BSO one step closer to solving the mystery of lower back pain?

Posted By Mark Anderson | Tags: BSO, lower back pain, Dr Kevin Brownhill, PhD research | Comments (0)

Back pain is a widespread problem throughout the UK, and is a particular problem in those suffering from recurrent and chronic back pain. However, traditional medicine often can find no cause, and therefore, no treatment for these symptoms.

Dr Kevin Brownhill, a researcher at the British School of Osteopathy, has recently completed a project that has shed light on why people get persistent back pain.

As part of his PhD research, Dr Brownhill investigated the flexibility of the spine, using MRI motion studies of those who suffered from recurrent back pain and those who have never suffered. Part of the mystery is how the spine, a long chain-like mechanism, manages to successfully coordinate itself.

The study showed that those that had previous episodes of back pain had less variable motion patterns and the motion was confined to fewer joints. In other words, in those with no previous back pain, the spine appeared to be free to move in a greater number of ways, and use a larger number of joints.

Dr Brownhill commented, “The spine is designed to be extremely adaptable, but this adaptability also allows the spine to develop adverse motion patterns.. Those that have had previous back pain may be losing adaptability in order to maintain stability. This loss of adaptability may make the spine more vulnerable to unexpected movement in the future. We believe this research can help explain why back pain recurs.”

His results perhaps explain why osteopathy can alleviate pain when there is no obvious damage as manual therapy may correct motion patterns in ways that traditional painkiller cannot, by improving mobility in stiff areas and by reducing muscle restriction. The amount of tension between joints is believed to be vital in determining how the spine is coordinated.