Understanding and Managing Low Back Pain

Overview:

Low Back Pain. The name itself is pretty self-explanatory. It is pain that arises at the lower part of the back that can include all of the structures in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, over 80% of Australians will suffer from back pain at some point in their lifetime, making it by far the most common musculoskeletal complaint. As low back pain is so predominant in our society, along with it comes many myths on diagnosing and managing it. Who hasn’t heard the old ‘slipped disc’ or ‘my back’s out’ analogy before? And for those who suffer from back pain – who hasn’t received advice from their family, their friends and their expert-on-everything-neighbour on what they should be doing to ‘fix’ it? Fortunately, here in Australia we have many fantastic University trained professionals who have their area of expertise to help treat and manage back pain from Surgeons and Doctors to Allied Health professionals such as Osteo’s, Physio’s and Exercise Physiologists and not to mention those who compliment the above such as Pilates instructors, Personal trainers, strength and conditioning trainers and Massage therapist (there are many more that I haven’t listed).

Low back pain comes in many different forms (all of which are discussed below) and will present in many different ways. Some people will have mild pain that doesn’t require treatment, and some will be at the other end of the scale where their back pain is so extreme, they can’t even get out of bed.

Back pain requires a broad approach from health professionals beyond just identifying and treating the symptoms. Often, low back pain is the result of faulty mechanics from above or below the area, hence why it is very important to recognise the causes (not just the symptoms) behind each individuals back pain to appropriately manage their treatment/medication/surgical intervention and exercise/movement/stretching plan.

Symptoms:

Type of Pain: Symptoms of back pain can present in many different ways and can be direct pain at the source or even result in certain types of pain that refer to other parts of the body, such as run down the leg (even as far as the foot). In a consultation, your practitioner will spend time talking to you about your symptoms as it’s very important to understand exactly what you are feeling. The ability to narrow down the symptoms you are feeling goes a long way in helping us form a diagnosis. Below is a list of symptoms commonly used to describe the type of pain occurring to the low back region.

• Dull ache

• Acute pain that limits your ability to move

• Worse on one side or centralised

• Short or long term pain

• Numbness and tingling down the leg

• Pain into the buttocks

• Grabbing pain

• Muscle spasm

• Throbbing

• Stabbing pain

• Burning pain

• Shooting pain

• Small area of pain

• Large area of pain

• Select area of pain but unable to reproduce it with touch

Aggravating movements / activities: People suffering from back pain can find themselves unable to perform everyday activities to the level they are used to. Some may find that quite simple tasks can bring on pain. For example, if leaning down to tie up your shoelaces causes pain in your back and results in numbness/tingling down your leg - the chances you’ve injured an intervertebral disc becomes more likely. Often, patient’s will omit this type of information when filling out new intake forms, or when first describing the nature of their back pain as they don’t think it’s important. Well let me tell you - it is very important! Being able to identify and understand which daily activities exacerbates your symptoms will ‘add another piece to the puzzle’ and help us in forming a diagnosis.

Below is a brief list of common everyday activities that that can aggravate low back pain:

• Getting up out of a chair

• Tying your shoelaces up

• Standing in one place for long periods

• Waking up sore after sleep

• Long drives in the car

• Leaning over in the garden for long periods

• Lifting an item and twisting at the same time

• Sitting at an office / computer for long periods

• Squatting or deadlifts at the gym

• Post exercise soreness

• Washing the dishes

• Walking

• Running

• Lifting heavy loads

• Twisting quickly (with or without load)

• Increased strain over time – eg. Repetitive poor posture

• Sudden impact to the low back area

• Starting a new activity or sport

• Walking down stairs

• Sitting on a hard surface

Red flags:

Red flags relate to the possibility that something appearing quite simple could in fact be quite serious.

