Lumbago is simply a general term which refers to lower back pain. It is quite common and affects millions of people. Lumbago can be led by abnormalities found in your spine, muscles, joints or the nerves of your lower back.
For many people, lumbago is not a serious concern and will ease over time. However, if you are in discomfort, you may be able to relieve pain with osteopathic treatment.
Symptoms of Lumbago
While experiencing Lumbago, it can become difficult to go about your usual daily routine without feelings of discomfort. Working behind a desk, caring for your children and cleaning your home can all become strenuous.
Therefore, look out for these symptoms of Lumbago so you know what you need to do next to find pain relief:
- Pain felt in your lower back
- Pain feeling worse when coughing
- Muscles feeling tight or stiff
- Difficulty in moving your body in different directions
- Numbness felt in your lower back, leg and foot
- Pain felt when standing or bending
- Pain after activities, quick movements or heavy lifting
- Pain radiating down your leg/s, groin, buttock or upper thigh
- Tingling feeling in your legs or back
- Soreness when touched in area of pain
- Difficulty sleeping due to pain when rolling over
- Pain which feels worse at the beginning and end of the day
However, if you experience any of these more serious symptoms listed below, in addition to your lumbago, please contact your GP as soon as possible:
- Severe stomach pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- Leg weakness which worsens
- Loss of control over your bowel or bladder
- Experiencing a fever of over 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 Celsius), particularly if you have just had surgery
Causes of Lower Back Pain
There could be a series of possible reasons for your lower back pain, making it harder to know yourself the extent of the underlying issues. Consider where you are feeling pain the most and if you have recently experienced any of the following:
- Over stretching
- Bending incorrectly
- Poor posture
- Standing or bending down for too long
- Incorrectly lifting, carrying, pulling or pushing objects
- Giving birth more than once
- Hard physical labour
- Overusing your muscles, particularly during sport or a repetitive strain injury
- Extended periods of sitting, including long distance driving without a break and working behind a desk
How Osteopathy Can Help
Osteopathy is built on the philosophy that your body functions more efficiently when it is correctly aligned. Through muscle manipulation, stretching and massaging, an osteopath can help identify the source of pain and offer pain relief, reduced swelling and improved mobility.
Osteopathic treatment is safe for people of all ages and is painless. For more information, please call 0121 705 4499 or email info@solihullosteopathicpractice.co.uk.