Sports Therapy & Physio Harrogate

Poor posture can be the cause of back pain, such as sitting slumped or slouching in your chair, Lying down or sitting on bed a bed while working on a laptop or reading a book are just a few of the things that can cause postural back pain. There are things you can be doing you improve your posture, such as:

• Reduce Weight – being overweight can directly affect the posture of your back. It weakens the muscles and adds stress on the joints and ligaments in your back.
• Exercises – Exercising can help improve the posture of your back. It would be best if you were concentrating on improving the strength of the muscles in your back and the flexibility for improved posture.

A symptom of a slipped disc can cause pain and or numbness the pain won’t always be in the back and can extend to your arms or legs. Unexplained muscle weakness can also be a telltale sign of a slipped/prolapsed disc. Treatments can range from:

• Surgery – Mircodiskectomy is when a surgeon removes the disc or a portion of the disc. Only recommended when the disc is starting to affect the function of the muscles. In some cases, the surgeon may replace the disc with an artificial disc.
• Exercise Programs – Many people can relieve the pain of a slipped disc by using exercise programs. An exercise program helps you strengthen your back muscles and can help reform the disc.

If you’re experiencing pain from your lower spine to the back of your leg, this is a sign that you could be suffering from sciatica or a trapped nerve. The causes of Sciatica / trapped nerves can be:

• Bone Spur – An overgrowth of a bone on vertebrae which has caused a nerve to become trapped.
• Tumour – Tumours can compress a nerve causing it to become trapped, causing pain in the back.
• Disease – nerves can become damaged by diseases such as diabetes.

Back pain can be a result of many different factors. If it is a recent onset of pain known as acute pain the most common cause is usually a strained muscle. This is often a result of an awkward lifting injury or poor sitting postures. This is also known as a mechanical back pain. The ligaments and joints of the spine can also be a source.

Other common causes of low back pain for patients in the Harrogate area, can be due to a lumbar disc herniation which may or may not cause leg pain (Sciatica). This depends on whether the nerves exciting the spine are irritated or compressed by the bulging disc.

Pain that develops more slowly over time can be due to age related degeneration (wear and tear) of the spine such as degenerate disc disease, osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis.  In other less common cases, non-mechanical back pain could be due to inflammatory arthritis conditions such as Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Other medical conditions such as Osteoporosis, Infections or Tumours need to be considered.

If your back pain is not resolving within 2-3 weeks or if it is stopping your normal activities or sleep, it is important to seek further advice. Our team of expert Physiotherapists in Harrogate are often best placed to help with back pain. Following an assessment to establish the type and cause of back pain a tailored treatment plan can begin.

It is best to remain active and to begin appropriate exercises as prescribed by your physiotherapist. Sometimes this just keeping mobile, not sitting for long periods of time, short walks and gentle back exercises. As the pain eases progressing the exercises to develop more flexibility and core strength will help restore normal pain free movement.

In addition, having a good understanding of the cause and how you can influence it – from getting up in the morning until last thing at night can have a huge impact. Combined with the right exercise and appropriate hands-on manual therapy the recovery begins. Staying positive as well as active can aid recovery and prevent a long-term issues occurring.

Simple pain relief options such as over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs may also help the initial recovery. You may find that it helps you to keep active if taken before exercise. You should only take anti-inflammatory drugs for a short period of time. Paracetamol alone has not been found to be helpful for back pain. If stronger pain relief is required in order to stay mobile your GP or Private Doctor can prescribe.

Is caused by stiffness or pain in the knee joint itself. The symptoms may come or go and will be affected by the amount of exercise or cold weather. It is treatable by physiotherapy.

Symptoms of cartilage damage include joint pain, swelling, stiffness, a clicking or grinding feeling, locking joints, catching or feeling like it is giving way.

Is caused by overuse of the patellar tendon. This results in tiny tears appearing in the tendon itself but as the tears begin to multiply it causes inflammation and weakening of the tendon.

Although these is no direct link to the cause of patellofemoral joint pain. It is associated with overuse, imbalances or weakness of muscles and surgery.

Affects the fluid sacs within the knee joint the bursae sacks cushion the bones, muscles and tendons. The symptoms of bursitis are achy, or stiffness, movement or pressure hurts, and it can appear swollen or red.

Is a common cause for runner’s knee and is usually an overuse injury and is treatable by physiotherapy.

This condition can cause a dull ache in the shoulder and can be worse when trying to sleep on the affected side. It is often caused by repeatedly lifting objects above the head and overworking the muscles and tends to effective people who work in environments where they’re required to perform overhead motions such as painters and decorators.

This condition usually happens over long periods in working environments where your shoulder is required to be kept in one position for long periods. Sleeping on your shoulder can also affect this.

There are two types of rotator cuff tears which can occur. There is a partial tear which means that one of the muscles has become frayed or damaged. The second is a complete tear of a muscle that goes through the tendon or pulls the tendon from the bone.

Affects the fluid sacks that cushion the bones and is a painful condition that can affect day to day activities. it is caused by repetitive motions.

When the lining of the shoulder joint becomes streched it can allow the ball of the shoulder to move partially or completely out of the socket. This is because the lining of the shoulder such as ligaments have become torn or detached.