Below are some examples of Red Flags for low back pain:

• Numbness and loss of control of bowel and / or bladder (Cauda Equina Syndrome)

• Diffuse low back pain that feels ‘deep’ or spreads to the abdomen (Aortic Aneurism)

• Sudden back injury that results in the loss of feeling either into the legs or feet (Neurological Impairment)

• Ongoing low back pain combined with unexplained weight loss, night sweats, history of cancer (Tumour / Bone cancer)

Conditions of the Low Back:

There are many conditions that can lead to low back pain. Some conditions that result in damage to soft tissue / structures of the low back include but is not limited to the following:

• Lumbar Disc bulge (also known as a ‘slipped disc’)

• Disc tear

• Disc herniation

• Disc sequestration

• Facet joint restriction / sprain

• Muscle spasm / tightness

• Muscle strain

• Ligament sprain

• Vertebral fracture

• Pelvic fracture

• Sacroiliac (SIJ) sprain

• Sciatica

• Lower rib fracture

• Lower rib sprain (costo-vertebral)

• Arthritis / degenerative changes / spondylosis

• Spinal canal stenosis

• Lateral spinal stenosis / foraminal stenosis

• Degenerative disc disease

• Spondylolisthesis

• Spondylolysis

• Ankylosing spondylitis

Who gets Back Pain?

As mentioned in our intro - many people suffer from, or will suffer from, low back pain. But who is more likely?

• Age - Back pain can affect any one from teenagers onwards, however the older you are the more likely you will be to suffer from low back pain.

• Postural issues - Having poor posture doesn’t necessarily equate to back pain, however faulty compensatory patterns that develop around certain types of posture can lead to pain.

• Pregnancy - Some women will suffer from back pain relating to their pregnancy. Others will not. And some women can suffer from back pain in one pregnancy and not in another. There are many factors involved.

• Occupation heavy lifting - heavy lifting when not performed properly can lead to acute back injuries, or when faulty mechanics are used over a long period can result in earlier onset of degenerative changes to the spine and associated structures.

• Occupation office worker - long periods of sitting down at a desk tends to follow a similar pattern:

  • elevated shoulders

  • forward carriage of shoulders/arms

  • rounded posture through the mid-upper back

  • tight hip flexors / upper thighs

• Faulty Movement patterns: Repetitive faulty movements that result in micro-trauma to the low back. A great example of this is having poor lifting techniques that increase the load to the low back, which over time can lead to increased wear and tear (degenerative changes)

• Previous back injuries: A history of back pain/injuries increases your chance of suffering future back related pain.

• High impact sports: Certain sports can contribute directly to back pain as a result from injury, or indirectly via prolonged stress to the low back from sports such as tennis or golf.

Assessment & diagnosis

When you present to a Health Practitioner such as an Osteopath or Physiotherapist with low back pain, they will take you through a full patient/medical history and a physical assessment in order to narrow down the possibilities to the most likely diagnosis.

• Patient History: Thorough patient history where your practitioner will cover all aspects of your low back pain presentation such as when the pain occurred, the location of pain, how it happened, what makes it worse, what makes it better, level of pain, associated symptoms, impacted activities of daily living, lifestyle prior to onset of pain and occupation impact.

• Orthopaedic testing: Specific joint testing designed to provoke pain which indicates a certain condition.

• Palpation: The use of palpation is subjective but can give the practitioner more information to help form a differential diagnosis. Palpation can help identify tissue texture changes, tightness, stiffness, temperature changes, differences between left and right, lumps, knots and swelling.

• Range of motion: Movements of the spine can be broken down into 3 basic plains:

  • Side-bending (bending to one side)

  • Rotation (turning around)

  • Felxion/extension (leaning forwards or backwards)

    One of the questions we will always ask is ‘what movement makes the pain worse’. Usually one of these movements will aggravate the pain, therefore giving us a clearer path forward towards a diagnosis. For example – if your pain becomes worse or even shoots pain down the leg when bending forwards the likelihood of a disc injury being the source of pain increases. Whereas if your pain increases when leaning backwards then it is more likely to be a facet joint as the cause of pain.

• Diagnostic imaging: X-Ray for fractures, alignment, spacing, inflammation; MRI for all structures including connective tissue such as ligaments/tendons/discs/muscle; Ultrasound for superficial soft tissue such as muscles and tendons.

Treatment - What We Do

The simplest way do look at what we do here at Bay City Health Group is to think about the 2 sides of a coin. On one side of the coin we provide manual therapy services such as Osteopathy or Physiotherapy to help decrease pain, release tight joints and tissue, and increase range of motion. This is achieved using hands on techniques on treatment tables such as massage, PNF stretching, joint manipulation or adjustments, joint articulation and mobilisation, and myofascial release. On the other side of that coin is Exercise Rehabilitation such as Pilates & Physiotherapy which is performed in a highly specific clinical setting. With Pilates & rehab we aim to retrain faulty movement patterns, educate the patient with correct form, and build strength and mobility to areas of the body where needed. Pilates is a particular focus of Bay City Health Group and is a fantastic option for managing Low Back Pain.

