Physical Therapy for Lower Back Pain

Customized physical therapy may be a useful way to ease lower back pain, which affects an estimated 577 million people. Lower back pain is something that is not only painful but can quickly have a drastic change in someone’s lifestyle.

However, there are options out there for people to help reduce and heal from this type of pain. Which is where physical therapy for lower back pain comes into play!

Physical therapy can be done in a number of ways. There are physical therapists that will come to your home and provide in-home physical therapy. This is a great option for people who have difficulty getting around or have transportation issues.

There are also outpatient physical therapy or physiotherapy clinics that you can attend for appointments and pain relief. Lastly, there are lower back pain exercises that you can do at home.

At physical therapy appointments, you will likely do a series of stretches and exercises specifically designed to target the muscles in your back. These exercises help to improve flexibility and strength in the affected area. In addition to physical therapy, your doctor may also recommend other treatments such as massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic care.

If you are experiencing lower back pain, talk to your doctor about whether physical therapy might be right for you.

There are many benefits of physical therapy for lower back pain. Physical therapy can help to:

• Reduce pain
• Personalized care for your needs
• Improve flexibility and range of motion
• Strengthen muscles
• Increase circulation
• Decrease inflammation
• Could remove the need for surgery
• Reduces risk of further injury and pain
• Reduces risks of falls

If you are experiencing lower back pain, physical therapy may be a good option for you. Find a local rehab centre near you and speak with a doctor about whether physical therapy might be right for you.

There are so many ways in which your back may get injured. You might harm yourself by overdoing it or doing nothing at all. A simple sneeze can cause you to experience spasms of spasmodic agony.

The majority of the time, it’s due to a mechanical issue. It’s something you can repair and get back on track with. Your back discomfort may go away on its own without the assistance of a physician, but not always. Which is why it’s important to see a physical therapist about whether you need physical therapy treatment for lower back pain or not.

Common Reasons for Lower Back Pain

There are many reasons why you might be experiencing lower back pain. Some causes include:

• Poor posture
• Strained muscles
• Herniated disc
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Scoliosis
• Pregnancy

In order to determine the cause of your back pain, it is important to speak with your doctor. They will likely ask you questions about your symptoms and may also recommend imaging tests such as an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan. Once the cause of your back pain has been determined, your doctor can create a custom treatment plan that is specific to you.

There are some things that you can do in order to prevent lower back pain. Some tips for preventing lower back pain include:

• Maintaining good posture
• Wearing comfortable shoes
• Stretching regularly
• Exercising
• Lifting correctly
• Sleeping on a firm mattress

By simply doing these smaller tasks every day with care, you can help to prevent injury from happening. Let’s be honest, most of us can be lazy about these tasks because they can seem so small and insignificant.

The truth of the matter is that is only takes one smaller mistake to bring on some serious back pain. However, with a few extra precautions, you can help to prevent the lower back pain from ever happening!

But what if you already have back pain?

Well, we’ve already mentioned that you should visit a local physical therapy rehab centre and speak with a doctor about a treatment plan. On top of that, there are exercises that you can do to help reduce that pain.

If you are looking for exercises that can help to ease your lower back pain, here are a few options:

Pelvic Tilts: This exercise is great for stretching the lower back muscles.

Knee to chest: This exercise helps to stretch the muscles in your buttock and hip.

Cat-Cow: This is a gentle way to move the spine and loosen up the muscles in the back.

Bridge: This exercise strengthens the muscles in the buttocks and low back.

Press Up Back Extensions: This exercise helps to stretch out your lower back and reduce pain.

Let’s go ahead and look at each one of these in a little more detail!

The Pelvic Tilts

Draw your stomach in and pull your belly button towards the back from the same posture. Hold for 10 seconds, breathing comfortably. Do eight to twelve pelvic tilt exercises.

Knee to Chest

Lie on your back with your knees bent and have your feet flat and placed firmly on the ground. Place your right hand behind your right knee and pull it towards your chest. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat with the left leg. Do two to four repetitions with each leg.

Cat-Cow

Start on your hands and knees with your spine in a neutral position. Inhale as you drop your stomach towards the floor and lift your chin and chest. Exhale as you round your back up towards the ceiling and tuck your chin towards your chest. Repeat several times.

Bridge

Lie flat on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent to 90 degrees. Place your arms at your sides. Raise your hips off the floor until your thighs and torso are in line with each other. Hold for six seconds, after that you can lower your hips back to the starting position. Repeat twelve times.

Press Up Back Extensions

Rollover onto your stomach and place your elbows beneath your shoulders with your hands flat on the ground. Push down on your hands and lift your shoulders away from the floor while keeping them in this position. Repeat twelve times.

There are several other ways that you can reduce back pain. In addition to physical therapy and exercises, you can also:

• Use a heating pad or ice pack to relieve pain
• Work on better postures
• Take over-the-counter pain medication
• Stretch regularly
• Back surgery
• Get plenty of rest

Using a Heating & Ice Pack for Lower Back Pain

If you want to help to ease the lower back pain by using ice or heat, it’s best if the pain is acute (meaning it just happened). It’s best to use ice for the first few days. You can apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, every three to four hours.

If the pain is chronic (meaning it’s been happening for more than a few days), you can use heat instead of ice. Apply a heating pad or take a warm bath for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.

In most cases, lower back pain will go away on its own within a few days or weeks with some simple self-care measures. But there are some instances where you should see a doctor:

• If the pain is severe
• If the pain has not gone away after a few weeks of self-care
• If the pain gets worse with rest or movement
• If you have weakness, numbness, or tingling in your legs
• If you have trouble urinating or have incontinence

A physical therapist can help to design a specific exercise program that is right for you and your condition. They can also provide manual therapy and other treatments to help ease your pain.

If you’re experiencing back pain and would like an evaluation or custom treatment plan, give Chinook Rehab Centre a call. We’re a local rehab centre in Calgary, CA. Our physical therapists are friendly and always put our patients first.

We know physical therapy for lower back pain and will create a custom treatment plan just for you. Contact us today to set up an appointment!