If you suffer with low back pain that lasts longer than a couple of weeks, your doctor will probably refer you to a physical therapist. While simple measures such as applying heat or ice or using over-the-counter pain remedies may help, the best approach for most back pain is exercises and other treatments under the guidance of a physical therapist.
When you come in for your evaluation, we are first and foremost going to determine what kind of back pain you are suffering from. Is it acute or chronic, and what is the reason for the pain? We will do tests to decide which category of treatment will work best for you.
Treatment Category #1:
If your problem stems from pressure on a nerve from a disc bulge or spinal stenosis, a repeated movement program may help. With these conditions, pain often travels down the leg and there may be numbness, tingling and weakness. Sometimes the leg pain may be worse than the back pain.
We can minimize the pain in the leg with one of two types of motions. If pain is worse with bending forward, movements that involved bending backwards may help relieve pressure on the nerve. If pain is less with bending forward, which is common with spinal stenosis, the second motion involves forward-bending movements to open up the area of pressure on the spine.
Treatment Category #2:
The second treatment category option is a stabilization program. This program is suited for people who move their spines in ways that deviate from normal or have pain with certain motions, such as rolling over in bed or getting up from a chair. They usually have this pain because they have weakness in the deep muscles of the abdomen.
People with back pain often have a difficult time engaging the correct muscles. When the deep spinal muscles weaken, the other surrounding muscles become overly tight as they try to stabilize the spine. However, that is no their role, and pain and tightness will often develop due to that. Our physical therapists can teach you how to use the correct abdominal and spinal muscles.
Treatment Category #3:
For people with stiffness in the spine, our physical therapists might do mobilizations. Stiffness may result from a variety of causes, such as osteoarthritis. It is a passive mechanical approach that aims to move joints and their surrounding tissues. The goal of this treatment is to reduce pain and stiffness while restoring correct alignment and function.
While there may be three categories of low back pain, we do have crossover. We may start a patient on a mobilization program, but then we may add stabilizations activities.
In addition to our hands-on and therapeutic exercise treatments, you may also use our Lightforce Class IV Deep Tissue Laser to help manage your pain. Our Class IV Laser provides lasting relief from both inflammation in the body and the pain normally produced by the condition, through a process called photobiomodulation. The phones are sent through the tissue to interact with your body at a cellular level. The metabolism of the cells is accelerated, which reduces inflammation. The reduction of inflammation also decreases pain, so both benefits are experienced simultaneously. We are now offering free trials with our Class IV Laser. Give us a call to schedule a free trial!
If you are experiencing low back pain, whether it is a relatively new problem or a chronic issue you have been dealing with for quite some time, the team at Reddy-Care Physical Therapy offers a variety of effective treatments. Call today to schedule an appointment.
