Treatment Options For Spine Pain
Our therapists use a number of tactics for treating patients suffering from neck and back pain, including strengthening weak muscles, stretching tight muscles, instruction in proper posture and body mechanics, ice, heat and electrical stimulation. We also use traction pulling on the spine to open up the space between the vertebrae — to decrease compression on the discs and the nerves. This can be done manually or on a special machine. The spine is a delicate part of the body and requires precise hands-on work by the therapist. Our specialists are certified to provide this high-level manual care.
Several of our facilities offer heated pools for aquatic therapy, which is an important option for people with spinal pain. The water provides buoyancy and allows patients to stand and move in ways that they otherwise can’t. The pool is a great starting point for patients with extreme pain or with chronic disease.
Can Back Pain Be Prevented
Recurring back pain resulting from improper body mechanics may be prevented by avoiding movements that jolt or strain the back, maintaining correct posture, and lifting objects properly. Many work-related injuries are caused or aggravated by stressors such as heavy lifting, contact stress , vibration, repetitive motion, and awkward posture.Recommendations for keeping ones back healthy
Your Solution It Might Be A Combination
Houser notes that while there are three categories of treatment, there is crossover. We may start a person with mobilization and then add stabilization activities, he says.
He also emphasizes the importance of understanding the natural course of back pain. You may continue to have periodic episodes of back pain, but there often is recovery with each episode. We help patients have less frequent episodes or be able to self-manage those episodes if they do occur he says.
This article originally appeared in Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor.
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Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain
- Muscle strain low back muscle provides strength and mobility for doing your daily activities and overworked or weak muscles are likely to suffer from muscle strain.
- Poor posture your poor posture can be a great contributor to your low back pain as in some situations where we used to sit in a slouched position makes our muscle fatigue, joint compression, and stress on the disc. years of abuse of posture can make your muscle imbalance such as tightness and weakness.
- Age it is one of the major reasons behind low back pain because as we age our disc starts to degenerate but this can be minimized with regular exercise, proper nutrition, proper lifting, body compression, and avoidance of smoking.
- Ligament sprain it provides stability to the spine and these can be injured because of sudden or powerful movement or prolonged stress.
- Disc bulge it is one of the famous causes of back pain. Herniation of the disc can put pressure on the nerve, which will radiate the pain down your leg.
- Other causes of low back pain include kidney/bladder infection, endometriosis, ovarian problem, and many other problems which should not be ignored. If the person has back pain due to any fracture or any severe disease then I recommend you to immediately contact your doctor because it is not a case treated by physical therapy.
What Is The Main Cause Of Lower Back Pain
Most commonly, mechanical issues and soft-tissue injuries are the cause of low back pain. These injuries can include damage to the intervertebral discs, compression of nerve roots, and improper movement of the spinal joints. The single most common cause of lower back pain is a torn or pulled muscle and/or ligament.
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Understanding Chronic Low Back Pain
Pain is usually thought of as a sign of injury, such as the pain of a cut or a fracture, but low back pain is different. Low back pain can be intense and persistent but it does not necessarily indicate the presence of a serious, ongoing injury. X-ray and MRI results are often not representative of the intensity of pain a person reports. Various studies have shown that people who experience more intense low back pain often have better MRI results than those who have less intense low back pain. The question is why do people have different pain experiences regardless of the findings on their MRI studies?
To answer this question, researchers have investigated how and why we feel pain. They have observed that pain is an experience created by the brain when there is danger or the threat of danger to the tissues. During this process, the brain gathers information from the rest of the body, your memory and emotions, and decides if pain should be felt or not. Your nervous system perceives low back pain as a significant danger. This perception of danger will prompt you to stay in bed and rest, but this is typically the wrong approach. Your physician or physical therapists advice will probably be to stay gently active, which will get you back on your feet much sooner.
Low Back Pain Examination
The first aim of the physiotherapy examination for a patient presenting with back pain is to classify the patient according to the diagnostic triage recommended in international back pain guidelines. Serious and specific causes of back pain with neurological deficits are rare but it is important to screen for these conditions. Serious conditions account for 1-2% of people presenting with low back pain and 5-10% present with specifics causes LBP with neurological deficits. When serious and specific causes of low back pain have been ruled out individuals are said to have non-specific back pain.
