Coastal Physiotherapy provides help for people with lower back pain on the North West Coast of Tasmania, including Burnie and Somerset.

Do you have one or more of the following symptoms?

• Pain around the lower back
• Pain radiating into the buttock or leg
• Sciatic pain down the leg
• Tingling or numbness into the leg
• Irritability when you bend, sit or stand for a period of time

What causes back pain?

Lower back pain is very common along the North West of Tasmania with as much as 80% of the population suffering some type of back pain in their lives.  It can be caused by many factors including:

• Trauma (fall, car accident, lifting and bending over for a period of time)
• Muscle imbalances (postural issues)
• Existing medical conditions
• Arthritic conditions

Injuries to the lower back happen when you do something new, different, repetitive or strenuous, such as lifting something heavy in the garden or around the home.  This low back pain may also occur because of a build up of stress on the back that gradually turns into an injury.  Here at Coastal Physiotherapy we are trained in assessing and forming a treatment plan to get you back into normal life again without this low back pain.

Assessment:

Coastal Physiotherapy will conduct a comprehensive history, assessment of your back including a neurological evaluation to find out exactly what is causing your back pain.  Other tests that we may be suggested include an Xray, CT scan or MRI if it is appropriate.

Treatment:

Coastal Physiotherapy’s treatment plan for your low back pain will focus on correcting your function by getting your stiff joints moving, your imbalanced muscles working better and strengthening any identified weak muscles.

Techniques that we use for your low back pain include spinal mobilisation, muscle releases, core stabilisation and strengthening work, stretching and a supervised gym/pilates program. We ensure that the type of treatment we prescribe is suitable for the individual!

Some simple steps you can take to get some short term relief and give your back the best chance of healing quickly:

• Stay active: It is very important to keep moving as much as you comfortably can.  We can prescribe you a gentle exercise program tailored to suit your needs.
• Use Heat: Heat has shown to improve pain and function in the first 48 hours of low back pain.
• Find Comfortable positions: Find positions that allow you the most comfort, such as lying on your stomach or on your back with a pillow under your knees.  Make sure your back is supported when sitting.

Please contact us to arrange a comprehensive lower back pain consultation to help identify the exact nature of your back pain and begin to correct it with help from Coastal Physiotherapy (Burnie and Somerset).