Due to the complex structures of our spine, there are many different reasons you feel back pain.  To make sure that you get the right advice, an accurate diagnosis is essential.  For example a disc strain will be treated and recover very differently to a joint sprain or muscle spasm.

As demonstrated in the diagram below, back pain can refer pain to a number of different areas.  So if you are wondering why your buttock, groin, hip, thigh or knee have been giving you the “irrits” maybe you need to see us about your back!  Generally, the more chronic the problem, the more intense the pain referral.

Not only can back pain be felt elsewhere in the body, it also doesn’t descriminate with respect to age.  We often associate back pain with wear-and-tear in the older population but if you are asking yourself “why is my child or teen feeling back pain?”, there is often a simple explanation and resolvable problem.

Don’t be worried or confused about your pain.  Make an appointment and get it sorted today!

These charts graphically display many of the common referral patterns of muscles and also of the spine.  They are a  fantastic tool for us to give you a greater understanding of your pain pattern.

The mechanism of referred pain is thought to be the nerves from the tissue or organ where the problem is ‘mixing’ with the sensory nerves where the pain is felt.

The pain felt with referred pain is usually deep, and it is difficult to pinpoint where the exact location is. At times, however, referred pain can result in numbness, pins and needles or tingling in areas of the body.

There are many conditions that involve referred pain. A very common example is headaches, in which pain is referred to the base of the skull, the top of the head, the forehead, or to the temples. The source of the problem with headaches is most often the joints or muscles of the upper neck. Pain sensations travel through the nerves between the neck and head, and confusion in the nerve pathways results in pain being felt in the forehead, or temples.

Osteopaths are specially trained to locate the underlying source of pain, and restore proper function to the area.  As you may have experienced, Osteopaths are not always treating where your pain is felt, we are often treating adjacent sites and sometimes replicate your pain whilst treating these adjacent sites.

Although referred pain may sound confusing, it is mapped out quite well and consistently person-to-person.  Your Osteopath knows this map and can therefore help you out!

It may sound strange to you that an Osteo can treat this common complaint. It makes a lot of sense when we explain the anatomy.

The diaphragms job.

Many people don’t realise that the diaphragm is a massive muscle. When you breathe in the diaphragm muscle contracts and this causes it to move downwards, its previously upwardly curving shape (see picture) becomes flatter. This lowers the air pressure in the rib cage (the region in which the lungs sit). As a result, air rushes in from outside the body, via the nose and mouth, and fills the lungs with air allowing us to breathe. Breathing out is obviously the opposite movement forcing air back out of the lungs.

What does this have to do with REFLUX??

There are 3 circular openings through the diaphragm to allow for the passage of 3 tubes:

1. Aorta – for the passage of blood from the heart to the abdomen, pelvis and legs
2. Inferior vena cava – for the passage of blood back to the heart from the abdomen, pelvis and legs
3. Oesophagus – allows the passage of food from the mouth to the stomach

It is this 3rd opening that we are interested in with reflux. The diaphragm can become tight just like any other muscle. This squeezes the tubes especially the oesophagus causing acid from your stomach to be pushed up into your oesophagus, creating the common feeling known as “HEARTBURN”.

So now we know what happens, how can your Osteo help??

When you have reflux, not only is the diaphragm tight around the rib edges (the part the osteo can feel and massage), we find:

• rib cage tension
• tight mid back muscles
• tenderness over the breastbone
• often sufferers cannot take a deep breath in

Treatment involves softening these muscle and joint issues with our usual techniques. This has been effective in many cases. Our treatment may mean sufferers require less or no medication for the heartburn!

Osteos treat more than you think!