Low Back Pain Treatment in Birmingham & Warwickshire
Promoting A New Standard Of Clinical Excellence In The Diagnosis & Treatment Of Low Back Pain.
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical attention in the UK. According to statistics from the National Health Service (NHS), approximately 8 out of 10 people in the UK will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. It is estimated that around 2.5 million people in the UK seek treatment for low back pain each year. This high prevalence underscores the need for effective management and prevention strategies.
Common Causes Of Low Back Pain.
Musculoskeletal low back pain can arise from various structures in the spine and surrounding tissues. It is essential to differentiate between different causes to provide appropriate treatment and management. Some common causes of musculoskeletal low back pain include:
1. Mechanical (Musculoskeletal) Causes (Most Common, ~90% of cases)
These conditions involve the spine, intervertebral discs, ligaments, muscles, or joints.
Lumbar Strain/Sprain: Injury to muscles, ligaments, or tendons from overuse, poor posture, or sudden movement. Symptoms: Localised pain, stiffness, muscle spasms, pain worsens with movement, improves with rest
Osteoarthritis / Spondylosis / Degenerative Disc Disease & Degenerative Joint Disease: Age-related disc dehydration and loss of elasticity, leading to decreased shock absorption. Symptoms: Chronic low back pain, morning stiffness, pain worsened by prolonged sitting or standing
Facet Joint Dysfunction (Facet Syndrome): Inflammation or degeneration of the facet joints in the spine. Symptoms: Localised low back pain with radiation to buttocks/thighs, worse with extension or twisting
Disc Herniation / Disc Prolapse (Slipped Disc): Protrusion of intervertebral disc material compressing spinal nerves. Symptoms: Radicular pain (sciatica), numbness, weakness, pain worsens with sitting, bending, coughing
Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal causing nerve compression (often in older adults). Symptoms: Neurogenic claudication (pain/numbness in legs with walking, relieved by sitting or bending forward)
Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Dysfunction: Inflammation or instability of the sacroiliac joint, often due to trauma or pregnancy. Symptoms: Low back/buttock pain, worse with prolonged standing, stair climbing, or transitions
Spondylolysis & Spondylolisthesis:. Spondylolysis: Stress fracture in the pars interarticularis (common in young athletes). Spondylolisthesis: Slippage of one vertebra over another. Symptoms: LBP worsened by hyperextension, possible nerve compression symptoms if severe.
Non-specific low back pain: Refers to pain and discomfort in the lower back that cannot be attributed to a specific cause or underlying pathology, such as a fracture, infection, or tumor. It is the most common type of back pain experienced by individuals and typically arises from mechanical issues, such as strained muscles, ligaments, or joints in the lumbar region.
2. Neurological Causes (Nerve-related pain sources)
These conditions cause nerve root compression or spinal cord dysfunction, leading to radicular pain, weakness, or sensory deficits.
Lumbar Radiculopathy (Sciatica)
Compression or irritation of lumbar nerve roots (L4, L5, S1). Symptoms: Sharp, burning pain radiating down the leg, positive straight leg raise test
Cauda Equina Syndrome (Surgical Emergency)
Compression of the cauda equina nerves, often from a large disc herniation or tumor. Symptoms: Saddle anesthesia, urinary retention, fecal incontinence, bilateral leg weakness.
3. Inflammatory Causes (Autoimmune and systemic conditions)
These conditions are chronic, systemic, and often involve morning stiffness and improvement with activity.
Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): Autoimmune inflammation of the axial skeleton, associated with HLA-B27. Symptoms: Morning stiffness, LBP improving with activity, sacroiliitis, limited spinal mobility
Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA): Arthritis associated with psoriasis, can affect the axial skeleton. Symptoms: Chronic LBP, asymmetric joint involvement, dactylitis (“sausage digits”)
Reactive Arthritis (Reiter’s Syndrome): Post-infectious inflammatory arthritis (e.g., after Chlamydia, GI infections). Symptoms: LBP, urethritis, conjunctivitis (“can’t see, can’t pee, can’t climb a tree”)
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4. Fractures & Trauma
Vertebral Compression Fracture: (Common in osteoporosis, elderly, chronic steroid use). Symptoms: Sudden-onset severe back pain, worse with standing or walking, kyphotic posture.
Traumatic Fractures (High-impact injury, motor vehicle accident, falls)
Symptoms: Acute, severe pain, localized tenderness, possible neurological deficits
Pars Interarticularis Fracture (Spondylolysis) (Common in young athletes – gymnasts, football players)
- Symptoms: LBP worsened by extension, one-sided pain
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5. Serious & Systemic Conditions
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Tumors (Primary or Metastatic Cancer): Common sources of metastasis: Prostate, breast, lung, kidney, thyroid, multiple myeloma. Symptoms: Night pain, unexplained weight loss, non-mechanical pain (not relieved by rest)Â
Spinal Infections (Osteomyelitis, Epidural Abscess, Discitis): History of IV drug use, recent infection, immunosuppression. Symptoms: Fever, chills, constant severe back pain, neurological deficits if abscess compresses spinal cord
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Visceral Referred Pain: Pain originating from internal organs but felt in the lower back, due to conditions such as Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Kidney Stones / Pyelonephritis, Pancreatitis, Gynecologic Causes (Endometriosis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Fibroids).
Consultation & Diagnosis for Low Back Pain.
Understanding your Low Back Pain.
After your Consultation and Diagnostic Service Appointment, your clinician will carefully review the findings from your case and develop a personalised treatment or management plan for your condition. When you return to the clinic, we will sit down with you to thoroughly discuss our conclusions. During this discussion, we will provide:
A Diagnosis: Clearly explaining your low back pain and its potential underlying causes / contributions.
A Prognosis: Offering an understanding of how your low back pain is likely to progress and the expected recovery timeline.
A Treatment Plan: If we determine that your low back pain is suitable for management within our clinic, we will outline the proposed approach.
- What we can do to help.
- What you will be able to do, in order to help yourself.
- What results you can expect.
- The rate at which you can expect these results.
- What this result will cost you in time and money. ‘We aim to make all costs involved in the management of your case known to you from the outset.’
- If we feel that your complaint would be better managed by another clinician, the appropriate referral to that clinician will be made without delay.
Safe & Effective Treatment Of Low Back Pain.
Our treatments typically include a comprehensive range of gentle, evidence-based conservative care procedures.
Each patient’s care plan is personalised, taking into account their unique needs, preferences, and circumstances. We recognise that some patients may feel apprehensive about treatment, and we are committed to providing comfort and reassurance throughout the process. The care we provide includes, but is not limited to:
- Spinal mobilisation
- Peripheral joint manipulative therapy
- Peripheral joint mobilisation
- Nerve mobilisation
- Pacing & graded exposure
- Postural & lifestyle advice
- Myofascial therapy (soft tissue work)
- Orthotic & splint prescription
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Pain education
- Rehabilitative exercise management:
- Strength & endurance training
- Movement pattern training
- Postural exercise
- Flexibility exercise
- Balance training
- Graded motor imagery
Who Should I See? Chiropractor Physiotherapist, Osteopath, or Podiatrist?
For the treatment of Low Back Pain, or any other spinal problem we would probably suggest that you see one of our Chiropractors or Osteopaths, over a Physiotherapist or Podiatrist.
However, that said, each of these professions are essentially conservative (non-surgical) musculoskeletal care professions, and all can play a role in the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain.
