Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain: Finding Relief

Cancel your membership to the lower back pain club with the help of Physical Therapy

Do you want to hear a crazy statistic?  According to the Cleveland Clinic, 4 out of 5 people over the course of their lifetime will suffer from lower back pain.  So if you are reading this there is a good chance that you are one of those four people.  I know, I know the lower back pain club is not the club most people want to be a part of, but the good news is that there could be a way through the care of physical therapy that you can cancel your lower back pain club membership.

Lower Back and Its Many Names:

Most of us will refer to lower back pain as just that, lower back pain, but there are a few other names that it likes to go by.  Some of these names include lumbago, lumbar sprain or strain, slipped / bulging disc, degenerative arthritis, or, when it extends into the leg, sciatica.

Lower Back Pain Explained:

To most people, their low back pain is confusing and frustrating. Many times it starts without warning and for no obvious reason. It will interfere with the performance of basic daily activities and the ability to get a good night’s sleep. Then, often the pain will subside just as unexpectedly as it started. When in acute pain, most people are unable to think clearly about the trouble and simply seek pain relief. When episodes of back pain subside, most will then go

on to forget about their back trouble. Due to a lack of understanding of the specific nature of the back problem, we are unable to deal with the problem ourselves and are unable to prevent future episodes.

Causes and Symptoms of Lower Back Pain:

The majority of back pains are mechanical in nature, meaning that they are caused by problems with the moving parts of the spine. Therefore, certain movements that you make and positions you adopt can lead to the onset or worsening of pain. A very common example of this is patients who complain of worsening pain from bending forward for prolonged periods. Also, sitting for prolonged periods at work or while driving will bother these individuals and they might find it hard to get up from a sitting position. In some cases, it might even take a few minutes to be able to stand upright properly.

If you are like most patients with mechanical low back pain, you are better when you can move around frequently and worse when you have to remain in one position for long periods. You feel better when you are walking or are able to change positions frequently. There are times in the day when you will be much better and might even have no pain at all, and there are times when it is much worse. There are some people whose pain will have worsened to the point that it is constant and the changing of positions is necessary to simply find some relief from the pain.

Physical Therapy’s Treatment for Lower Back Pain:

At Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy each of our outpatient physical therapy clinics have therapists that specialize in the treatment of low back pain.  Through a personalized treatment plan that includes combing the components of manual therapy, exercise and pain relieving modalities, the pain that one feels from lower back pain can be vastly reduced if not all together resolved.

When speaking further on lower back pain, Travis Giesbrecht, PT, stated, “Back pain is the most common musculoskeletal disorder we see in physical therapy but surgical intervention is rarely needed.  A vast majority of people will respond positively to a short course of therapy to resolve their back pain and learn ways to manage or even prevent future recurrences.”  For those that are not sure if seeking out a physical therapist for their lower back pain is the best move, we have created a quick lower back pain assessment to assist you.  Spread throughout Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, our Advance Rehabilitation Physical Therapy Clinical Team is here to help in managing, reducing and/or eliminating your lower back pain. To schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists please reach out to one of our clinic locations today by clicking on the graphic below.

Physical Therapy Low Back Pain Quick Assessment

If 3 or more YESs are present then the patient would likely benefit from a Mechanical Diagnosis and Physical Therapy Examination. The more YESs that are present, the higher the probability of a successful outcome with a mechanical examination.

Are symptoms present for less than 16 days in the most recent exacerbation? Yes or No

If the patient has lower extremity symptoms, are the symptoms above the knee? Yes or No

Does the patient’s low back pain vary in intensity? Yes or No

Do movements or positions change the patient’s symptoms? Yes or No

Does the patient have a hard time standing after sitting? Yes or No

Are the symptoms worse after bending, stooping, or sitting? Yes or No

Are the symptoms usually worse in the morning? Yes or No