Back pain is one of the most common ailments suffered by 80% of Americans at some point in their lives. It leads to limited movements and the disability to perform everyday activities with ease.
Even though medications promote temporary relief of pain, physical therapy is a safe, painless, and non-invasive method that allows patients to manage pain effectively and improve movements.
What Causes Back Pain
Back pain results from various conditions and injuries, and the most common ones include,
Herniated Disc – It is a painful spinal problem that occurs when the inner portion of the disc protrudes through the outer ring, leading to pain and numbness.
Arthritis – Degenerative arthritis or spinal arthritis is caused due to the wear and tear of the cartilage, leading to pain and inflammation.
Spinal Stenosis – It is the narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back caused due to arthritis in the spine.
Muscle strain – Repeated movements and lifting heavy objects cause strain in the back muscles and spine.
This article describes the benefits of physical therapy in treating back pain caused by different conditions and injuries.
Benefits of Physical Therapy for Back Pain
1) Personalized Treatment
Physical therapists are experts and highly trained professionals who can identify the hidden problems that could have caused back pain, including slipped disc, muscle strain, sciatica, or nerve impingement.
They ask about the patients’ health history, age, body type, specific symptoms and perform a thorough physical examination by assessing their movement behaviors and how they use their body while performing different everyday activities.
Physical therapists evaluate the results of the physical examination and identify the factors that have caused back pain. They will design an individualized treatment plan to address the patients’ back pain.
2) Help reduce Pain
During the initial session, physical therapists analyze the movements of patients when they walk, run, sit, stand, or perform other activities. With the help of these analyzes, the physical therapists recommend specific exercises that help reduce pain caused by movements.
Physical therapists may also prefer some physical therapy modalities, including electrical stimulation, iontophoresis, and ultrasound therapy to promote back pain relief in Alachua County, FL.
Electrical stimulation applies low-voltage electric current through electrodes adhered to the patient’s body. These electric impulses stimulate nerve cells to block pain signals from receiving the brain and increase the number of endorphins produced. Iontophoresis delivers steroids through the skin that relieves acute episodes of back pain. With ultrasound therapy, sound waves are sent deep into the soft tissues to enhance healing and relieve back pain.
3) Restore Normal Mobility
Back pain limits the range of motion and leads to a decreased quality of life. Patients with back pain can attain more benefits by regularly stretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support the spine. Hence, physical therapists suggest stretches that help relieve tension in the muscles, reduce the risk of disability caused by back pain, thus improving overall mobility.
Physical therapists also recommend strengthening exercises to condition the weak back muscles, thus allowing to regain the full range of motion and promoting back pain relief in Alachua County, FL.
4) Help Increase Support to The Spine
Physical therapists utilize back strengthening exercises focused on the core muscles that are responsible for supporting and minimizing strain on the spine. These exercises help reduce stress on the spinal discs and joints, promote better spinal alignment and overall posture. McKenzie method is also preferred to remove pressure off the spinal discs and strengthen the muscles around the spine.
5) Eliminate The Need for Surgery
It is possible to treat back pain without surgery and with the help of physical therapy treatments, including spinal manipulation, acupuncture, TENS therapy, and specific exercises. With spinal manipulation, physical therapists adjust the spinal structures to improve mobility, reduce stiffness, and promote back pain relief in Alachua County, FL.
With acupuncture, physical therapists insert thin needles to release natural pain-relieving chemicals and reduce tension on the back muscles. With TENS therapy, pain signals to the brain are blocked, and muscle spasms are relieved. Exercises improve core muscle strength and relieve stiffness in the back. Surgery is not always necessary for back pain, and patients can try these techniques.
6) Reduce The Risk of Further Injury
Physical therapists work with the primary goal of improving normal function, minimizing back pain, and educating the patients to prevent future episodes of pain. They teach core strengthening exercises to maintain flexibility and proper ergonomics. Ergonomics helps people be aware of proper sitting, standing, or bending positions and safe lifting techniques in the workplace.