Leg pain is a frequent accompaniment to low back pain, arising from disorders of neural or musculoskeletal structures of the lumbar spine. Differentiating between different sources of radiating leg pain is important to make an appropriate diagnosis and identify the underlying pathology. Schäfer et alproposed that low back-related leg pain be divided into four subgroups according to the predominating pathomechanisms involved. Each group presents with a distinct pattern of symptoms and signs although there may be considerable overlap between the classifications. The importance of distinguishing low back-related leg pain into these four groups is to facilitate diagnosis and provide a more effective, appropriate treatment:
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Physical Therapy Treatment For Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be a debilitating condition that affects every aspect of your life unlike sacral dimple. There are many different treatments available to help relieve the discomfort and return you to normal function. One effective treatment is physical therapy, which is designed to reduce the pain and restore normal function in a short period. However, it is important that you understand how physical therapy works before you decide on whether or not it will be suitable for your condition. In this article, well cover what physical therapy is, as well as the steps involved with treatment for lower back pain.
Low Back Pain Fact Sheet
If you have had lower back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is one of most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. Even school-age children can have back pain.
Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain. It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Getting too little exercise followed by a strenuous workout also can cause back pain.
There are two types of back pain:
- Acute, or short-term back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks. Most low back pain is acute. It tends to resolve on its own within a few days with self-care and there is no residual loss of function. In some cases a few months are required for the symptoms to disappear.
- Chronic back pain is defined as pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year. Even if pain persists, it does not always mean there is a medically serious underlying cause or one that can be easily identified and treated. In some cases, treatment successfully relieves chronic low back pain, but in other cases pain continues despite medical and surgical treatment.
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Considerations To Take Into Account Before You Decide On Physical Therapy
Before you decide to undergo physical therapy, consider the following:
-1. Do you have medical coverage?
-2. What is your current condition?
-3. How much pain are you experiencing on a scale of 1-10?
-4. Is your job flexible enough to accommodate restrictions after treatment?
-5. Are you committed to the hard work ahead of you?
If any of these questions troubles you, it may be best not to continue with physical therapy. Physical therapy is not a miracle cure and can take up to six weeks before relief is felt and normal function is restored. If this doesnt sound like something that will work for you, we encourage you to consult other methods that might better suit your needs and lifestyle!
What Will My Visits Look Like
At your initial consultation, your physical therapist will ask you several questions regarding your medical history, lifestyle, and painful area. This information will assist your physical therapist in creating the best treatment plan for you and your specific needs, so you can be provided with long-term results.
After your consultation, your evaluation process will begin. Your physical therapist will examine you by assessing your posture, coordination, strength, balance, flexibility, blood pressure, and/or heart rate, depending on your pain and symptoms. This evaluation will be both manual and visual.
When youve completed your thorough evaluation, your physical therapist will then create your treatment plan, beginning with passive physical therapy and leading into active physical therapy. You may also be given exercises to do at home, during your time away from treatments. This is all done in order to reduce pain, avoid further injury, and provide you with the quickest recovery time possible.
If you believe your lower back pain could benefit from our physical therapy services, give our office a call today to schedule your initial consultation. Well help you stand up to your back pain!
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Common Forms Of Physical Therapy
Common types of physical therapy include:
1. Passive physical therapy
Passive physical therapy for lower back pain is carried out by a therapist, and while you are encouraged to provide feedback, you dont need to be actively involved. The main purpose of these treatments is to help relieve pain, release tight muscles, improve joint flexibility, and ease stiffness.
