Physical Therapy For The Lower Back
Lower
Back Pain Cause
There are
actually many types of back pain, but the most common is pain in the
lower back. Why you might ask. The reason is simple: you carry most
of your weight in the lower back. Thus, it is highly likely that a
person would suffer pain in that area.
There is
no definitive cause of lower back pain. Sometimes, the causes of the
condition are so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint just a
single one.
However, physical therapists and other
healthcare professionals have observed that lower back pain is often
a result of strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the
following activities:
-
Improper posture
-
Heavy lifting
-
Sudden awkward movement
-
Muscle spasm
-
Stress
We could all be guilty of the above
activities. We may not suffer any back pains now, but it is likely
that as we get older and the degree of inhibition of the back
muscles as a result of these activities increases, back pain becomes
a very distinct possibility.
In addition to these common activities,
lower back pain may also result from specific conditions, such as:
-
Herniated disk - when the disk material presses on a nerve.
-
Sciatica
- when a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve.
The condition causes sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks
and the back of the leg.
-
Spinal stenosis
- when the space around the spinal cord and nerve
roots becomes narrow. This is caused by arthritis and bone
overgrowth, the pain resulting from when a nerve gets pinched in
the narrow space.
-
Spondylosis
- a type of arthritis affecting the spine due to
degenerative changes brought on by aging.
-
Spondylolisthesis
- when one vertebra in the spinal column slips
forward over another.
Lower Back Pain Treatment
The treatment of lower back pain depends
on several factors, including the specific type of lower back pain
(whether it is chronic or acute) and the purported cause.
For instance, acute lower back pain is
commonly treated with pain relieving drugs, such as analgesics, or
some forms of exercises that can help relax the muscles.
On the other hand, chronic back pain – or
one that lasts for more than two weeks and is progressive – may be
caused by some underlying condition, during which case the treatment
plan may consist of resolving the underlying condition to treat the
back pain.
Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy Exercise
Physical therapy exercise is one of the
most common methods of treating lower back pain. In fact, many home
remedies for lower back pain consist of exercise, because the
general theory is that if you remain active, you remain healthy.
This is true in most cases.
However, for purposes of this article, the
exercises featured here will be those that are practiced by physical
therapists to treat patients with lower back pain.
Generally, in physical therapy exercises,
the exercise program for back pain should encompass a set of
stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and low impact
aerobics. Read below for more on these exercises:
Stretching
The back of a person is composed of the spinal column and contiguous
muscles, ligaments and tendons. All these are designed to move in
consonance with each other so that any limitation in the range of
motion in any of these components of the back result in back pain.
Stretching for lower back pain specifically targets soft tissues,
such as muscles, ligaments and tendons, found in the back and around
the spine. By stretching, the spine and soft tissues are mobilized,
increasing motion and thus, relieving pain.
There are many kinds of stretching exercises employed by physical
therapists. One is the Hamstring Stretching Exercise which
works to relax tight hamstrings, a common symptom of lower back
pain. This exercise is said to help decrease the intensity of lower
back pain among sufferers.
Strengthening
Physical therapists generally use two forms of strengthening and
back pain relief exercises, usually depending on the specific
condition of the patient. These are the McKenzie exercises and
dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises. However, the two forms of
strengthening exercises may also be combined should the therapist
find it appropriate to do so.
McKenzie Exercises
Named after a physical therapist in New Zealand, McKenzie exercises
are primarily extension exercises that could help reduce pain
generated from the disc space and also may help reduce the symptoms
of herniated disc by reducing pressure on a nerve root.
For acute pain, the McKenzie exercises should be done frequently, at
least once every two hours. In addition, patients are advised to
avoid flexing their spine when exercising.
Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises
Using this back exercise technique, the first thing that a physical
therapist does is to look for the patient’s “neutral” spine. This
refers to the position that allows the patient to feel the most
comfortable.
Afterwards, when the patient is in that position, the back muscles
are then exercised in order to “teach” the spine how to stay in this
position.
Performing these exercises on a regular basis can help strengthen
the back muscles and keep the spine well-positioned.
Low Impact Aerobic Exercises
The purpose of low impact aerobic exercise is to recondition the
back. Patients who undergo reconditioning of the back through low
impact aerobic exercise will have fewer episodes of lower back pain.
In addition, whenever an episode of lower back pain does occur, the
pain is less intense and lasts only for a short period.
Another benefit of low impact aerobic exercise is that patients tend
to stay functional – that is, they can continue with their regular
work and carry on with recreational activities. In contrast,
patients who do not undergo low impact aerobic exercises typically
experience the gradual loss of their functional abilities.
For low impact aerobic exercises to achieve their desired results,
they should be continuous. This will increase the heart rate and
keep it elevated as well as increase the production of endorphins,
which are pain fighting hormones released by the body.
Here are some examples of low impact aerobic exercises that you may
want to try in order to lessen or reduce lower back pain:
Walking
One of the simplest forms of aerobic exercises, walking is generally
considered as very gentle on the back. To get the maximum benefit
from walking as a form of low impact aerobic exercise, walk two to
three miles three times per week.
Stationary Bicycling
This form of aerobic exercise is less painful on the back since
there is lower impact produced. This is beneficial for patients with
lower back pain who may find walking too painful.
Water Therapy
Sometimes referred to as aquatherapy, water therapy is simply doing
exercise in the water. The buoyancy works to provide effective
conditioning at the same time stress on the back is reduced.
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