Low Backache
Ms Lim, a lady in her twenties came to see me this morning with complaints of low backache after waking up from sleep. She told me that she did not do any physical activity except the washing the corridor the previous day. However, she was able to sit with mild pain and did not have 'shooting' pain to her legs. She was previously seen by my colleague 1 month ago for the same problem but it resolved with some vitamin B12 supplementation and an analgesic.
She bent her back backward and forward and had moderate pain on the left side but her range of movement was full. She had some tenderness of the left quadratus lumborum muscle and the posterior superior iliac spine on both sides.
She was not keen on doing exercises or investigating further as she felt it was not a serious injury. I left her with a muscle relaxant, 5 days of moderate analgesics and advice to remain 'active'. She was told she could return to see me again if symptoms did not resolve as 50% of non-specific low back pain tends to resolve on their own within a week. I informed her that she probably should not use the corset (see picture attached) for longer than 2 weeks duration.
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2 comments:
Do corsets help ?
Or do they actually do more harm by contributing to muscle weakness ?
As a long time sufferer, I found that the best way is to do back exercises.
A strong back would be better equiped to handle the daily strains.
You are absolutely right. Rehabilitation exercises are what really helps long term. Corsets are just for temporary relieve and are not recommended for prolonged use. Occasionally, you may use it if you are doing unaccustomed work e.g. lifting.
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