Conditions
Chiropractic, Osteopathy & Physiotherapy Solutions for Lumbago (Lower Back Pain)
Lower back pain, or lumbago, is a common yet often debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Whether it’s a dull ache or a sharp pain that limits your mobility, lumbago can make everyday activities challenging. We specialise in diagnosing and treating lower back pain with techniques that aim not just to alleviate pain but to address its root causes.
Lumbago affects people of all ages and can be triggered by a variety of factors, including physical strain, poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, or underlying spinal conditions. It can manifest as a persistent ache, sudden sharp pain, or stiffness in the lower back area. Understanding the specific nature and cause of your back pain is crucial for effective treatment.
Don’t let lumbago hold you back from enjoying a full and active lifestyle.
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We treat ALL musculoskeletal conditions, and confidently believe we can help anyone lead a healthier, comfortable life, free from pain.
FAQ
What is lumbago?
Lumbago is pain in the lower back, in the lumbar region between the bottom of the ribcage and the top of the buttocks. It is a descriptive term for the location of pain rather than a diagnosis of its cause, so lumbago can arise from muscle strain, joint irritation, disc problems or age-related change in the spine.
What does lumbago mean in English?
Lumbago simply means lower back pain. The word comes from the Latin lumbus, meaning loin. It is an older clinical term still widely used in the UK and in translations from other European languages, where the modern medical notes would more often say "low back pain" or "lumbar pain". The two describe the same thing.
What causes lumbago?
Most lumbago comes from mechanical strain: lifting awkwardly, sitting for long periods, a sudden twist, or a build-up of load without enough recovery. Other common causes are irritation of the small facet joints of the spine, disc bulges, and age-related degenerative change. Serious underlying disease accounts for a very small proportion of cases.
What are the symptoms of lumbago?
Lumbago typically presents as a dull ache or sharp pain across the lower back, often worse on bending, sitting or first standing up in the morning. Muscle stiffness, spasm and reduced movement are common. Pain that travels down the leg, or numbness and tingling in the leg, indicates nerve involvement rather than lumbago alone.
Is lumbago the same as sciatica?
No. Lumbago is pain confined to the lower back. Sciatica is pain travelling down the leg along the path of the sciatic nerve, caused by irritation of a nerve root. The two often occur together, and lumbago can develop into sciatica, but leg pain is what separates them.
Which part of the back does lumbago affect?
Lumbago affects the lumbar spine, the five vertebrae in the lower back between the bottom of the ribcage and the pelvis, along with the surrounding joints, discs and muscles. Pain is usually felt across the lower back and can spread into the buttocks and the top of the thighs. Pain travelling below the knee suggests nerve involvement rather than lumbago alone.
How is lumbago treated?
First-line treatment is staying active, using pain relief as needed, and hands-on treatment combined with graded exercise. At Myoset in Canary Wharf this means physiotherapy or osteopathy to restore movement in the lower back and hips, followed by a strengthening programme — often through clinical or reformer Pilates — to reduce the chance of it returning.
What exercises help lower back pain?
Gentle movement in every direction the back tolerates, walking, and hip mobility work are the usual starting points, progressing to glute, abdominal and back strengthening as pain settles. Which exercises help depends on which movements ease your pain and which provoke it, so a short assessment is more useful than a generic exercise sheet.
When should I worry about lower back pain?
Seek urgent medical assessment if you develop numbness around the groin, buttocks or inner thighs, loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty starting to urinate, or rapidly worsening weakness in both legs. Also seek advice for back pain following significant trauma, or accompanied by unexplained weight loss, fever or night pain that wakes you.
Can Myoset treat lumbago in Canary Wharf?
Yes. Myoset at Republic, 2 Clove Crescent, London E14 2BE treats lower back pain through physiotherapy, osteopathy, sports massage and clinical Pilates. An initial 45-minute consultation including treatment is £75. The clinic serves Canary Wharf, Poplar and the wider E14 area, and appointments can be booked online or on +44 20 4586 1446.