Physical Therapy for Back Pain
If you have experienced intense back pain, you’ve likely felt inclined to sit back, relax, and let your spine rest. Although rest is a great way to reduce temporary pain, it is never an answer for the long term. It has been proven that a lack of motion can exacerbate your symptoms and worsen your condition over time. Therefore, controlled motions, stretches, and exercises are important to regaining control of your body and managing your back pain. Physical therapy is an excellent way for patients to regain movement in a controlled environment with a professional through an organized program.
If you have never experienced a physical therapy program before, you may be confused about how it works, and it might seem intimidating, but physical therapy is one of the best ways to treat many spine conditions without surgery. If you are hesitant to start your physical therapy journey, let us outline what may happen so you know what to expect.
What to Expect at a Physical Therapy Appointment
First, you will need a referral from your physician or specialist outlining your condition, including any X-rays or MRI scans that you may have. This will allow the physical therapist to understand what is causing your pain. Depending on your condition, appointments typically consist of balance, strength, stretch, and mobility exercises and tests. After observing how your body handles these exercises, the physical therapist will adjust their treatment for the next visit and do this continually until you reach a healthy state where you can manage your back pain.
Physical therapists approach treatment differently depending on your overall health and the severity of your condition. Some physical therapists will use hands-on medical massage techniques in addition to exercises. This will depend on what the physical therapist observes and what they see is the approach for you. Here is a list of some exercises, therapies, and treatments your specialist might use:
- Heating pads or ice
- Range-of-motion exercises
- Walking exercises
- Cupping
- Dry needling
- Pelvic floor and core exercises
- TMJ therapy
- Kinesio taping
- Soft tissue mobilization
Physical Therapy at BEST Health System
At BEST Health System, we value helping patients find minimally invasive solutions to their spine, orthopaedic, and neuropathic conditions. Have you been suffering from back pain? Consider reaching out to the experienced, board-certified team at BEST to find relief today. If you are looking to find more information on our excellent team members and surgeons, be sure to give us a call today.
