Low Back Pain     Paul Townley, Physiotherapist, Shows Some Techniques for Treating Back Pain     There are a number of muscles that may be implicated in low back pain: Deep spinal muscles (small) - multifidus Lumbar erector spinae Gluteus medius Hamstrings Rectus abdominis Quadratus lumborum Iliopsoas  Added to this hardware is the software that the brain uses to coordinate and sequence movement. The above-mentioned structures feed information to the brain in a constant stream, providing orientation (proprioception) as well as force and direction (velocity).  The brain then responds by organizing movement sequences in functional units. These functional units...

Pain was once considered chronic if it lasted for more than three months and exceeded the body’s natural healing process.  There has recently been significant discussion about the histological time frame of chronicity, because cells that were thought to be involved in chronic inflammation have now been found much earlier (Watson, 2015).    Chronic pain in the low back may initially result from physical structures such as: Disc problems Joint problems Irritation of the nerve root But is then maintained (and on occasion made worse) by how the brain processes things.   This does not mean it is all in a...

The intercostal muscles provide about 25% of the total force of breathing, and may help stabilize the chest wall The intercostals are three layers of muscles that pass between the ribs. Each external outer layer intercostal attaches to the lower border of one rib, and, on a diagonal line, to the upper border of the rib below. The lowest intercostals merge with the external oblique muscles. The internal intercostals connect each rib from the cartilage to the upper border of the rib below it. There is also a deeper, innermost intercostal layer. The intercostal nerve runs between it and the more...

  Low back pain is the number one cause and cost of work related disability     Paul Townley, Physiotherapist, discusses Passive Physiological Intervertabral Movements     More than 90% of cases can be effectively managed with conservative measures 60% – 90% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives and it is rated second to respiratory illness as a reason for symptom-related visits to family doctors. Low back pain is the number one cause and cost of work related disability ($26.3 Billion in 2008). A significant cause of lost work and productivity, (it is the second most common...