What will a physical therapist do for back pain?

Back pain, affecting over 80% of adults at some point, is a widespread reason for seeking medical attention. Persistent or debilitating back pain prompts many to turn to physical therapists for tailored relief.

In Aurora, Physical Therapy Advantage stands out as a reliable resource, providing comprehensive solutions to address back pain through personalized physical therapy. This introductory insight into the prevalence of back pain sets the stage for understanding how Physical Therapy Advantage can play a crucial role in managing and alleviating this common ailment

Assessing Back Pain

A physical therapist completes a thorough assessment during the initial consultation to determine the underlying cause and severity of back pain before creating a tailored treatment plan. They will inquire about symptoms, daily activities, and past medical history and perform physical tests of the back’s condition. Common diagnostic checks include:

• Range of Motion: Testing flexibility and movements that trigger or alleviate pain provides clues to affected structures. Loss of mobility may indicate nerve/muscle damage.
• Posture Analysis: Observing spinal alignment in different positions can reveal musculoskeletal imbalances contributing to back pain like scoliosis, lordosis, or muscle tightness, pulling vertebrae out of position.
• Strength Tests: Weak core and back muscles fail to support the spine properly, putting strain on ligaments, discs, and joints. Resistance exercises assess functional limitations. 
• Palpation: Carefully feeling for areas of muscle spasms, inflammation, scar tissue, or joint misalignment helps locate sources of pain.
• Neurological Exam: Simple sensory and reflex checks determine whether back pain stems from pinched nerves or nerve damage, which requires different treatment.

With the evaluation results, the physical therapist can identify back pain causes like herniated discs, arthritis, pregnancy, injuries, poor posture, etc., and design suitable Physical Therapy in Aurora, IL.

Pain Relief Approaches

The first goal is alleviating back pain to restore comfort and mobility. The physical therapist determines the best techniques based on what provides each patient relief without medication side effects. Options include:

• Heat/Ice: Heating pads relax muscles, while ice packs reduce inflammation. Contrast baths alternating between hot and cold may stimulate blood flow.
• Electrical Stimulation: Gentle electrical impulses through electrodes placed on the back can block pain signals and release endorphins. Recommended 1-2 times per week.
• Ultrasound: Sound waves transmitted by a handheld device deliver heat deep into back tissues. This relieves muscle tension and joint stiffness to improve mobility.
• Manual Therapy: Hands-on joint and soft tissue mobilization, massage, and spinal manipulations provide pain relief. Performed by the physical therapist in Back Pain Therapy in Aurora sessions.
• Acupuncture: Fine needles inserted into specific body points balance energies to reduce muscle spasms and inflammation related to chronic back pain. 

If initial conservative physical therapy approaches fail to manage significant pain, the therapist may recommend consulting a doctor regarding special injections or surgery options before continuing further rehabilitation exercises.

Improving Back Mobility 

The therapist incorporates gentle stretching, joint mobilization techniques, and exercises to improve back flexibility and range of motion limited by injuries. This also prevents loss of mobility from extended inactivity due to severe pain. Targeted areas include the spinal vertebrae, pelvis, hips, and hamstrings using common methods like:

• Spinal mobilization – Gentle movements of the spine’s vertebrae and soft tissues relieve stiffness by massaging lubricating fluids into joints while correcting slight misalignments.
• TRX suspension trainer – Special straps allow patients to perform a range of motion movements with adjustable bodyweight load and leverage for added traction.
• Yoga/pilates – Low-impact yoga poses and pilates strengthen core muscles responsible for stabilizing proper spinal alignment and posture.
• Muscle energy techniques – Patients contract specific muscles against resistance from the therapist, resulting in the relaxation of the opposing tightened muscles.

Building Back Strength

Insufficient back and core strength heightens injury risk and accelerates degeneration. After improving mobility, therapists recommend a regimen of strengthening exercises using various methods. These include bridges for deep spinal stabilizers, Supermans for back extensors, and squats for the core, legs, and lower back. 

Therapists provide images, videos, and detailed descriptions for proper home exercise form, with a typical routine involving 3-4 weekly sets of 10-15 repetitions, gradually advancing to higher resistance levels.

Functional Retraining 

The end phase of physical therapy for back pain focuses on recovering strength and mobility to resume normal daily activities without pain or re-injury. The therapist may simulate motions that commonly aggravate back problems, like lifting, bending, sitting, standing, walking, reaching overhead, etc. Additional tips like proper sleeping positions are given to support long-term back health.

Conclusion

If you want a customized treatment plan for your back pain, you can contact Physical Therapy Advantage in Aurora. Their expert physical therapists offer both in-clinic and telehealth options utilizing the most current pain relief, joint mobilization, therapeutic exercise, and functional training techniques. 

The goal is to restore lasting back mobility and strength so patients can get back to all the activities they enjoy as safely and rapidly as possible. Make an appointment today to start resolving persistent back pain before it progresses further.