Low Back Pain
February 2016 Low Back Pain
Low back pain (LBP) is an extremely common compliant in society. In fact, 80% of us will suffer from some form of LBP in our lifetime.
Categorically, LBP generally falls under 2 umbrellas:
- Non-specific LBP
- Specific LBP
Non-specific LBP is as the names states non-specific. The nature of the person’s pain is not visibly seen on the vast forms of imaging and so no specific structure can be labeled as the causative origin.
Specific LBP is the most common form of pain people experience. Its origin has been diagnosed via imaging (eg. MRI, CT etc) and with their presenting subjective and objective examination a structure may be labeled as the causative factor. Some common structures include the facet joints (joints joining vertebrae to vertebrae) and the lumbar disc (shock absorbing structure in between the vertebrae that governs the amount of movement).
More often, LBP is a condition that typically lasts from 3-6 weeks and with the right advice and treatment by your physiotherapist the duration will be shortened and the chance of relapse is reduced. With one episode of LBP, the chance of a further episode is 80%. It is therefore imperative that you receive the right treatment and advice for prevention.