Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Back pain doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of suffering. Most causes of back pain can be treated nonsurgically with excellent results. The cornerstone of that treatment is physical therapy.  That’s why we’re happy to present this information – in hopes that it will help you live pain free.

Aside from a few, very rare situations, most back pain can be treated with physical therapy and without surgery or dangerous medications. Physical therapy is not very difficult and offers the potential to reduce pain and get you back to living the life you want.

Physical therapy has a number of goals, the most important of which are

• Reducing pain
• Decreasing swelling
• Improving range of motion
• Strengthening muscles

These goals are accomplished with two main types of physical therapy; passive and active. Passive physical therapy is when the patient is not doing the work. At our physical therapy clinic in Ramsey, NJ, we utilize passive therapy early in the course of rehab and primarily to reduce pain and swelling. Examples of passive therapy include

• Heat
• Ice
• Ultrasound
• TENS unit
• Dry needling

While passive physical therapy does usually result in short term pain improvement, the real benefits of physical therapy come from active therapy. This is when the patient and therapist are working together to help change the structure and function of the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Our physical therapists do a thorough evaluation of every patient to identify what specific limitations are leading to their pain. From their, an individualized physical therapy program is developed. That treatment plan will include stretching and strengthening exercises.

Stretching

• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Hip flexors
• Quadriceps
• Low back muscles
• Piriformis

Strengthening

• Abdominals
• Erector spinae
• Multifidi
• Transversus abdominus
• Glutes

Once a patient is comfortable performing the exercises without the guidance of the physical therapist, they are usually given a home exercise program. By following the home exercise program, the patient is able to maintain the benefits achieved during physical therapy.

These are just a sample of how physical therapy can benefit patients with low back pain. There are many other exercises, stretches and treatments we recommend for our patients who either have or are at risk of developing back pain. To learn more about how to prevent and treat back pain, talk to one of our doctors or physical therapists at Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine today by calling (201) 962-9199.

At Progressive Spine and Sports Medicine, we specialize in nonsurgical pain management, and knee pain is just one of the many conditions we diagnose and treat in our Ramsey, NJ medical center. For more information, please see our full list of our nonsurgical services, or to schedule a consultation, contact us today.

We look forward to being your #1 solution for nonsurgical pain treatment.