Health Information

Your weight is a significant indication of the state of your health.

If you are obese, you are at increased risk for a number of conditions including back pain. While back pain is not necessarily life threatening, it may mean you are not getting all you can out of life. When the body takes on additional weight, you place additional stress on the spine.

A particularly large stomach will pu…

Herniated Disc is a fragment of the spinal disc nucleus (spongy centre), which is pushed out of the annulus (outer ring), into the spinal canal through a tear or “rupture.” In the herniated disc’s new position, it presses on spinal nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, or weakness in the low back, leg or foot.

Herniated discs are most common in the lumbar spine – the part of your backbone b…

Postural Mal-alignments such as stooping or hunched back (kyphosis), and sway back (lordosis) can be the source of chronic back pain. Leg length difference may lead to recurrent back pain because it causes mal-alignment of the spine and pelvis. Shoe lifts can be used to compensate for a shorter leg. Other postural mal-alignments can be helped by specific exercise programmes or bracing.

Osteoporosis is a global problem that is increasing in significance as the population of the world both grows and ages. For these reasons, osteoporosis is often referred to as the “silent epidemic”. While women are more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from this condition. It is a debilitating disease but can often be prevented and treated.

Osteoporosis, or porous bone…

Changes to the musculoskeletal system which occur during this time include; changes in posture, spinal or pelvic pain as well as lengthening of the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles.

The incidence of some degree of back pain during pregnancy is relatively high. Researchers worldwide have suggested it may be between 30 – 70%. The cause of back pain during pregnancy remains debateable and oft…

Everyone’s spine has natural curves. These curves round our shoulders and make our lower back curve slightly inward. A spine with scoliosis has abnormal curves with a rotational deformity. The deformity may occur in varying degrees in three planes: back-front; side-to-side; top-to-bottom.

Scoliosis is a descriptive term and not a diagnosis. As such, a search is made for the cause. Besides th…

The sciatic nerves are the largest nerves in the body, almost ¾’ wide. They supply sensation and motor control to your buttocks, hips and legs. Starting in the lower spine, they pass behind the hip joint, and go down the buttock and back of the leg to the foot.

Nerve inflammation or compression of nerves in your lower back or your buttock can cause sciatica. Pain often radiates down the butt…

Participating in sports and physical fitness activities, as well as simple everyday activities can lead to soft tissue damage of ligaments, tendons and muscles. These injuries may be the result of a single episode or as a result of repeated overuse. The result can be pain, swelling, bruising and damage to underlying structures of soft tissues.

Soft tissue injuries are classified as:

Sprai…

Infection of the spinal column is a very broad topic and includes those diseases that arise spontaneously and those that are secondary to some inflamed event. True infections are uncommon, particularly in the industrialised countries of the world. Although rare, diseases such as tuberculosis of the spine should be considered with spinal infections. TB is more common in under developed countries…

Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the narrowing of spaces in the spinal canal that results in pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. This may be localised to just one area of the spine or may extend over a long length of the spine. Pressure on the lower part of the spinal cord or on nerve roots branching out from that area may give rise to pain or numbness in the legs. Pressure …