Specialist back pain care in Bristol

A Bit About The Back...

A healthy back allows you to move, bend, twist and stretch fully without pain.

The spine has three natural curves forming an S-shape which keep your body balanced. Strong postural muscles help maintain the S-shape and hold your spine in correct alignment. These strong core muscles help to take the load off your spine. The individual bones in your spine or vertebrae are separated by soft, cushioning discs which act as shock absorbers and allow for normal spinal movement.

What Can Go Wrong?

Back pain is very common and normally feels like a tension, ache or stiffness in the back. You can experience backache anywhere along the spine, from the neck down to the hips, but it’s most common in the lower back.

Some common back pain disorders include:

• Sciatica
• Non-specific low back pain or lumbago
• Pregnancy related back pain
• Slipped (herniated) disc
• Facet joint sprains
• Ligament tears
• Nerve root irritation/compression
• Spondylolithesis
• Spondylosis or osteoarthritis
• Weakness in core musculature
• Thoracic stiffness (hypomobility)
• Wry neck (acute torticollis)
  

What Can Cause Back Pain?

Bad posture can cause problems such as tight muscles, ligament sprains or stiffness in the joints causing them not to move properly. Sometimes the pain may be a result of an injury such as a sprain or strain, but often it occurs for no apparent reason. Occasionally back pain can be caused by a medical condition such as:

• Prolapsed disc – where the soft inner disc of cartilage between the vertebra protrudes and presses on a nearby exiting nerve

• Stenosis – osteoarthritis or wear and tear of the spine causes narrowing of the spinal canal compressing the exiting nerves

These conditions tend to cause additional symptoms, such as numbness, weakness or a tingling sensation, and they're treated differently from non-specific back pain.

There are several risk factors that can impact back pain including:

• Physical inactivity – causes weakening of the stabilising core muscles around the spine and shortening of soft tissues such as spinal ligaments limiting movement and causing pain
• Obesity – puts unnecessary strain on the body’s structures including the vertebrae, the intervertebral disc and soft tissues
• Occupation – such as heavy lifting and adopting a poor sitting posture

Sometimes it's not possible to identify the cause of back pain. Doctors call this non-specific back pain.

Specialist Treatment And Prevention Of Back Pain

The NICE Guidelines, based on the best available scientific evidence, promotes the use of manual therapy (mobilisation, manipulation, soft tissue techniques) and strengthening exercises for the treatment of back pain.

At The Medical, we specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of back pain:

1. Diagnosis - 3D Movement Scanners
2. Treatment - manual therapy, such as manipulating the spine and massage, carried out by physiotherapists or chiropractors
3. Strength and conditioning - Pilates and rehabilitation where you're taught exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture
   

Your road to recovery begins with a full assessment with a physiotherapist or chiropractor.

If you have a particular question about back pain, why not ask one of our expert clinicians for some free advice?

Chiropractic is for everybody. Whether you suffer from long term back pain, your wrist is aching from working at the kitchen table, you’ve pulled your shoulder at the gym, or you slept funny and woke up with a niggle in your neck…

Booking in for an assessment with one of our specialists will put your mind at ease, provide you with a sound explanation, and a plan to combat the pain.

We’re all guilty of putting our bodies on the back-burner, but it’s best to take the first step and catch pain early to prevent it progressing down the line. The sooner we get it sorted, the better!

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained to diagnose, treat, manage and prevent disorders of the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, and muscles), as well as the effects these disorders can have on the nervous system and general health. They have a specialist interest in neck and back pain, but when they assess patients, they take their entire physical, emotional and social wellbeing into account.

Chiropractors use a range of techniques to reduce pain, improve function and increase mobility, including hands-on manipulation of the spine. Chiropractic care mainly involves safe, often gentle, specific spinal manipulation to free joints in the spine or other areas of the body that are not moving properly. These are known as 'adjustments'. Apart from manipulation, chiropractors may use a variety of techniques including ice, heat, ultrasound, exercise and acupuncture as well as advice about posture and lifestyle.

Chiropractic is a regulated primary healthcare profession. The title of 'chiropractor' is protected by law and it is a criminal offence for anyone to describe themselves as a chiropractor without being registered with the GCC. All of our chiropractors are properly qualified and registered to practice.

Chiropractic places its emphasis on the examination, diagnosis and management of problems and/or conditions that can affect the spine, nervous system, muscles or extremity joints of the body (the neuro-musculoskeletal system).

The musculoskeletal system is the largest system in the human body. It is constructed of muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and numerous neurological components that coordinate it. Chiropractors specialise in maintaining this system, allowing it to function more effectively and with minimum wear and tear. Where there is a problem, chiropractic offers an established method of diagnosis and treatment, providing effective relief from any pain or discomfort.

Most people associate chiropractic care with the treatment of back pain, neck pain and headaches. We go further than that and our chiropractors take into consideration your overall health status before embarking on a treatment programme, in co-operation with you, the patient.

People from all walks of life and of all ages can benefit from chiropractic care. Using a variety of manipulative techniques designed to improve the function of joints and reduce muscle spasm, our qualified chiropractors help to relieve the particular stresses that are causing a condition to occur in the first place, which ultimately leads to pain reduction and improved functional capacity.