* Approximately eight out of ten people will experience
back pain at some
point in their lifetime.
* Back pain is the leading cause of disability in men over 45 years old.
* The second most common reason for a visit to
a doctor is lower back pain.
* The third most frequent reason for surgical procedure
is lower back pain.
* The fifth most frequent cause of
hospitalization is lower back pain.
How can
osteopathy help my back pain?
Osteopaths are skilled in diagnosing
and treating back
pain. Most back troubles result from mechanical or functional disturbances
of the spine and osteopaths have been successfully treating these problems
for over 100 years.
The osteopath uses a highly developed
sense of touch called palpation, to identify points of weakness or excessive
strain throughout the body. After a thorough assessment, the osteopath will
employ a variety of gentle techniques, such as soft-tissue massage, joint
mobilization and manipulation, and muscle stretching to ease your back pain.
How to prevent back pain
-
Use the proper techniques
when bending and lifting.
-
Exercise regularly to strengthen the
back.
-
Improve your
posture by sitting and standing upright, "think tall".
-
Keep within your ideal body weight. The more you carry around the
more your back will experience strain.
-
Studies show that depressed people experience a greater amount of lower
back pain and take longer to recover from an episode of lower back
pain.
-
Make sure your mattress is supportive and do not sleep on your stomach. When lying on
your side or back the pillow should fit just above the
shoulder.
RELATED PAGES
What is osteopathy?
How does an osteopath treat?
What training does an osteopath undergo?
Prolapsed Disc
Back pain during Pregnancy
Neck pain
Lifting correctly
The Israel
Center for Osteopathy
