Treatment For Back Pain – Effective & Backed By Research
The team at Central Performance is thrilled to announce our new Back Pain Program. It is designed specifically for people dealing with chronic or recurrent back pain, or those recovering from spinal surgery. It uses the latest research findings on back pain treatment and prevention to provide effective and long-lasting relief from back pain.
Is The Back Pain Program Right For You?
The Back Pain Program has been specifically built for two types of clients.
1. People With Chronic Or Recurrent Back Pain
The program is ideal for you if you feel you’ve “tried everything and nothing really seems to work or last very long”. This might include physio, osteo, chiro, lots of medication, guided cortisone injections, or just trying to do your own thing in the gym.
Research shows that exercise is among the most effective treatments for people who have had back pain for 3-6 months or more. Many clients who we successfully manage for back pain have had pain for many years. This includes people who have relatively constant or frequent pain, as well as people who have intermittent pain episodes, i.e. their pain lasts for a while then goes away, but comes back again intermittently.
The program is perfect for people who have lost confidence in their ability to move, exercise or do common tasks like lifting, carrying, gardening, housework or DIY. It is also designed for people who have had to give up or limit their sport or gym routine because they are worried their back will “go” if they try to do physically demanding exercise. We guide clients through a safe and predictable process to steadily increase their capacity for exercise and sport again.
2. Spinal Surgery Clients
The Back Pain Program follows on smoothly from your inpatient or early rehab program. It is designed to continue the process of restoring your movement, building up your strength, and regaining your confidence to return to activity following surgery.
We fully take into account any specific post-op conditions or protocols from your surgeon, and liaise with them to provide updates on your progress.
How Can The Back Pain Program Help You?
Put simply, the Back Pain Program is designed to get you back doing the things that you want to do safely, confidently, and for the long term. It focuses on your personal goals and activities that you want to do. Some key highlights of the program are;
1. A Customised Approach
Back pain does not respond well to a one-size-fits-all approach. We take the time to understand your history, your lifestyle and the activities you want to get back to. Your personalised program is then developed to ideally meet your needs with exercises that are safe and effective.
2. Expert Guidance
You will work with one of our accredited exercise physiologists who will support you every step of the way. Exercise physiologists are degree-qualified health professionals with specific training on exercise prescription for conditions such as back pain. All of our team have years of experience working with back pain clients.
3. Backed By Research
The Back Pain Program is built on evidence-based recommendations for using exercise in the management of chronic, recurrent and post-operative back pain. Appropriate exercise has consistently been shown to be effective for reducing pain, maximising movement and function, and reducing the risk of future episodes.
4. Long-Term Results
We are committed to helping you achieve lasting results, not just short-term relief. Our ultimate goal? Returning you back to the activities, sport and life that you want.
Why Develop The Back Pain Program?
We really understand the impact that back pain can have on your life. It can stop you doing the things you enjoy, interrupt your work and home life, limit how much you socialise or get out and play with the kids, and take you out of your sport and exercise routine. It can also impact your mental health and mood by making you feel frustrated about missing out on things or be worried about your pain getting worse over time.
Some clients also say they feel “old” because they feel fragile and lose confidence to move freely or do normal daily things that involve bending, lifting and carrying. They stop or drastically reduce their gym or exercise routine because they’re not sure if it’s damaging their back, and they become apprehensive about physical activity in general because they are fearful of setting off their pain or making it worse. This reduction in activity can flow on to other general health problems like weight management, cardiovascular and metabolic problems, depression and anxiety.
The Back Pain Program was developed to comprehensively address all of these issues. Using a structured exercise approach which is continually adjusted to meet the needs of each client, in combination with close supervision from experienced exercise physiologists, you have all the support you need to make real and lasting improvements.
How Does The Program Work?
The Back Pain Program is delivered by our team of accredited exercise physiologists. It is a staged program, taking you from early management of pain and movement restriction through to functional exercise to build strength and resilience. It is highly personalised, meaning that the exercises in each stage of the program are selected and adjusted to meet the needs of each individual client.
Your Initial Assessment Session
Your first appointment in the Back Pain Program is your initial assessment session. In this session your exercise physiologist will take a thorough history and guide you through a physical examination. The aim of the session is to really understand what your goals are, what your back pain is currently stopping you doing that you want to get back to, and what your current level of fitness and physical ability is.
In your assessment session we also discuss your current understanding and beliefs about your back pain. We cover things such as what you have been told is wrong with your back, how to best treat it, and whether doing activities that cause some pain are good or bad. Research shows that having a good understanding about your back pain and how to best manage it is very helpful. It can build your confidence to move and exercise again, plus take a lot of the fear and uncertainty out of whether you should be doing certain activities or not.
The Five Stages Of The Back Pain Program
Following your initial assessment, you will progress at your own pace through the five stages of the Back Pain Program.
Stage 1: Movement Pattern Restoration
The first step is to get you moving again and rebuild your confidence to move in ways that you have avoided or found painful in the past. Exercise at this stage is low-level and matched closely to your ability, symptom level and confidence.
Stage 2: Movement Progression
Here you are gradually introduced to higher-level body weight loaded exercises. You are also guided through preparation for weighted exercises.
Stage 3: External Load Introduction
This stage builds your confidence around exercises involving weight and targets daily activities that you are having difficulty with. As in all stages, you progress at your own pace according to how you are feeling.
Stage 4: External Load Progression
You now progress with increased weight and complexity of exercises. This stage effectively builds you up for a return to normal activity, exercise and sport, and is highly tailored to your individual goals.
Stage 5: Exercise Independence
In this final stage you graduate from the program into the activities and life you love! We make sure that you reach all of your goals and have full confidence to stay healthy and active into the future.
Chris McCarthy, Head of Exercise Physiology
Back Pain Program Developer
I have a special interest in exercise-based management of low back pain. I get great joy from watching my clients achieve their goals through exercise as they progress from limited and painful movement through to returning to their full activity and sport.
The Back Pain Program is the result of integrating the latest research findings on exercise for back pain into my years of experience working with back pain clients. It provides a structured step-by-step approach to assessing and managing back pain that enables clients to maximise their strength and achieve their goals for activity and exercise. It is perfect for clients who feel that they have “tried everything” without success.
Getting Started On The Back Pain Program
Getting started is easy. Just click the buttons to book online or contact Chris McCarthy to ask any questions that you have. You can also call reception on 9280 2322 to speak to Chris or for bookings.