Management and treatment of back pain is highly dependent on the type of symptoms, level of pain, onset of pain, limitations, and assessment findings, and is therefore very specific to the patient on that day. One thing to keep in mind with treatment is there’s no recipe. In other words, the type of treatment will vary from patient to patient depending on what their presentation is. For example, if someone comes into the clinic with acute low back pain and barely able to walk or even sit down, our treatment will be completely different to that of a patient who is a bit sore after a round of golf on the weekend.

Management

What things YOU can do to help back pain when it comes on

Things you can do: Keep moving. It is so important keep your body/spine moving when you 1) currently have low back pain or 2) feel it coming on. It doesn’t have to be your regular everyday type activities, but even movements such as gently allowing your knees to go from side to side whilst lying on your back can help maintain range of motion in the facet joints of the spine. Here is a couple of very basic and general tips (please see a health professional for more specific exercises and stretches catered for your body and type of injury/pain):

• Squeeze your buttocks when moving from a sit to stand posture.

• Pull your belly button in and try and activate your abdominal muscle group prior to any movement

Nothing replaces the knowledge and experience of Health professionals. This blog is for general educational purposes only and is aimed at the general public. If you have back pain and you think it needs to be looked at then please visit or talk a Health Professional.

To make a booking with one of the Health Professionals here at Bay City Health Group please call our friendly receptionists on 03 5229 3220 or head to our online bookings page to book your appointment online.

TAC Covered Treatments

As Bay City Health Group grows we are seeing more and more people coming into our clinic following a road accident. We are consistently refining our systems and treatment procedures in order to deliver the best outcomes for any client presenting to our clinic following a car/bike/motorcycle/truck accident.

Those that find themselves involved in road accidents every year can unfortunately suffer from things including: pain; injuries; movement limitations; reduced joint range of motion; and fear avoidance. Many aren’t sure what to do following an accident, or what they could potentially be entitled to. We have addressed a few of the more common questions we get when someone rings up following a road accident. Please keep in mind, the below questions and answers are a brief summary based on actual questions we receive at Bay City Health Group. For an extensive list head over to the official TAC website.

What is the TAC and how do they help?

TAC stands for Accident Transport Commission. It’s purpose is to help people who are injured or have been involved in any form of road trauma. Providing you have a TAC claim number, they will help pay for part of the cost of Allied Health services.

How do I get a TAC claim number?

If you have been in a road based accident, whether it’s in a car, truck, bus, motorbike or even cycling, you can apply for a TAC claim number. The TAC doesn’t just hand out a claim number will-nilly though. The more details you can provide about the road accident the better your chances are.

What health services can I access?

If you have been provided with a TAC claim number, you can access the following TAC registered Allied Health services (for a comprehensive list of all health services please visit the TAC website):

• Osteopathy

• Physiotherapy

• Exercise Physiology

• Chiropractic

• Podiatry

• Acupuncture (not dry needling)

Do I have to pay anything?

Unfortunately the rate TAC pays for Allied Health services is under the standard industry rate, therefore there will be a small gap to pay for each service.

How long will TAC cover me for?

That is entirely dependent on the severity of your injuries and how quickly your recovery takes. Your treating practitioner will be in constant contact with the TAC regarding reports, management/treatment plans and updates on your progress. The TAC will take all of this into account and provide you with a reasonable and fair amount of services based on the information they have.

What if I have some questions?

You are more than welcome to call our friendly team here at Bay City Health Group and ask any questions you may have. We should be able to answer most questions - but if we can’t, we’ll redirect you to the right source who can.

How do I make a booking?

The best way to make a booking if you have a TAC claim number is to phone reception at Bay City Health on 03 5229 3220 and let the receptionist know you are covered by TAC due to an accident. You will be asked for your individual claim number and other related details about yourself so that everything is good-to-go on the day of your first session.

Clinic Update and changes 2/8/20

Reformer Class Update

As many of you know we've now been opened for a few weeks, but with a limited schedule and limited services. We made the decision to hold off bringing back Reformer Classes until at least the end of July so we could make a judgment based on how things were traveling. The worst case scenario was that we opened the classes only to have to shut them down again.

