The Lower Back Pain Toolkit
This is a web site about lower back pain – it contains lots of useful information to help you understand and manage your back problem.
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The internet is full of sites about back pain, what makes this one different? |
- I’m a physiotherapist with years of experience treating back pain (read more about me). I also have a passion for research which means the information on here is as reliable and up to date as I can find.
- I’m used to talking about back pain to my patients which helps me explain complex subjects in a way that makes them easy to follow.
- I offer practical suggestions based on the hundreds of different questions, stories and situations of the people I’ve worked with who have back pain.
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Videos demonstrating some common back pain exercises. Look for this symbol 
Here are some steps you can take to help you manage lower back pain. |
- Posture – reduce postural stress and strain
- Lower Back Exercise for Movement - improve the flexibility of your back
- Lower Back Exercise for Strength – improve your ‘core stability’
- Physical Fitness – get fitter!
- Pain – understand why your thoughts and feelings are the key to unlocking your problem.
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You will also find useful information about: |
- Anatomy – find out how wonderfully designed the human spine is.
- Causes of Back Pain – what is normal and when should you worry?
- Tests – when should you get that X-ray or MRI scan?
- Back Pain Relief – what works, what doesn’t, what is plainly absurd.
This is a site map for www.lower-back-pain-toolkit.com, it shows the contents of the website and helps with navigation.
An illustrated overview of spinal anatomy. Includes a description of the different parts of the human spine.
There are many types of problems that can be the cause of lower back pain symptoms. Luckily, the most common causes are not serious. Guidelines recommend that lower back pain is grouped into one of three main categories. This page outlines them and links to pages with more detail
An illustrated overview of the human spine including the back muscles, abdominal muscles and ligaments of the lower back.
If you have simple lower back pain, exercise may be a helpful way to manage it.Learn why and find out what sort of exercises may help.
Which lower back pain investigations and tests are useful? This page explains the difference between an X-Ray and an MRI scan and talks about their use in diagnosing simple lower back pain.
The spinal disc is possibly one of the most misunderstood parts of the human spine. Read the truth about it here.
A discussion of the benefits of physical fitness for lower back pain. If you lack physical fitness you are more likely to get back pain than someone who takes some regular exercise.
In order to understand your back problem you need to understand a little about pain. Contains information about up to date thinking about pain and what influences it.
The Lower Back Pain Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the lower-back-pain-toolkit.com web site. Read the latest updates and subscribe here.
Information about treatments, techniques and products for back pain relief. Find out which ones really work.
Keep up to date with information on back pain, key research articles, headline news and interesting lower back pain facts.
Dont underestimate the importance of posture - stooped posture or sustained poor positions can lead to lower back pain. It is such a simple thing to change and it can make a huge difference to the way you feel.
Lower back pain sciatica is a common problem although only 5 percent of people with back pain have sciatica it can be very severe and disabling if you do have it. Read all about the symptoms, causes and treatment of sciatica.
Sciatica home treatment advice - if you have recently been diagnosed with sciatica from a disc bulge there are some things you can do at home to help yourself.
Sciatica causes back and leg pain but it is actually relatively uncommon. Only 5% of you will have true sciatica. Sciatic back pain is caused by an irritation of the sciatic nerve. This irritation is usually caused by a disc bulge.
If you have sciatica and physical therapy is recommended this is what you can expect.
Usually sciatica symptoms are felt along the distribution of the nerve or in other words in the area that the nerve supplies. This means that sciatica is often felt as leg pain.
Severe lower back pain problems can be caused by compression of the cauda equina. This page outlines the symptoms.
Sciatica exercises are sometimes helpful for pain relief. If you are sure you have sciatica and if you are sure that you have no worrying symptoms then these exercises for sciatica may help.
This sciatica exercise can sometimes be helpful. This is an illustrated suggestion for something you can try.
Home treatment for sciatica - if you have recently been diagnosed with sciatica here are some things you can do at home to help yourself.
Not all exercises for sciatica are helpful; this one works for some and not others.
This exercise for sciatica may be helpful in the early stages. See an illustration of this exercise.
Stay up to speed with all the latest information on lower back pain. Subscribe to Back Chat, my free newsletter, and get all the latest news on back pain research, products and information.
As many as 50 percent of pregnant women get back pain. Pregnancy back pain problems can be avoided and this illustrated section explains why women get back pain and how to manage it.
Pregnancy and back pain go hand in hand, up to 50 percent of pregnant women will develop back or sacroiliac joint pain. Read some tips on how to avoid getting sacroiliac joint problems.
Up to 50 percent of women will experience lower back pain during pregnancy. Braces and supports are often offered but do they work?
Pelvic and back pain in pregnancy are very common problems. Read an outline of some of the common causes for this type of problem.
Many people think that the human spine is weak or vulnerable.Look closely at the spine and see how tough it is and how well designed it is to do its job.
The human spine is made up of bones called vertebra, these form the building blocks of the spine. they allow movement and protect the spinal cord.
Everything you need to know about the piriformis muscle and its role in piriformis syndrome. Find out how to diagnose and treat it.
What is the best way to stretch the piriformis muscle if you have piriformis syndrome. This video demonstration shows one of my favorite piriformis stretches.
Tightness in the piriformis muscle can cause piriformis syndrome. Read about the muscle and why it can cause problems.
An illustrated overview of the best way to diagnose and treat piriformis syndrome.
The McKenzie exercise program involves identifying certain sub-groups of patients with lower back pain and prescribing exercises based upon those findings.But does it work?
Back pain exercises may be helpful if you have acute lower back pain. This particular exercise is a nice one to start you moving again.
