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Is Chronic Back Pain Ruling Your Life? Physical Therapy Can Put An End To That

Is Chronic Back Pain Ruling Your Life? Physical Therapy Can Put An End To That

Have you ever felt as if your chronic back pain condition has kept you from living your normal, full life?

The nagging, painful feeling in your back can stem from a variety of underlying causes, in some cases growing progressively worse from day to day until you can hardly move at all. Some people find themselves calling out of work much more often than they normally would, due to their back giving them problems!

Even with these awful movement limitations, however, you may be understandably wary of subjecting your back to the risks of major surgery. Surgery results in a long recovery time, taking off of work, and sometimes even lasting movement restrictions.

The good news is that you may not need to go to such extremes, thanks to physical therapy. A skilled physical therapist can often identify the source of your pain, developing a personalized treatment program that doesn’t involve drugs or surgery in any way!

Call our clinic today to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy, and to schedule a consultation with one of our movement experts.

How does back pain become chronic?

The unfortunate truth is that most people will recognize back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain, in particular, plagues an estimated fourth-fifths of adults.

Many back pain issues are related to acute injuries such as auto-accidents, sports accidents, or workplace injuries caused by lifting heavy objects improperly. As these injuries heal themselves, the pain normally fades away. In other situations, such as pregnancy, back pain disappears after the baby is born and the body resumes its normal weight and spinal alignment.

Sometimes, however, back pain develops into a chronic problem, especially if you experience it for longer than 3 months at a time.

Some conditions such as spinal arthritis, spondylolisthesis, or spinal stenosis don’t heal themselves, leaving you with constant or recurring pain.

Other kinds of chronic back pain occur due to repetitive motion injuries and soft tissue strain. Weak back muscles that don’t support a normal posture, or musculoskeletal irregularities such as fallen arches, poor workplace or sports ergonomics, can place your upper or lower back in a state of true agony as well.

Opioids and surgeries

Have you been fearing the treatment for your chronic back pain more than you’ve been worried about the actual pain itself? Many back pain sufferers are rightfully concerned about the threat of having to begin taking large numbers of painkillers, which may reduce their pain temporarily…..while creating another handful of long-term complications. The opioid epidemic in our country is something to be concerned about, as an estimated 50,000 individuals died from fatal opioid overdoses in 2018.

What about surgery? Many people become fearful at the topic of being cut open, as they understand that surgery counts as a form of trauma the body will have to heal from in recovery. They may be even more afraid to undergo a major spinal surgery such as vertebral fusion, a procedure which may leave you even more limited in your range of motion, prove completely ineffective against the pain, or possibly even make the pain worse.

In a world where we’re faced with many different pain relieving options that are quite temporary, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Physical therapy.

Why physical therapy might be the key to pain relief for your back pain

The smartest way to fight chronic back pain is by helping your back function more normally — and the smartest way to do that is through physical therapy.

Our physical therapist can assess your condition and pinpoint the cause of your upper or lower back pain. They’ll be able to determine if it is from a degenerative condition to strained muscles or an unbalanced body.

All physical therapy treatment plans are different, however, there are plenty of common exercises and stretches you may benefit from, including:

  • Flexibility exercises to gently and carefully extend your pain-free range of back motion
  • Lifestyle changes to prevent unnecessary strain due to awkward workplace or sports ergonomics
  • Strengthening exercises to help you enjoy better spinal support and maintain a straighter posture
  • Cold laser therapy and/or massage therapy to soothe, warm and relax tight muscles and connective tissues
  • Alternating cryotherapy and heat therapy to relieve tissue pain and inflammation
  • Chiropractic adjustments to normalize your spinal alignment and improve spinal joint function
  • Stabilization exercises to help keep your spinal components in place as you perform everyday tasks (from sitting in a chair to getting out of bed)
  • Orthotics to compensate for foot or leg imbalances that are straining your muscles

We’ve got your back; call us today

You don’t have to continue to allow debilitating back pain to control your routine. There’s a better alternative to surgeries and pain medications for your symptoms as well. Gain control over your chronic back pain by making your back healthier overall. Contact Lake Country Physical Therapy today — your back will thank you later!

Source:
Erin McCabe

Written By

Zenobia Tantra

PT, DPT, CAPP-PF, CCI, CFeMT

Zenobia is one of the founding members of the company. She specializes in Pelvic Floor Rehab and is one of the few CAPP certified pelvic floor therapists in the country.

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