Based on the current situation in Victoria, specifically Melbourne but more increasingly regional Victoria, we are making the extremely hard call to maintain the temporary cancelation of Reformer Classes. We understand that some people will be upset by this - and even angry at us, but we are doing the right thing for our community and our staff. Due to the limited space we have, it would be impossible to safely maintain social distancing with 6 people in a Reformer Class. 
So at this point - and hopefully only for a short while - we are continuing the temporary cancelation on Reformer Classes.

Is my pack or membership still Valid?

Absolutely. We have paused every class pack and membership that was active prior to closing (this does not include packs that expired prior to shutdown on March 26th). The expiry dates on these active passes will be manually adjusted once we re-open again so that no-one misses out.

What other options are there?

There are still plenty of Pilates options as we are still running Clinical Pilates. For those in need, we have sessions in a 1:1 / 2:1 / 3:1 setting as well as our Clinical Rehab Classes which have a maximum of 4 participants per class. We do have online bookings for these services through our website, but our advice is to call the clinic if you wish to make a new booking. For details on any of these services, please click here: https://www.baycityhealth.com.au/clinical-pilates

Our Current Services:

- Osteopathy Initial
- Osteopathy 40min
- Osteopathy 30min
- Clinical Pilates Initial
- Clinical Pilates 1:1
- Clinical Pilates 2:1
- Rehab Classes

Masks

Staff at Bay City Health are already wearing masks, and now we are requesting that all clients do the same. For those that don't know, it will be a requirement that everyone who leaves their home must wear a mask as advised by the State Government from 12.00am on Sunday 2.8.2020 (tonight).
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN MASK
If you arrive to the clinic and don't have a mask - we will supply you one at the cost of $5 (we are not trying to make money out of this - it's more the hassle of having to reorder new supplies). 

Social Distancing

We would like to ask our clients to please not arrive too early to your consult and crowd the waiting area. At the moment we are taking clients into the treatment rooms or the studio and asking you to wait there which is working well. However, if people are arriving early and crowding reception we will politely ask you to wait outside. 
 

COVID Stages

During a stage 3 lockdown in the Geelong region, we will stay open providing we feel it's safe to do so. Back at the start of April we shut the clinic down because everything was escalating so quickly and our knowledge surrounding the situation was minimal, whereas this time around we are extremely well prepared, and as Bay City Health Group services are classed as 'essential services' the advice has been to stay open during stage 3.

At the moment, we haven't received information from our registry body regarding what happens in a stage 4 lockdown. As we learn more we'll keep everybody updated, but like always we will take a cautious and safe approach. 

Thank You

Thank you to every one of our wonderful clients - whether Pilates or Osteo - who have supported us through this incredibly difficult time. This whole thing is unprecedented and we are doing our very best to navigate it as safely as possible. 
We would be lying if we said this hasn't affected us. We are trying our absolute best to get through the next period and hopefully out the other side. 

Please stay safe & healthy during this next phase. 

Reformer Classes On-Hold

Update as of 23/3/2020

We hope everyone is holding up ok during this uncertain time. Right now it seems impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We understand that there is incredible instability regarding people's health, livelihoods, job security and finances.

There is a lot of differing information going about at the moment which is adding to the confusion. Just know that we are in the same boat as many of you, however have been lucky enough to have a couple of strong sources of information guiding us through.

There are a couple of important updates below regarding the operation of certain services.  

Reformer Classes On-Hold

• Due to the current situation regarding group gatherings and numbers we have decided to temporarily cancel all Reformer Group Classes

• We are unsure of how long the classes will be on hold for.

• We will keep everyone updated so that when classes start back up you will know.

• All purchased memberships will be put on hold and class pack expiry dates extended ie. if we are shut for 1 month - packs are extended for 1 month. There is no need to reach out and request an extension during this time.

• Any current bookings will be credited back to your account for future use.

• You will receive an automatic email upon each class cancelation from our booking software WellnessLiving (you will not lose any classes)

**Rehab classes will continue as they are small and will have safe 'social-distancing' spacing of 1 person per 10m2

Allied Health services still OPEN

Osteopathy is not part of the Australian or State Governments stage 1 closure plan. We will be running our Osteo, Rehab and Clinical services for the time being as we've been advised to do so, however that could change at literally any minute.

We have received the following advice from the Minister of Health: "The Australian Minister of Health has today confirmed that all Allied Health businesses can continue working and are encouraged to do so."

