Back Pain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by adults. Whether it occurs traumatically from an injury or develops over time, if not treated the pain can become chronic and significantly impact your ability to function and participate in the activities you’re normally used to doing.
Back pain can be due to injury or irritation to a muscle or ligament, injury to a nerve, poor posture or postural deficits, arthritis, or disk degeneration, bulge, or rupture. A Physical therapist can help identify the cause of your back pain and then develop a plan to decrease your pain, improve your strength and function, and teach you how to prevent back pain from returning. It can also prevent the need for reliance on pain or nerve medication.
The American Physical Therapy Association co-sponsored a study titled “Observational retrospective study of the association of initial health care provider for new-onset low back pain with early and long -term opioid use which analyzed more than 200,000 insurance beneficiaries and revealed an important pattern. PT in Motion News, when discussing the article stated, “among patients seeking treatment for low back pain, those whose initial visit was with a physical therapist, chiropractor, or acupuncturist decreased their odds of early opioid use by between 85% and 91% and lowered their odds of long-term opioid use by 73% to 78% compared with those whose index visit was with a Primary Care Physician.
So, what exactly can a physical therapist do to decrease your low back pain? A physical therapist can use modalities such as ultrasound and TENS and manual interventions such as massage, myofascial release, joint mobilizations, and joint manipulations to decrease pain and improve mobility. In addition, they can work to increase your flexibility and complete postural education to decrease stress on your back. A physical therapist will also focus on core strengthening and Spine stabilization exercises to allow your muscles to support your spine the way it is designed to do. They will then work to return you to your prior level of function.
If you have any questions, give Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy a call!
Reddy Care Great Neck: 516-829-0030
Reddy Care Farmingdale: 516-420-2900
In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy: 516-829-0030
