Low Back Pain

Low back pain is one of the most common conditions prevalent in the general population.

Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives. Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability in the world and accounts for 264 million lost work days each year.

Most back pain is caused by mechanical causes. The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain.

While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from diseases of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.

There is a substantial amount of medical literature supporting specific physical therapy exercises for the treatment of low back pain. While most episodes of low back pain are self-limiting and will get better on their own, active exercise plays an important role in helping reduce the patient’s pain and improving subsequent function in patients with low back pain. An ongoing exercise program also reduces the likelihood and severity of future occurrences of low back pain.

Author

Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy is an outstanding specialty service providing exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments for the residents of Farmingdale and Great Neck, New York. The combination of innovative exercise programs, manual therapy, and technology together with the expertise of every member of the team enables Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy to provide services that ensure superior clinical outcomes and consistently high patient satisfaction.