Back Pain Treatment at Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic in Enfield, Southgate
Back pain is one of the most common problems we treat at Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic. In fact, 1 in 3 people develop back pain of some kind, so you are not alone.
We understand how uncomfortable and worrying back pain can be – and our physios and osteopaths have lengthy experience treating back pain and are specially trained to help you recover.
You may have been told you have problems with your discs, spondylosis or that you have “wear and tear” in the spine – all problems that we treat every day. Fortunately, our backs are strong, and when you treat them correctly and learn how to look after them, they usually recover well and give you less problems in the future.
Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic for Back pain treatment
At Oakwood Clinic we offer physiotherapy and osteopathy treatments, with optional acupuncture. These professional treatments aim to relieve your pain as rapidly as possible and help you to prevent it reoccurring.
Our Clinic is especially well-known for its focus on a hands-on approach, using highly skilled massage and manipulation treatments to help ease pain and restore movement and function. Many of our patients come to us through personal recommendation from friends, family, work colleagues, doctors and consultants.
We are happy to give you advice on which therapy is best suited for you, contact our friendly team for further guidance and information
Why Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic for your Back pain?
Highly qualified and experienced staff who continuously update their training and knowledge through courses and in-house training
Professional yet caring and friendly environment, with well-equipped treatment facilities
Choice of male or female therapists
Advice and exercises tailored to you to help you stay fit and healthy beyond treatment
Open six days a week including evenings
Common causes of Back pain
Back pain often occurs due to poor posture, such as from sitting at your work desk at a computer in a poor sitting position. Nowadays, we often slouch while using our phones, sit with our laptop on the sofa or incorrectly set up at a kitchen table, or use our tablets relaxing on our beds – all very entertaining but straining for the spine.
Other causes include poor lifting and handling techniques such as from carrying young children, or heavy pots in the garden. Hunching over to do some weeding or to reach something from a low shelf or cupboard can also strain our backs, causing inflammation and pain.
How we treat Back pain
We treat back pain with physiotherapy and osteopathy. However, if muscle stiffness is the main complaint, we sometimes recommend sports massage. Our physiotherapists and osteopaths are all highly trained and experienced in treating back pain.
Physiotherapy for back pain
Physiotherapists use a variety of treatments to target the root of your back pain. We use evidence-based treatments proven through research to benefit people with back pain.
We primarily use hands-on treatments that involve massage and manipulation to help unstiffen the spine and relax tense muscles. Many patients report that they feel we have really “got to the problem” when we find the problem area and work on it.
Apart from hands-on treatment, we may also include the following in our treatments to help relieve your back pain:
Electrotherapy
We use interferential therapy frequently to treat back pain. Four pads are placed on your back for around 10 minutes and electrical impulses are delivered to your back as you relax in comfort, giving a soothing sensation. This is popular as it combines comforting massage with pain-relieving electrical impulses delivered deep into your back’s problem area.
Traction treatment
Involves you lying comfortably on our special traction treating couch and a gentle, stretching treatment is applied to your back. Traction treatment can be helpful for sciatica when people experience pain radiating down their leg originating in the back where nerves are inflamed.
Acupuncture
Involves small acupuncture needles that are barely felt on application. Acupuncture is very popular as it can induce rapid changes in levels of pain and muscle tension, as proven by research. For more details view our acupuncture page.
Hot packs and cold treatments
We may use a steam hot pack, a special type of heat treatment that provides a deep-reaching warmth to the area. This is often used to reduce muscle tension, or we may recommend cold treatments such as the safe use of ice as a therapy.
Osteopathy for back pain
Our osteopaths are highly trained in treating back pain, and have specialised training in pelvic pain including sacro-iliac joint and coccyx related problems. These problems may give you pain in your lower back, side or back of the hip, groin or the tailbone area.
Sometimes after a fall or accident your joints may require small adjustments to help your body realign and find its correct overall balance and function again. Our osteopaths are highly skilled in these treatments.
Pregnancy-related low back or pelvic pain is another area our osteopaths specialise in. Some women experience SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction) which can cause pain in the groin and front of the pelvis – another condition frequently treated by our osteopaths.
With an emphasis on hands-on treatment, your osteopath will look at your back pain in relation to your whole body. They will carefully assess your entire spine and provide a range of treatments including expert back manipulation and massage. Our osteopaths adjust treatment according to your preference, as some people prefer gentler treatments than others.
Your osteopath will also show you exercises they feel will be beneficial for your back and overall posture, and may also suggest acupuncture as it can sometimes help to boost the pain-relieving benefits of osteopathy treatment.
Cranial osteopathy for back pain
Our osteopaths also provide cranial osteopathy which you may want to combine with your osteopathy treatment.
This is a very gentle treatment which can be especially helpful when there is a history of injury such as a fall, whiplash, or if you are elderly or sensitive.
Cranial osteopathy involves lightly holding areas of the head, neck and spine, helping release tension and assisting the body to regain its natural flow. It prompts deep relaxation which is very helpful for tension-related pain.
What happens in my first physiotherapy or osteopathy appointment?
First, your therapist will take your medical history and examine you carefully. They will check for any malalignment in your back or difficulty in standing straight. Your back movements will be checked to see if you are having difficulty with, for example, bending forwards.
Other important tests will then be gently carried out to check for nerve problems, muscle involvement and spinal joint conditions. We will explain all the results to you, along with a plan for getting you back to your best.
At Oakwood Physiotherapy Clinic we gear treatment to your needs – you may aim to be well enough for work, to go on a holiday, or be match fit for a sport.
Your treatment will start in your first session and may include massage, manipulation, electrotherapy, heat treatments and appropriate exercises and advice.
Follow up Back pain treatments
At each follow-up session you will be briefly re-examined and asked questions about how you feel your progress is going. Feel free to ask your therapist any questions which still concern you and your recovery.
The rest of the session will focus on your treatment, which will be adjusted to optimise your recovery.
- In the early, acute stages, your treatment may include more pain-relieving treatments such as hands-on treatment, electrotherapy and acupuncture.
- As you progress, more emphasis is placed on strengthening exercises, and massage to help clear unresolved tension points in the muscles and build resilience against future strains.
- You will also be advised on how quickly you can get back to your activities, based on how your progress is going.
Are you ready to recover? Get started with our professional care and treatment for your Back pain.
Looking for further advice or want to book an appointment?
Speak to our experts today.
