So, having looked at acute low back pain and how to manage it in our last physiotherapy article. In this blog post we we will look at how best to treat and improve chronic (longstanding) low back pain. Once again, just to remind anyone who is looking at this physiotherapy blog for the first time: we are a home visit physiotherapy service based in Lichfield and offering services in Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Rugeley and Walsall.

In our last physiotherapy blog we looked at the best way to manage and improve actute low back pain but in this article we shall continue on with the theme of low back pain by looking at chronic (which as we discussed means longstanding and greater than 3 months in duration) low back pain. As in the last article where we looked at how an ideal patient would manage their back pain, I thought it would again be a good idea to look at a typical patient but one this time with chronic low back pain.

A Typical Patient with Chronic Low Back Pain:

Unlike our typical patient with acute low back pain who would most likely have bent over and experienced an excruciating feeling of pain in their back, our chronic back pain patient will have been experiencing discomfort and pain in their back for a long time - commonly many years! Our chronic low back pain patient will most likely be in the midst of a flare up of their back pain which has finally triggered them to go and see someone about it for the first time. In my experience it is not uncommon for some of my patients to describe 10 years of ongoing back pain but they have never previously been to see someone and they are amazed at the difference physiotherapy can actually make to their backs. In this case our patient will have most likely decided that finally after years of not getting it seen to, they finally need to have a physio have a look at it and see what can be done.

So, our chronic low back pain patient gives us a call and one of our physiotherapists goes out to their home to complete a full assessment and have a look at what is the main problem. They will conduct a full physical assessment, looking at movement of the spine and person as a whole and also analyse any past medical history. This is a key part of the process of getting a better back as understanding what is causing the pain and how it can be best managed is vital for any patient who wants to get rid of their back pain. Our physiotherapist will then most likely use some appropriate manual therapy such as massage and spinal mobilisations to improve range of motion in the back and will also discuss exercises, stretches and how best to manage their problem on a day to day basis. The physiotherapist will then likely see the patient several times over the next few weeks and months until the patient is at a point where they feel they can manage things themselves and then will only need occasional follow up appointments to review things, provide appropriate manual therapy and change any exercises as necessary.

Before finishing it is important to be aware that there are some symptoms associated with low back pain that are extremely serious and  that require immediate medical attention. If you experience pain in both legs, tingling, a change in sensation or numbness in the saddle area between your legs, an inability to urinate or loss of control of your bowels then it is important that you seek immediate medical help.  

For anyone reading: we are a home visit physiotherapy service, based in Lichfield but serving anywhere within a 20 minute drive including areas such as Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Burton and Rugeley. We offer a wide range of services including paediatric physiotherapy, post-operative rehabilitation, neurological physiotherapy and neck and back pain relief. If you need further information or would like to book an appointment we can be contacted on 0788 428 1623 or via enquiries@threespiresphysiotherapy.co.uk