/ Coaching, Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Scientist, Exercises, Gym, Mental Health, Pain Management, Physiotherapy, vector health / By

Can your lower back pain be explained?

Let’s find out

Pain is a signal in the body.
The video that I have included below has a great explanation of what pain is and how it works. 

What does pain mean to you?

So, to a person in pain, who has no idea of anatomy, physiology, or biomechanics it seems really complicated, right?  Well, even to scientists who study pain every day for more than 20 years, pain is still complicated so don’t worry! 

There are different styles or types of pain and especially a lower back injury. Pain itself can really point us in the right direction, providing when we become aware of the type of pain that you are suffering from, and using our knowledge of anatomy, we can trace it back to what is likely to be the source. 

I love Stuart McGill’s statement that “there is no such thing as non-specific back pain.”  Non-specific back pain is a diagnosis that some people use when they cannot physically explain the pain that a patient is experiencing in their back. 

A few examples of where we might work with a patient to identify a pain cause is:

1. Have the patient point to the site that is painful.  For example, “my leg feels like there are hot needles stabbing me.”  “My lower back is sore especially on the left side. My left leg feels like it’s on fire” 
a. Is that good enough to figure out what is happening?  Well, the type of pain in this instance may indicate a disc injury that might be impacting one of the nerve roots that exits the spinal column.  
b. The questioning in this initial statement needs to get down to the exact part of the leg that is most in pain or most affected.  We would examine whether there is any significant asymmetry in leg strength, range of motion or whether there is any muscle loss on the affected side. 

So, in this example, the initial statement from someone indicates a few options, and our job at this point is to ask pointed questions, perform tests and assessments and make a clinical assessment of what the likely outcome is based on what we hear, see and feel.  

In my experience, it is so important to ask the right questions to get the right outcomes.  All of our clinicians and coaches have completed Andrew Lock’s Lumbar Spine course.  Andrew is one of the foremost experts in Australia on lower back injuries and this year we invested in him coming to Vector Health & Performance and spending two whole days teaching and discussing lower back injuries.  

You do not have to live with lower back pain.  You do not have to live with non-specific pain that has a trigger. 

sore back pain

If you want a solution for your back, this is something that we love to do.

All you need to do is to be honest with us about your experiences and what is happening and most likely be prepared to do some homework. Our homework is all about reducing your pain, improving your function, and most importantly TEACHING you how to live with a much better quality of life. 

To make an appointment please contact Vector Health & Performance on 4927 8190. We are in Rockhampton and Yeppoon and we visit Biloela weekly. 

Please send us a message if you have any questions about the information posted.

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