Physical Therapy Can Help Manage and Even Eliminate Back Pain in These 5 Ways
Does chronic back pain keep you from living the life you want to live? This debilitating symptom, which may be caused by a variety of underlying issues, may make you wish you could spend the rest of your life in your recliner.
However, you can in fact conquer your chronic back pain by getting out of the recliner and scheduling an appointment at a physical therapy practice. Here are five ways that our physical therapist can use this healing modality to help you put chronic back pain behind you!
1. Physical therapy can help rewire the pain signals in your brain
Physical therapy may do plenty of good for diagnosed conditions, but what do you do if your chronic pain is idiopathic – stemming from no obvious source? Even in this situation, a physical therapist can help you.
Physical therapists can employ “brain rewiring” through mindful awareness techniques that enable chronic pain sufferers to stay calm in the face of their symptoms.
Since pain is greatly worsened by accompanying anxiety, you can learn how to minimize the pain signals’ effects on your psyche, thus allowing them to fade into the background.
2. Physical therapy can help with lifestyle changes
You might be your back’s worst enemy without even realizing it. Chronic back pain can be related to numerous lifestyle choices.
Sleeping on the wrong kind of mattress, carrying too much weight, doing too much awkward bending or twisting in your workplace – these and other innocent errors can spell ongoing problems for your back. A physical therapist can point out these problems and suggest some healthy changes.
3. Physical therapy can relieve inflammation in the body
Chronic inflammation often means chronic back pain. Arthritis, autoimmune disorders, facet joint strain, tendinitis, and other such problems can leave you in constant discomfort. A physical therapist can figure out what kinds of exercises can help to increase circulation and reduce inflammation gently and naturally.
Other options may include inflammation-busting techniques such as massage therapy, cold laser therapy, heat applications, cold applications, and ultrasound therapy to boost blood flow and help the tissues expel inflammatory substances.
4. Physical therapy can help improve your flexibility
Pain and stiffness go hand in hand where the human back is concerned. Osteoarthritis of the spinal joints, hips or pelvis can cause chronic pain.
Muscles and connective tissues in the back reflexively tighten up in the presence of pain, which only makes you stiffer. Stretches and other physical therapy exercises can lengthen those muscles, loosening them up and increasing your pain-free back motion.
5. Physical therapy can provide strength training and lead to better back support Ready to gain these benefits?
A weak back is more likely to be a painful back. Muscles that don’t adequately support the back and spinal column leave you with postural problems that lead to pinched nerves, chronic musculoskeletal strain, and an increased vulnerability to acute injuries.
Weak back muscles also tend to become easily stressed and strained, becoming inflamed, stiff and painful as their default state.
Physical therapy exercises designed to beef up the strength of these muscles can provide the back with the support it needs. You’ll stand with a straighter posture, experience less day-to-day discomfort, and resist future injuries more easily.
Ready to gain these benefits?
Physical therapy is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the “first lines” of treatment for most types of chronic pain.
Altogether, our approach to diagnosing and treating back pain can benefit you by offering:
- Longer-lasting relief
- Improved spinal health
- Reduced risk of recurring issues and worsening tissue damage
- Decreased reliance on pain medications or invasive procedures
- Improved cost-effectiveness
- Lowered healthcare costs
- Decreased downtime (unlike back surgeries, which can require months of challenging recovery, often with little or no symptom improvement)
- Improved productivity
- Improved activity tolerance
- Increased sense of control of your health
- Increased understanding of your pain experience
Consult with a physical therapist today
Physical therapy could do wonders regarding your back pain, but only if you’re willing to take the first essential step. Please contact our physical therapist today and schedule your initial appointment!
Sources:
- https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/back-pain/physical-therapy-relieve-back-pain
- https://williamsonsource.com/5-ways-physical-therapy-can-help-with-lower-back-pain/
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-and-how-physical-therapy-can-provide-relief-for-your-low-back-pain/
- https://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/2019/5/Feature/ChronicPain/
- https://ppsapta.org/marketing/blog/browse.cfm?recID=377104BB-5056-A04E-37A935F4A2208A1E
Tags: health, wellness, PT, physicaltherapy, achesandpains, healthytips, healthandwellness, naturalpainrelief, physicaltherapist