For those that don't know, Osteopathy is an Allied Health profession. For more clarity here is a small list of Allied Health professions in Australia:

• Osteopathy

• Exercise Physiology

• Physiotherapy

• Podiatry

• Chiropractic

• Occupational Therapist

• Psychology

• Dietetics

• Speech Pathology

• Radiography / medical imaging / sonography

**For a full comprehensive list go to the Allied Health Professions Australia website at https://ahpa.com.au/

Continuation of New Hygiene Policies
As mentioned in last weeks email update, we have implemented some new policies and procedures based on hygiene on top of the strict hygiene practices already in place at Bay City Health. Here is the list revisited:

• Everyone who enters the clinic will be required to sanitise their hands with hand sanitiser provided at the reception AND/OR wash their hands thoroughly in the bathroom.

• We will be returning to Dettol disinfectant wipes to wipe down each Reformer and Clinical Pilates apparatus after each use.

• We have now provided single use paper cups to drink from (or you can bring your own drink bottle).

• You will be encouraged to wash or sanitise your hands before leaving the clinic – we have more than enough hand wash.

• All ‘frequent touch’ surfaces will be sanitised every morning before any clients arrive.

• There will be less tactile/hands-on cueing in the Pilates Clinic.

• Osteo clients will be required to wear socks in the treatment rooms.

• There will be an option for clients to remain fully clothed during Osteo consultations (as opposed to wear gowns or remove shirts ect.) – this option will be addressed with each client individually at the start of every consult.

Thank you kindly to the ongoing support of everyone. We have been blown away by this awesome Greater Geelong community. We hope and pray for the health and safety of not just our clients, but all people across the state and country (and world for that matter).

Please check our social media platforms and our website to keep up to date. We will endeavour to be as open and informative as possible throughout this difficult time. If at any time we are instructed to completely close the clinic, the length of the closure will depend upon the advice of the relevant government departments. If that were the case, all patients with appointments will be notified via phone and SMS. 

Plan for the worst, hope for the best

Kind regards from Clint, Felicity & the team from Bay City Health Group

Latest update for Bay City Health Group regarding coronavirus (COVID-19)

Latest update for Bay City Health Group regarding coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dear valued patients and clients, we wanted to take the time to let you know how much we value both your health, and that of our team. Obviously we are in the midst of something that none of us have experienced before with the outbreak of Coronavirus. The most important thing is that everyone stays healthy. NOTHING is more important than that.

At this stage, Bay City Health Group will stay open, however we can assure you that we’ll be monitoring the situation very closely and will keep you updated as more information from Commonwealth and State Departments of Health arises.

At Bay City Health we have always made hygiene a huge priority and is something we are very proud of. However, due to the current climate with Coronavirus we have revisited our policies and procedures and have implemented a few new changes.

We have outlined below what hygiene practices we already undertake and what changes we are implementing so that you have all of the information at hand to make educated decisions moving forward.

What we have always done

• Change linen after every Osteo consult.

• Spray and wipe all surfaces of the treatment table, hand rest and face cushion with disinfectant.

• New paper face mask for every Osteo client.

• Fresh gown and towelling for every client.

• Spray and wipe every Reformer after each class.

• In the past we have used disinfectant wipes which will be returning.

• Spray and wipe all Clinical Pilates equipment after every use.

• Practitioners and Instructors thoroughly wash hands before and after every client.

• Laundry washed with disinfectant.

• Disinfect surfaces that have high traffic hand contact ie. reception desk.

• Sock policy – everyone who enters the Pilates Clinic has had to abide by our no socks – no Pilates policy (thankfully no-one has had to leave as we do sell socks ast reception).

What we are introducing

• Everyone who enters the clinic will be required to sanitise their hands with hand sanitiser provided at the reception AND/OR wash their hands thoroughly in the bathroom.

• We will be returning to Dettol disinfectant wipes to wipe down each Reformer and Clinical Pilates apparatus after each use.

• We have now provided single use paper cups to drink from (or you can bring your own drink bottle).

• You will be encouraged to wash your hands before leaving the clinic – we have more than enough hand wash.

• All ‘frequent touch’ surfaces will be sanitised every morning before any clients arrive.

• We will decrease the use of Pilates props to minimise your contact with surfaces – we can promise a great workout will still occur.

• There will be less tactile/hands-on cueing in the Pilates Clinic and Reformer Classes.

