The Lumbar Spine
Back pain relief can be needed following a number of injuries. What causes spinal discomfort and what can our clinic offer in terms of back pain relief? Well, the lumbar spine is numbered L1-L5 and is made up of 5 vertebrae (bones) and 5 discs that sit between each vertebra. The sacrum is made up of 5 fused vertebrae beneath the lumbar vertebrae and the coccyx is a small piece of bone that projects out at the very bottom of the spine.
The vertebral bodies in the lumbar spine are cylindrical with arches at the back that contain the spinal nerves. The facet joints connect the upper and lower vertebrae and control the movement of the lumbar spine.
The intervertebral discs separate the adjacent vertebral bodies and are made up of 2 parts. The annulus fibrosis is the outer tough layer which holds the vertebral bodies together and controls movement between them. The nucleus pulposis is the inner gel which acts as a shock absorber. This toughens and hardens with age.
The spinal cord ends at L1 and a string of nerves called the cauda equine is in the lumbar spine. Each nerve is given the number of the vertebra whose part of the vertebral body it runs under, i.e. the L4 nerve root exits the lumbar spine between L4 and L5. These nerves then run the length of the lower limbs and if adversely affected or provoked in the lumbar region can refer pain or tingling into the buttocks and legs. The most common example being an L5 nerve problem causing Sciatica, which is where our back pain relief can come into use.
There are 3 layers of lumbar extensor muscles at the back and there are lumbar flexor muscles (psoas and iliacus) which run along the front of the spinal column that assist in bending forwards.
What We Offer
Here at Harpenden Physiotherapy, we are able to provide lower back pain relief from many issues and conditions, including:
- Disc pathologies (degenerative/bulging/slipped/ruptured discs)
- Nerve root pain (trapped nerves/referred pain/Sciatica)
- Scoliosis
- Muscular strains
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction/pain
- Postural related pain
- Pregnancy related pains
- Spondylolisthesis and Pars Interarticularis fractures
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Fracturess: vertebral wedge fractures
- Post operative discomfort
Call Harpenden Physiotherapy Today
If you are in need of back pain relief, give Harpenden Physiotherapy a call on 01582 761448 or get in touch to find out more about how we can help treat you with spinal physiotherapy. We are open 6 days a week and also offer home visits.