Why an accurate back pain diagnosis is essential

Back pain is not one condition but several conditions causing similar symptoms. A muscle spasm, disc derangement and a spinal joint dysfunction all cause low back problems that can refer pain down to the buttock and leg and a skilled chiropractor or physio can tell which problem it is likely to be. Whilst several conditions can co-exist an accurate diagnosis is important because the treatment is different for all three.

The diagnostic confusion is made worse by the different experts who treat back pain because they often use different terminology to describe the same thing, recommend different treatment based on their area of expertise and frequently ignore the evidence that their approach has been shown to be ineffective and so leave you, the patient, in pain and more confused about what is wrong.

Most back pain is caused by irritation to:

1. joints,
2. discs,
3. muscles or
4. nerves of the spine.

This irritation happens with repetitive minor trauma such as bending and lifting or, more rarely, by a single traumatic injury such as a fall or accident. It can also be caused by inactivity which causes the joints of the spine to stiffen up and the back support muscles to become weak such as sitting at a desk for long periods.

If the joints of the lower back get stiff they are less able to carry out normal movements and this can lead to further joint irritation, stiffness and pain. This is often called Facet Joint Syndrome. The nerves around the stiff joints get irritated too and fire off alarm signals into the nervous system which can cause further symptoms such as tingling and pain referred down to the hips and legs. This can mimic sciatica.

Occasionally, the nerve irritation can cause muscles in the legs to weaken and this can lead to problems in the hips and knees. How this occurs isn’t clear but anyone with hip or knee problems seeing us here at Sundial will get a thorough muscle and spine check-up.

We treat back pain with an effective step by step programme to rebuild strong and healthy backs so you can lead an active and fulfilling life.