Osteopathic treatment for lower back pain

MOVEMENT MECHANICS OSTEOPATHY AUCKLAND

Effective Osteopathic treatment for lower back pain. Relieve pain and restore mobility with Osteopathy.

Movement Mechanics Osteopathy Auckland prides itself on being a trusted destination for treating lower back pain in Auckland. We focus on the cause of your pain and provide personalised treatments tailored to your needs. Our goal is to promote recovery and improve your well-being.

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Need help with lower back pain?

Lower back pain can have various causes, including muscle strains from overstretching or damage to the back muscles. Poor posture and muscle imbalances can also cause discomfort. Other potential causes include herniated or bulging discs that pressure spinal nerves and conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, and spinal abnormalities. Given all the possible causes of lower back pain, a correct diagnosis is crucial for managing your pain.

Lower back pain osteo acupuncture West Auckland

Why choose Osteopathy for lower back pain?

Osteopathy can be extremely effective at reducing lower back pain, and many experience successful outcomes even when physiotherapy or chiropractic has failed to help. Our Osteopaths use hands-on techniques like gentle manipulation, stretching, Western acupuncture and massage to target the tissues causing or contributing to your pain. Osteopathy focuses on treating the causes of pain rather than solely addressing symptoms and helps promote the body's natural healing processes. Osteopathy is a great treatment option for those seeking effective relief from lower back pain.

How Osteopathy can help disc injuries

Injuries, irritation, or degenerative changes in spinal discs can lead to lower back pain by compressing nearby nerve tissues, causing pain, weakness, pins and needles, and altered sensation (Deyo & Weinstein, 2001). Osteopathy addresses these symptoms with gentle manipulation and soft tissue techniques to relieve nerve compression, reduce inflammation, and enhance spinal mobility. Research shows that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) improves pain and function in patients with disc-related lower back pain, promoting blood flow and tissue healing (Licciardone et al., 2013). Spinal manipulation and soft tissue therapy have been found to provide moderate pain relief and improved function, making osteopathy a valuable conservative treatment option (van Tulder et al., 2006). By restoring spinal alignment and function, osteopathy supports the body’s natural healing processes, alleviating disc-related pain and enhancing overall spinal health.

How Osteopathy can help muscle strains and sprains

Muscle strains in the lower back, caused by overstretched or torn fibres from sudden movements, improper lifting, or prolonged stress, can cause significant discomfort. Our osteopaths address these injuries by correcting muscle imbalances, enhancing mobility, improving blood flow, and restoring strength through targeted manual therapy. Research supports the effectiveness of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in reducing pain and improving function in lower back pain patients (Franke et al., 2015). Additionally, OMT enhances circulation, which is essential for tissue repair (Licciardone et al., 2013). This comprehensive approach alleviates pain and prevents future injuries through education on movement and strengthening.

Poor posture and lower back pain

Poor posture, which involves a misalignment of the spine and supporting muscles, can contribute to lower back pain. Osteopathic treatment targets postural imbalances by restoring proper spine alignment, addressing muscle imbalances, helping activate and strengthen muscles that are not being used and alleviating associated discomfort. Osteopathy allows individuals to regain optimal posture and experience improved well-being.

Hamstring tightness and lower back pain

Tight hamstrings, consisting of muscles and tendons at the back of the thigh, can strain the lower back, resulting in pain and discomfort. Osteopathy addresses this issue by employing techniques such as targeted stretching, manipulation, and therapeutic exercises to release tension, improve flexibility, and alleviate lower back pain caused by hamstring tightness.

Lower back pain and Shockwave Therapy

Idiopathic lower back pain, which is not caused by sciatica, nerve compression, or severe spinal deformities, is a common condition affecting people of all ages and is one of the most prevalent health issues, second only to the common cold. It is a leading complaint that brings patients to physicians’ offices. Radial shockwave therapy has shown promise in improving symptoms and functional outcomes by stimulating tissue healing and modulating pain in idiopathic lower back pain.

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Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the questions we get about Osteopathy and lower back pain.

Ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Our osteopaths look at the entire body and have a wide range of hands-on techniques at their disposal. From joint manipulation, soft-tissue mobilisation, trigger points, exercise prescription, western acupuncture and even shockwave therapy. Aimed at providing long-term relief and improved function rather than a temporary fix. Chiropractors on the other hand use spinal manipulation as their primary tool which is great for influencing healthy misaligned spinal segments however if the muscles or biomechanics of other joints are the cause of the spinal misalignment, spinal manipulation will only provide temporary relief as it doesn't address the cause. The other limitation of relying on spinal mobilisation is that for those with degenerative changes, prolapsed discs and spinal fusions spinal manipulation is often contraindicated.

Many other our patients come in with muscle sprains in their lower back which has resulted in their back muscles going into protective spasm and causing pain and reduced movement. Gentle hands on osteopathic techniques are used to help deactivate the overactive muscles, improve blood flow, reduce inflammation and restore normal range of motion. We also look at the joints neck to the site of injury to ensure they have the capacity to take on more work while the strained tissues rest and heal.

Still have questions? Email hello@movementmechanics.nz

OSTEOPATHY AUCKLAND