Back and Neck pain

"The pain is really sharp"

"It comes in waves of muscle spasm"

"It's just like toothache, but in my lower back"

"It's really tight, and feels like it all needs loosening up"

These are some of the more common descriptions which people use to describe their pain.
However you describe it, pain coming from your back/neck region is not much fun.

Our backs and necks are under considerable pressure and strain, so it's not surprising that
neck and back pain are so widespread. Back pain is most commonly found right at the base
of the spine, where the lumbar spine meets the sacrum. A lot of the time this is due to
mechanical strain on the lower back, which can just as easily be caused by sitting at a
computer for hours on end as doing more manual work, such as gardening through to laying
a patio.

Neck strain is also very common, and can result from causes as diverse as a whiplash injury
from a car accident, to more repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) from prolonged desk (particularly)
computer work.

Osteopathy is increasingly recognised as an effective treatment for neck and back pain. Many
GPs refer patients to osteopaths, and the NHS now advises doctors that manual therapy and
spinal manipulation (as performed by an osteopath) should be considered for certain types
of low back pain. (If you are interested in reading this guidance, please click on the Links tab.)

The role of the osteopath is firstly to find out what is causing the problem, and to rule out any
underlying illness to ensure that it is safe to treat. Secondly, through treatment, problem areas
can be eased, restoring freer movement and balance.

Osteopaths routinely help people with:

• chronic, degenerative/arthritic spine conditions
• disc injuries that may cause pain to travel down a leg or arm
• muscle spasm
• strains and sprains

Osteopathy is one of the few treatments that combine a truly holistic view of the person with
hands-on, manual therapy. Time and again people are surprised at how osteopathy can help
alleviate serious pain, and also help with long-standing problems.