• Osteo clients will be required to wear socks in the treatment rooms.

• There will be an option for clients to remain fully clothed during Osteo consultations (as opposed to wear gowns or remove shirts ect.) – this option will be addressed with each client individually at the start of every consult.

Some handy advice & ways you can help

Here are 10 steps recommended by the DHHS to help reduce your risk of Coronavirus:

1. Wash hands often with soap and running water, for at least 20 seconds. Dry with paper towel or hand dryer.

2. Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

3. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow.

4. Isolate yourself at home if you feel sick. If you take medication ensure you have adequate supplies.

5. Phone your GP first if you need medical attention. They will tell you what to do.

6. Continue healthy habits: exercise, drink water, get plenty of sleep, and now is the time to quit smoking. Call the Quitline 137 848.

7. Don't wear a face mask if you are well.

8. Buy an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with over 60 per cent alcohol.

9. Get the flu shot (available April).

10. Shaking hands please avoid if possible!

**Please note, if you have just returned from an overseas trip, especially from a high risk zone, we ask that you wait 2 weeks before you return to the clinic or studio.

**If you are experiencing any cold or flu type symptoms please call the clinic to reschedule your appointment or class We welcome any feedback on how we can improve our Clinic Hygiene.

We've always prided ourselves on how hygienic our clinic is but are always open to feedback on how to improve things Your help in keeping everyone safe & healthy is appreciated!

If you have any questions or concerns, please chat to one of our team. Please check our social media platforms and our website to keep up to date. We will endeavour to be as open and informative as possible throughout this difficult time.

If at any time we are instructed to close the clinic, the length of the closure will depend upon the advice of the relevant government departments. If that were the case, all patients with appointments will be notified via phone and SMS.

Kind regards, Clint, Felicity & the team from Bay City Health Group

Changes to Pilates Health Rebates

Changes to Pilates Health Rebates: As of 1st April 2019, the Australian government has changed what services they deem claimable through health insurance rebates. There was an extensive list of services that have been cut including Naturopathy & Homeopathy to name a couple. Unfortunately, Pilates has also been completely removed from the Health Insurance benefits scheme – meaning you will no longer be able to claim Pilates services through your Health Insurance. This affects any level of Pilates instructor and also registered health practitioners who use Pilates as part of their treatment and management – such as Physiotherapists. This is a real shame as Pilates is a form of movement and exercise which has many proven benefits.

The changes being made won’t affect us too much here at Bay City Health Group. As most of you know, our Osteopaths ran the Clinical Pilates side of things meaning that you could claim through Osteopathy. For those of you who were participating in and claiming our (previous) Clinical Pilates services you will still be able to claim – but not as Pilates. We fortunately had quite a bit of notice about this and have therefore adapted and upgraded our services, clinical notes and equipment to meet the requirements of these new changes. For those still wishing to claim – we have replaced the previous ‘Clinical Pilates with an Osteopath’ to ‘Osteopathy with Clinical Exercise’ (note the absence of the word Pilates). For those who don’t have Health Insurance - don’t worry - Clinical Pilates is still an option, you just won’t be able to claim. Also, we plan on putting on some Pilates Instructors in the near future (who will not be Osteopaths) which is why Clinical Pilates will absolutely stay as one of our services.

To be clear – we will now have 2 branches of clinical movement/exercise:

1.     Osteopathy with Clinical Exercise: (CAN claim Private Health rebates)

2.     Clinical Pilates (CAN NOT claim Private Health rebates)

If there are any questions whatsoever, please feel to call us and we will be able to clear things up.

Sciatic Pain: A real Pain in the butt!

Sciatica or sciatic pain is classed as pain caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, which can occur at the low back, tailbone region or deep in the backside. The sciatic nerve is the thickest and longest nerve in the human body, starting from the low back and running to just below the knee before branching off into smaller nerves. Some causes of sciatica include herniated/bulged disc, piriformis syndrome, degenerative disc disease and foraminal stenosis. Sciatic pain can be a real pain in the butt (lame – I know), however, most people probably don’t know the pain they are experiencing in that region isn’t actually sciatica at all! There are similar symptoms to sciatica that occur within the surrounding region that we unknowingly call ‘sciatica’. Yes, sciatica is a pain that is felt in and around the backside (can also occur down the leg), but there are many other causes that can present in a similar fashion. The backside/pelvis is a large, complex region with multiple functions, therefore many muscles, tendons, nerves and ligaments that can be affected. People often make the mistake of thinking that any type of pain in that area must be sciatic pain, when in fact the cause is something else.

