Low back pain can be debilitating, but it can be temporary and improve without surgery. But in some patients, low back pain has current episodes. If this pain does not subside after a year, then it is considered chronic. The majority of people with low back pain find relief with home remedies. However, if these remedies do not help, a spine expert can help you get the relief you need. They use different tools for diagnosing low back pain Glen Rock and give comprehensive treatment that lets you take part in activities you enjoy.
How Physical Therapy Helps
Usually, physical therapy is the first line of treatment for lower back pain. It includes guided therapeutic exercises to strengthen the muscles in your lower back and condition your spinal joints and tissues. Physical therapy can reduce painful symptoms, improve the function of your lower back, make your spine more flexible, and establish a maintenance program, so you won’t have to deal with the same pain again in the future. The therapy helps you perform everyday activities with minimal to zero discomfort.
Kinds of Back Pain that Physical Therapy Can Treat
The majority of lower back pain may be managed with exercise and physical therapy. The pain’s underlying cause determines what the therapy program includes and the kinds of exercises that must be included. The following are common back pain that can be addressed with physical therapy:
- Sciatica. Sciatica is a symptom of an underlying condition, causing a spinal nerve compression or irritation in the lower back, causing pain. Typically, treatment includes flexion and extension exercises as well as lumbar strengthening exercises.
- Axial back pain. Typically, this pain is caused by different contributing factors like being overweight and improper posture. Often, physical therapy can treat chronic axial back pain that persists for more than three months. The therapy focuses on strengthening and stretching the lower back as well as eliminating lifestyle factors that contribute to the pain.
- Back pain after spine surgery. Exercise and physical therapy can help relieve fatigue after back surgery. Often, guided exercise programs can help with body healing and reduce back pain episodes. A good post-surgical program includes abdominal, leg, and back strengthening exercises are often recommended, along with some aerobic exercises.
For back pain that results from a severe medical condition like infection and spinal tumors, physical therapy is not recommended. Physical therapy for chronic lower back pain often begins with an eight-week program. A physical therapist can prescribe rehabilitation therapy after the guided phase.
