the body cannot ‘give’ anymore and they ‘give up’.
Treatment commenced, and was aimed at improving the mobility of the restricted areas of Ted’s back and reducing the muscle tension in his back. Following the first session Ted felt that his back was 80% better and was able to return to work after the second treatment. He was pleased with his recovery and wished that he had consulted the osteopath sooner, but would have a "maintenance treatment" once a month for the next few months to ensure that his back remained as good as it could be. A few simple exercises were also give to Ted to help to keep the spine flexible and the muscles supple.
To find out more about pain in the back, please click below for more information:
Back Pain
Written by Chris Law, Registered Osteopath. To contact Chris please click here
With the medical history taken, the osteopath examined Ted, starting with a standing assessment of his general posture. This showed the osteopath:
i) where the pain was
ii) how Ted’s body was adjusting to the pain and
iii) how the body had compensated for the injury many years ago.
By getting Ted to move through various ranges of motion the osteopath was able to check the flexibility of the spine and how and where the soreness limited movement. Then the movement of individual vertebra (the bones of the spine) were assessed, with the osteopath feeling by palpation how each vertebra interacted with the spine. After doing this the osteopath explained to Ted what they thought was wrong and what was going to happen during the treatment.
Where Ted’s spine met his pelvis was very restricted in its movements, caused by years of wear and tear, and altered posture due to the accident. However, this in itself had not caused too much of a problem as Ted had been able to work. The recent increase in repeated activity of work (painting ceilings) had compromised his back problems and resulted in the small joints of the vertebra being irritated by constant stretching and reaching. This had caused the muscle tension in his lower back to build up, producing his back pain.
Most injuries or aches and pains can be found to fall into one of three categories; unaccustomed activity which the body is not used to, such as digging over the garden all day or decorating; micro trauma caused by repeated actions, often referred to as repetitive strain injuries, when by doing the same movement over and over again the body wears down; compensatory failure, this occurs because old or previously injured areas of the body cannot ‘give’ anymore and they ‘give up’.
Treatment commenced, and was aimed at improving the mobility of the restricted areas of Ted’s back and reducing the muscle tension in his back. Following the first session Ted felt that his back was 80% better and was able to return to work after the second treatment. He was pleased with his recovery and wished that he had consulted the osteopath sooner, but would have a "maintenance treatment" once a month for the next few months to ensure that his back remained as good as it could be. A few simple exercises were also give to Ted to help to keep the spine flexible and the muscles supple.
To find out more about pain in the back, please click below for more information:
Back Pain
Written by Chris Law, Registered Osteopath. To contact Chris please click here