5 common causes of symptoms replicating sciatica include:

• Piriformis muscle pain

• Gluteus Medius strain/tightness

• Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ) pain

• Hip bursitis

• Upper Hamstring Tendonitis

So, what can we do to decrease these symptoms? Generally, there are some stretches that can really help loosen up the area, exercises and strengthening that target specific muscles in and around the hip to decrease the load on others, and manual therapy to help balance and release the area. As an Osteopath, we perform a full assessment of the hips, pelvis, spine and any other related area/structure to find the cause behind your sciatic pain. Providing treatment is the right course of action, we then go about releasing and balancing the structures in question through a variety of techniques including massage, manipulation, articulation and PNF/MET. Usually some form of strengthening exercise is prescribed to aid in the management of sciatic pain. Obviously, not all conditions are suited to manual therapy and exercise and there are occasions where we need to refer out for further action (ie. surgery, injection, medication).

If you suffer from true sciatic pain, or pain in and around the gluteal (the butt), hip or low back areas and want some answers, book a consult with one of our Osteopaths for a full comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and treatment on 03 5229 3220 or online at https://www.baycityhealth.com.au/osteopathy/

Will Pilates give you abs?

Pilates will help you build up your abs and core muscles (and a lot of other muscle groups too), but weather they start to show is dependant on you and your lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to lose weight and gain that rippling '6 pack' that you desire. You have heard it all before - diet and exercise is key. One of my favorite sayings related to this question is: ‘Abs are made in the kitchen’ and it couldn’t be more true. Very few people have a 6 pack - and there is a very good reason for that - it is hard work! If it was easy for people to gain those nice shredded abs then everybody would have them. But it’s not easy. Pilates will contribute to the exercise component of the ‘gaining abs’ journey by burning calories and building muscle, but overall lifestyle and commitment to your diet will determine if your abs will show shine through or not.

To start the process of building up your abdominal muscles and burning those calories in a quality and professional environment, contact us at Bay City Health for the best Pilates program or Reformer Class to suit you and your goals - www.baycityhealth.com.au or 03 5229 3220

For dietary advice to help you lose weight, our Osteopaths can offer you professional advice. Alternatively, you can seek out a qualified Nutritionist to get structure with your diet.

Can Males do Pilates?

Yes males can absolutely do Pilates! Where once Pilates had the stigma of being primarily for dancers, it is now incredibly popular amongst all genders & age groups, with a dramatic increase in the amount of men regularly doing Pilates in recent years. Did you know that Pilates was created by a male bodybuilder and amateur boxer? The creator - Joseph Pilates - originally designed his method based on his own physical limitations before expanding it for others, including injured soldiers in World War 1 where he successfully rehabbed many serviceman. Men can get some fantastic benefits out of doing Pilates. Men typically have less joint mobility (flexibility) than women and therefore benefit greatly from the flexibility component of Pilates. However, many men are turning to Pilates now more than ever to help improve sporting performance, assist with work posture, strengthen up their core muscles, help lose weight and rehab from injury. Below are 10 famous males who regularly do Pilates: 

1. Kobe Bryant (NBA Basketball)

2. Sylvester Stallone (Hollywood Actor)

3. Lebron james (NBA Basketball)

4. Gary Ablett Jnr (Australian Rules Football)

5. Andy Murray (Tennis)

6. Joel Selwood (Australian Rules Football)

7. David Beckham (Soccer)

8. Antonio Brown (American Football)

9. Anthony Watmough (Australian Rugby)

10. Cristiano Ronaldo (Soccer)

Is Osteopathy covered by Health Insurance?

Yes, you can claim an Osteopathic consultation on Health Insurance if you have the right cover to do so. Most health funds will cover Osteopathy under their extras package – it just depends on whether you have extras, and if so, the level of extras you have will determine how much you get back. All Osteopaths are eligible to register through Medicare, which enables them to receive a Medicare health provider number. Without a Medicare provider number, regardless of health profession, you will not be registered with the health funds for rebates. Other allied health services similar to Osteopathy who are eligible for health fund rebates include Chiropractic, Physiotherapy & Exercise Physiology.