Back & Neck Pain

Back and neck pain can be debilitating and have an effect on your daily life, livelihood and quality of life. This kind of pain can come from many different causes including injury, overuse, trauma, degeneration and muscle tension or spasm.

Back and neck pain can restrict movement and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life, so treatment is aimed at restoring range of motion, alleviating symptoms such as headaches or vertigo, and preventing future reoccurrences by correcting contributing factors.

Benefits of our treatment are:

 

  • Restoring natural movement
  • Alleviate pain, headaches, vertigo or other symptoms
  • Improve posture
  • Reduce future recurrences

Rectifying or managing your back and neck pain is achievable with the right treatment plan in place. You don’t need to suffer in silence and let this pain take over you life, stopping you from what you want to do in life. We are here to ensure that you get the best quality of life and possible outcome from you treatment as possible.

Back Pain and Sciatica

Back pain or sciatica may have many different causes including injury, overuse, trauma, degeneration and muscle tension or spasm.

Back pain can restrict movement and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life.

Treatment is aimed at restoring range of motion, alleviating symptoms such as back pain or sciatica and preventing future reoccurrences through addressing any contributing factors.

Sciatica is a nerve pain that stems from the sciatic nerve and is produced by pressure on that nerve through the buttocks. It is generally brought on from sitting on hard surfaces for long periods of time (commonly known as ‘pins and needles’), or sitting crossed legged. We offer self-care options for alleviating sciatica, but if it persists we can create a more robust treatment plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most back pain is not due to a serious medical problem and will improve with time with the right advice for staying mobile and doing some basic exercises. If back pain is accompanied by changes in bowel or bladder function, accompanied by a fever or following a fall or trauma to the spine, medical assessment by a doctor is recommended.
For most back pain, the evidence supports an active rather than passive approach in terms of efficacy. Most back pain will resolve with a combination of staying mobile (even if it’s just walking), gentle stretches prescribed by a physiotherapist, and taking some simple pain relief (e.g. paracetamol) if needed. Addressing lifestyle factors such as a poor diet, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle and stress can reduce the chance of back pain returning. It is recommended that recovery is under the guidance of an experienced health professional such as a physiotherapist or doctor.
Often the cause of back pain is not clear cut, however, back pain is often caused by simple muscle or ligament strain.

In Australia, a referral is not required to be able to see a physiotherapist – although it is often helpful for you to bring as much information about your health history as well as any specific medical or surgical details that relate to your reason for seeing a physiotherapist. There are a few exceptions to this. You will need to obtain a referral from your GP prior to attending physiotherapy in the circumstances of:

  • Workers Compensation Claims
  • CTP (Third Party) Road Accident Claims
  • Medicare Claims (e.g. Chronic Disease Management referral)

Neck Pain & Headaches

Neck pain and headaches can affect every area of your life if left untreated. Often, this kind of pain can be left undertreated or not treated at all, and so can cause more pain in the future.

Neck pain and headaches may have many different causes including injury, overuse, posture, trauma, degeneration and muscle tension or spasm.

Neck pain and headaches can restrict movement and interfere with normal functioning and quality of life. Treatment is aimed at restoring range of motion, alleviating symptoms such as neck pain or headaches and preventing future reoccurrences through addressing any contributing factors. 

Frequently Asked Questions

It is best to keep your neck moving through slow range-of-motion exercises (such as looking up and down, turning your head side to side and from ear to ear). For minor neck pain, applying heat or ice to the painful area can relieve pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can also be helpful in the early stages to help restoration of movement. See a health professional such as a physiotherapist if your neck pain doesn’t resolve within a few days as there are some evidence-based treatments that can be very effective for acute neck pain.
There is evidence to support the use of manipulative physiotherapy (joint mobilisation or manipulation) for the short-term management of neck pain and some types of headaches. Evidence also supports the use of acupuncture, TENS, pulsed electromagnetic therapy, biofeedback and exercise rehabilitation. At present, neck collars, ultrasound, laser and traction cannot be recommended for the treatment of neck pain as there is not enough evidence to support these interventions.

In Australia, a referral is not required to be able to see a physiotherapist – although it is often helpful for you to bring as much information about your health history as well as any specific medical or surgical details that relate to your reason for seeing a physiotherapist. There are a few exceptions to this. You will need to obtain a referral from your GP prior to attending physiotherapy in the circumstances of:

  • Workers Compensation Claims
  • CTP (Third Party) Road Accident Claims
  • Medicare Claims (e.g. Chronic Disease Management referral)

Spinal surgery

Spinal surgery can include surgery to any part of the spine, including the lumbar (lower back), thoracic (mid back) or cervical (neck) region. Types of surgery may include a discectomy, laminectomy, decompression of nerves or fusion of two or more levels of the spine.

Treatment is aimed at restoring range of motion, guiding you through a safe and thorough recovery from surgery, and preventing future reoccurrences through addressing any contributing factors.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Most healing takes place in the three to four months after surgery, but healing may continue for at least a year. For certain spinal surgery, such as fusion, you will probably be unable to work or drive for four to six weeks. Recovery is best done under the guidance of an expert health professional such as a physiotherapist who will regularly communicate with your surgeon to develop a post-surgical treatment plan.
There are many different types of spinal surgery including laminectomy, discectomy, spinal fusion and many others. Surgery can be performed on any area of the spine: cervical (neck), thoracic (mid / upper back), or lumbar (lower back).
It is important to follow your surgeon’s guidelines in terms of lifting or movement restrictions after surgery as this will depend on the type of surgery performed. In most cases some gentle walking is the best type of activity following surgery, with hydrotherapy (water-based exercise) often being a suitable option once your wound has healed and you have clearance from your surgeon.

In Australia, a referral is not required to be able to see a physiotherapist – although it is often helpful for you to bring as much information about your health history as well as any specific medical or surgical details that relate to your reason for seeing a physiotherapist. There are a few exceptions to this. You will need to obtain a referral from your GP prior to attending physiotherapy in the circumstances of:

  • Workers Compensation Claims
  • CTP (Third Party) Road Accident Claims
  • Medicare Claims (e.g. Chronic Disease Management referral)

Services used in this treatment plan include

Exercise Physiology
Hydrotherapy
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy

Other Services

Physiotherapy

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Occupational Therapy

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Hydrotherapy

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Exercise Physiology

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Speech Pathology

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Diabetes Education

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Osteopathy

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If you are suffering from constant back and neck pain, it’s time to come and see us about alleviating your symptoms, working on a personalised treatment plan to cure or manage or pain as a short- and long-term solution. 

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