Common Causes:
- Poor posture
- Faulty spinal alignment
- Improper lifting techniques
- Muscle imbalances
- Incorrect ergonomics/ work station set-up, causing increased stress to the joints and muscles of the neck, back and pelvis.
- This may result in inflammation, protective spasm and pain in the structures of the spine.
Common Spinal Conditions:
- Disc Bulge/Prolapse – results in increased pressure on the spinal joints and nerves.
- Facet Joint Sprain – inflammation of the spinal joint where movement takes place.
- Muscle Strain – shortening or tightness of the muscles, may include graded tears
- Scoliosis – a curvature in the spine due to structural changes in the vertebrae or asymmetrical forces across the joint i.e.muscle imbalance, leg length difference or poor postural positions.
- Sacro-iliac joint dysfunction – poor alignment and faulty distribution of weight bearing stress across the lower back, pelvis and lower limbs.
- Sciatica – if inflamed or compressed, the nerves of the lower back may refer pain into the buttock, hamstring, down the leg and into the foot.
- Osteoarthritis – degenerative changes in the supportive structures of the joint. It results in wear and tear of the joint margins, bony surfaces and cartilage.
Treatment:
- Education-Correct postural positions and ‘Postural Taping’ to decrease stress on the joints and soft tissues.
- Traction Decompression Therapy – for the treatment of bulging discs, facet joint sprains, chronic back pain and sciatica.
- Ergonomics- work station modification, proper lifting technique and correct postural positioning during all activities including sleep.
- Exercise therapy – restore muscle balance, core stability (co-ordination and timing), specific stretching and strengthening, postural alignment, and joint mobility.
- A customized exercise program to regain full function.
- Manual therapy- soft tissue therapy to regain muscle length, spinal & joint mobilization to improve range of motion and correct faulty biomechanics.
- Electrotherapy – decrease pain, swelling, inflammation and muscle spasm.