Back pain is the most common condition treated by Osteopaths in Australia.

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At the start of an osteopathic appointment, your practitioner will take a thorough history that will identify anything that may have caused or be contributing to your pain. Sometimes these contributing factors may seem unrelated to your injury. Factors like stress, gastrointestinal health or past history of other injuries can affect back pain. The Osteopath can then manage these factors in a number of ways. They may provide you with advice and lifestyle changes that can address the root cause of the problem.

 

Following the health history, your osteopath will perform a physical examination. This may involve observation, specific testing, movement or touch. This allows the osteopath to identify any physical factors that may be contributing to your pain.

 

From here, they may apply some hands on treatment that is aimed at promoting the body’s natural healing process. Osteopaths employ a range of different techniques, including but not limited to:

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• Soft tissue treatment

• Joint articulation

• Muscle energy technique

• Joint manipulation

• Dry needling

• Counterstrain

 

These techniques will likely be used on the back and the surrounding areas that may be contributing to pain. Often with treatment that is just directed at the back, there will be a short term reduction in pain, but the pain returns. Addressing the contributing factors is how to ensure long term improvement. 

 

At the end of an osteopathic appointment, there will be a discussion about the treatment plan going forward. This may involve future appointments or what the best course of action is. The practitioner will also use this time to prescribe exercises to address any strength deficits or promote movement. They will also provide any education or advice that they may deem necessary. This is all aimed at the long term resolution of your back pain. Short term improvement is great, but the real goal is to reduce your pain for an extended period of time. 

 

Chronic back pain is a condition that can greatly affect someone’s life, and the lives of those around them. It is also a condition that in many cases, can be vastly improved with the right guidance. This is where osteopathy can be extremely helpful. An osteopath isn’t going to fix your pain. Instead they will guide you and provide you with the tools to best help yourself on your journey back to health.