Passive physical therapy examples include:
-
Low-impact aerobic conditioning
The 7 Best Exercises If You Have Lower Back Pain
While you should definitely consult your doctor if youre struggling with long-term lower back pain, research has found that strengthening certain muscles can prevent and alleviate lower back pain.. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement before slowly lowering back to your starting position.. If you do suffer from lower back pain, this one will feel great and can relieve tension and tightness in the lower back.. To do a superman, lie on your belly on your exercise mat, stretching both arms and legs out from your body.. Engage your glutes and raise both arms and legs off the floor, aiming for about six inches.. You should feel a stretch in your lower back.. Side leg raises activate your hips, abs, and lower back muscles, so they’re a good exercise to target the midsection of the body.. To do side leg raises, start by lying on your side, with your legs and hips stacked on top of each other.. To make the exercise harder, add a resistance band above the knees to increase the resistance, add ankle weights, or hold a dumbbell against the top leg as you raise and lower it.. Pause for a few seconds, before lowering your leg back down to the floor, and repeat on the opposite side.. Hold at the top of the movement for two or three breaths you should feel a stretch in your spine and lower back.. Then move into the cow part of the stretch by lowering your belly to the floor, lifting your sit bones outwards, and raising your head and neck to the ceiling, rounding your spine.
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Mobilization And Manipulation Therapies
A recent systematic literature review and meta-analysis has examined mobilization and manipulation for treating chronic low back pain . Bias was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria. The confidence in effect estimates was defined using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Nine trials provided sufficient data. Following treatment, the standardized mean difference for a decrease in pain was standardized mean difference =0.28, . When mobilization or manipulation was compared to other active therapies, seven trials showed the decrease in disability to be a SMD=0.33, .
Subgroup analyses showed that mobilization when compared to other active comparators , significantly decreased pain , but not disability .
Subgroup analyses showed that manipulation when compared to other active comparators , significantly decreased pain and disability .
A systematic review and meta-analysis of manipulation and mobilization in the treatment of chronic low back pain published in 2018, found moderate-quality evidence that manipulation and mobilization decreased pain and increased function . Manipulation seemed to be more effective than mobilization , although both were safe .
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Physical Therapy Treatment Plan For Lower Back Pain
To develop a physical therapy treatment plan that specifically addresses your needs, we carefully evaluate your medical history, test results, and any additional information that you have provided.
Our goal for your physical therapy visits
We believe that physical therapy can make a positive impact on your life, especially if you are dealing with a condition like lower back pain. Our goals for your time with us include:
When Exercise Doesn’t Work
All too often, spine practitioners refer patients for physical therapy and the patients return to the doctor stating they stopped the therapy because it hurt their backs or they just weren’t getting adequate low back pain relief for their efforts. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are a few reasons physical therapy rehabilitation may not alleviate back pain:
- The program prescribed does not include active exercise. This occurs when a patient’s physical therapy program includes very little muscle training and focuses more on the use of hot packs, cold packs, and stimulation therapy. While hot/cold packs and deep tissue massage can often provide immediate pain relief, they are best used in conjunction with active exercise as opposed to replacing it.
- Patients do the exercises incorrectly. Patients may not have a thorough understanding of how their exercises should be performed to bring about desired benefits. If this is the case, then the patient may benefit from a more thorough explanation of the exercise by a spine specialist and/or supervision and guidance by a qualified physical therapist who could correct possible errors in exercise performance.
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Physical Therapy Exercises For Lower Back Pain
You might do some exercises to reduce your pain. Stretching should be part of any workout routine since it lets you maintain a great range of motion. It also stops the muscles from shrinking if you do not use them. Your low back pain physical therapy might involve doing some stretching to relieve the issues. It can stretch tighter muscles, resolving spasms.
You might try doing some bridges. To do this exercise, lie on your back with your feet touching the floor and your knees bent. Then, you will move your hips up and keep your back straight while tensing your abdominal muscles. Hold this position for around 30 seconds.
Or you might try the knee to chest exercise. You also will lie on your back for this one, but start with your legs flat on the floor. You will move one knee at a time to your chest and hold it for around 15 to 30 seconds. Then, switch sides.
Can This Injury Or Condition Be Prevented
As experts in restoring and improving mobility and movement in people’s lives, physical therapists play an important role not only in treating persistent or recurrent low back pain, but also in preventing it and reducing your risk of having it come back.
Physical therapists can teach you how to use the following strategies to prevent back pain:
- Use good body positioning at work, home, or during leisure activities.
- Keep the load close to your body during lifting.
- Ask for help before lifting heavy objects.
- Maintain a regular physical fitness regimenstaying active can help to prevent injuries.
There is evolving evidence suggesting that the best strategy in preventing disability and care-seeking for low back pain is simply understanding what we are learning about the topic of pain. To learn more, read more about Pain.
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