Low back pain is an extremely common symptom in the general public. It is said that up to 70% of the population will suffer from low back pain at some time in their life. Physiotherapy treatment will aim to reduce pain, restore function and reduce the likelihood of the pain recurring.

Injury to the intervertebral disks and the apophyseal joints are the most common causes of low back pain. Intervertebral disks are often injured when the patient is lifting in a bent and rotated position. A disk prolapse occurs when the contents of the disk push out through a defect in the disk wall.

Sciatic pain is also linked to the disks of the lower spine. Sciatic pain usually occurs when the disc prolapse presses on the sciatic nerve. The patient with a disk prolapse typically presents with acute low back pain and or leg pain following a relatively trivial movement usually involving bending forward.

What to do when you have an episode of back pain!

• Do not rest unless you have to, and then 2 to 3 days maximum. Rest is not a treatment for low back pain and can lead to stiffness, weakness, loss of fitness, and disability.
• Keep as active as you can. Keep up normal activities by giving yourself small goals to keep to, eg to walk around for a few minutes every so often, sit for a certain time etc.
• Pace your activities - do normal daily activities but cut them up into small blocks of time that you can easily manage. Increase activities by fixed increments and stick to what you plan, not to how your back pain feels.
• Take adequate pain-killing medication. Medication should be taken in fixed doses at fixed times, and not when you feel like it or the pain gets too bad. Drugs used need to be discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.