Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common types of pain that motivates people to consider physical therapy. In fact, lower back pain is so common that one out of four Americans report having had at least some of it at some point in the last three months. Most of the time, it's mild and goes away on its own, but when it's chronic, it's best to consult a professional.

In fact, if your lower back pain is ever accompanied by the loss of bladder control or numbness in your groin, then you should head straight to the ER. It could be that the end of your spinal cord is getting squeezed.

While much lower back pain isn't an emergency, it can run the gamut of severity. It's technically defined as "chronic" when it has persisted for more than three months. ("Acute" is less than three months.) If it comes back, it's called, "recurrent." Most people with acute lower back pain suffer at least one recurrence. The bottom line here is that if your pain last for more than a few days, or of it gets worse, then you should see a physical therapist so that he or she can at least perform an evaluation. While you're waiting for your appointment, you should try to stay as active as you can. Too much bed rest can actually slow down your recovery.

After an initial evaluation, your physical therapist will tailor a treatment plan to your specific symptoms. That treatment plan will include the use of such techniques as spinal joint mobilization, which improves the mobility of your joints. Your treatment will probably also include a regimen of mobility and strength exercises. Direct pain relief can also be achieved during your physical therapy sessions, via the use of ice packs, hot packs, and electrical stimulation. Your therapist will also go over some simple tips with you that are intended to help you manage, or event prevent, your lower back pain in the future.

Part of that additional training your therapist will provide will include information on how to properly bend, lift, and sit, as well as information about proper sleeping positions. Don't neglect the importance of these instructions. A surprisingly high amount of lower back pain is simply caused by consistently bad posture. The advice your therapist provides isn't intended as nagging. It is intended to enable you to live a life that is as pain free as possible.

If you or a loved is suffering from Back Pain, contact a physical therapist today to see how we can help.