Back pain has made many appearances in my life. I know what it feels like to feel guilty for falling victim to your back pain. I was unable to work and it left my significant other stranded with the responsibilities. I am very lucky that as a physical therapist, I know how to work through it and can avoid it most days. I will share with you some facts about back pain I have learned over the years to prevent and five physical therapy exercises to help your low back pain.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE SEVERE LOW BACK PAIN
I have another blog post in the works where I will discuss in detail the concept of load management. Load management, or gradually increasing your tolerance to the loads you encounter in your day-to-day life – will provide you a much greater chance of avoiding episodes of low back pain altogether. Once acute symptoms have resolved – this is when exercise can become beneficial. Rather than managing symptoms during the acute stage of pain – the focus shifts to improving our loading tolerance to prevent future flare-ups.
With that being said – below are the most common exercises I will introduce patients to when they are ready to begin improving their loading tolerance.
1. Dead bug (stage 1) – click here to learn how to complete this exercise.
2. Bird dog (stage 1) – click here to learn how to complete this exercise.
3. Lateral leg lift
4. Knees to chest (mild pull)
5. Trunk rotations (mild pull)
When starting – these exercises should be pain-free and mild to moderate in difficulty/intensity. As you progress in strength and flexibility, these exercises can be advanced accordingly to further improve load tolerance. Make an appointment with us to find out how you should progress with these exercises.
LOW BACK PAIN IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DISABILITY
According to the CDC website, low back pain is one of the most common causes of disability globally. These typically fall into acute, sub-acute and chronic classifications. Thankfully – most acute episodes of low back pain will resolve on their own over the course of 4-6 weeks with care focusing on symptom management. Should someone wish to pursue intervention, treatments can range from modalities such as massage, ice/heat, acupuncture, adjustments/manipulations, exercise and medications. All of these modalities have varying degrees of success.
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR BACK PAIN
Anyone that has gone to their physician for low back pain or sciatica can attest to how quickly they whip out that prescription pad and send you on your to the pharmacy for a bottle of pills. While medication can have a role to play in symptom management during an acute phase of pain – it should not be the only method used to address this type of problem.
Medication will sometimes help to reduce symptoms and allow you to be more functional but the potential short and long term consequences of medication use should not be ignored. Recently there has been a surge in popularity for CBD products as well, but results are just as mixed. Some people will state significant benefits from CBD use while others will say they saw no benefit. Furthermore – the current understanding regarding effective use of CBD products within the medical community is quite limited due to a lack of current research supporting use and short/long term efficacy.
The best thing your doctor can write for you would be a prescription to physical therapy, where you can learn how to avoid flare ups entirely. This brings us to the remaining alternative forms of treatment currently available which include massage, ice/heat, acupuncture/dry needling, manual therapy (adjustments/manipulations, soft tissue mobilization), electrical stimulation, and exercise. Many of these interventions can be provided by a licensed physical therapist or chiropractor with the exception being acupuncture/dry needling which can only be provided by a licensed acupuncturist in the state of California. Physical therapy is an intervention to prevent pain, while many of the other modalities simply treat the symptoms.
CONCLUSION
At Bateman Therapy Services, a doctor of physical therapy well versed in body movement and injury prevention will help you achieve your goals. Our goal is to help you become more confident in how you move through life and set you up to maintain your health.
The key to proper load management is to find the perfect balance of work and rest for your goals. To learn more about load management, follow our blog. Contact us today to talk to us about what you can do today to get you started on this journey to optimal health.
ABOUT BATEMAN THERAPY SERVICES
Bateman Therapy Services is a family-owned professional physical therapy practice that focuses on providing you the best physical therapy you can order to your door so you can skip the physical therapy clinic. Mobile physical therapy allows us to easily provide physical therapy to Livermore, Pleasanton, Danville, San Ramon, and the surrounding area.
Many people treat physical therapy the same as any other pain management, like massage, chiropractic care, and acupuncture. However, physical therapy is different because the goal is to prevent your pain before it happens. Physical therapy keeps you living the life you want to live and helps train you for the life you want to lead. Massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care, and even some other physical therapy practices only treat the symptoms of a condition. You end up coming back for months without feeling better, but when you pair massage, acupuncture, and/or chiropractic care with physical therapy you can use them to enhance your road to recovery.
We specialize in all conditions of movement, including but not limited to: sports medicine, lower back pain, stretches for sciatica, hip labral tear, shoulder labrum, arthritis, outpatient orthopedic and sports physical therapy, and more. We can also help you find a car accident attorney to help you claim a settlement for a car accident. For the best physical therapy near you, click the button below to contact Bateman Therapy Services.
*Disclaimer – this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
