Physical Therapy For The Lower Back
How to
Prevent and Treat Lower Back Pain
Lower
back pain is one of the most common causes of job-related disability
and why some people miss work. It is also the second most common
neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache.
In fact, approximately 80% of adults in Western countries have, at
some point, experienced lower back pain.
For some
fortunate people, pain in the lower back may be resolved by itself
or with the aid of medication within two to four weeks. However,
there are some cases of lower back pain that may last for more than
a few weeks, during which case the condition is termed as “chronic”
and “progressive,” meaning it can only grow worse over time.
Moreover,
60-80% of those patients who suffer their first episode of lower
back pain may experience recurring pain within one year.
According
to current research, there are certain muscles in the back that work
to stabilize the spine. When the spine or the back suffers an
injury, these muscles are reflexively inhibited or shutdown. Worse
still, these muscles do not spontaneously recover, and this is true
even if patients do not feel pain and are able to return to normal
activity levels.
As a
result of the inhibition of these muscles, called lumbar
multifidi and the transversus abdominus, lower back pain
occurs. However, there are steps you can take to prevent the same
thing from happening to you.
Lower
Back Pain and Physical Therapy
One way
to prevent the inhibition of the lumbar multifidi and transversus
abdominus is through a series of physical therapy exercises.
Designed
to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and keep the spine
healthy, these physical therapy exercises may range from back
stabilization exercises to muscle strength development and several
wide variety of techniques.
In
addition, a physical therapist may also recommend such methods as
heat therapy, ultrasound, massage, mobilization, and education about
posture and body mechanics in order to prevent lower back pain from
recurring.
Some of
these methods will be discussed later on. You will also find some
practical self-help tips provided by experts to help you avoid lower
back pain or prevent the condition from worsening.
However,
before we head on to learning how lower back pain is treated through
physical therapy, it is important that we first understand what
causes lower back pain.
Lower
Back Pain Causes
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 -
read more
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 -
read more
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 -
read more
|
