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man with back pain
band hold back in pain
woman bending over to lift with back pain

LOW BACK PAIN PHYSICAL THERAPY

LOW BACK/LUMBAR PAIN BACKGROUND

Majority of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. Low back pain is usually harmless. It tends to start suddenly and lasts a few days or weeks. The best thing you can do then is to keep moving and stay as physically active as possible. Resting your back too much or laying in bed can make the back pain last longer.
 
It is hardly ever possible to find a specific cause for back pain. But it’s important to know that this “non-specific” low back pain isn’t dangerous. The pain doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with your back.
This is also true if the pain lasts a long time or keeps returning. But chronic pain can become a big problem at work or in your daily life.
 
X-rays/MRIs, pain medications, injections and low back surgery hardly help in the treatment of non-specific back pain. And each one comes with various risks. So experts agree that they should only be used after all other options have failed.
 
If your back pain has lasted for a couple of weeks and over the counter medications are not helping, then it’s probably time to see a physical therapist. Read below on how the physical therapists at Motion Physical Therapy can help.

HOW WE CAN HELP RELIEVE LOW BACK PAIN

As physical therapist we can speed up your recovery from back pain. We are movement experts and excel at creating a custom program to address individual needs. 
 
We will not only resolve your current episode of back pain but also give you a program to follow to make sure your spine stays healthy in the future.
 
Prior to starting your treatment, we do a thorough examination to figure out why your pain started in the first place. All limitations will be addressed during your treatment program. 
physical therapist working on low back

LOW BACK PAIN PHYSICAL THERAPY

OUR UNIQUE APPROACH TO LOW BACK PAIN

3 STAGE APPROACH TO FIX YOUR BACK PAIN

cat cow yoga position

STAGE 1

– We first work on calming down the irritated structures causing the low back pain.
 
– We want to reduce the inflammation, muscle spasms, muscle guarding and pain that results from when you pull a muscle or slip a disc.
 
– We use stretches, passive motion, ice/heat, ultrasound, electrical stimuation and hands on treatment during this first stage. 

STAGE 2

– Once we’ve controlled the inflammation then we work on restoring  motion, strength, flexibility and mobility to your spine, hips and legs.
 
– We use stretches, exercises and hands on treatment to achieve our goals in this stage.
 
– At this stage we will also gradually work from the laying down position to sitting and standing positions for your stretches and exercises.
 
-Our goal is to slowly start building toughness in the injured areas. 
man in cobra yoga position
woman doing a lunge twist

STAGE 3

– By this stage everything should be coming together. Pain should be 75% better, flexibility should be back to normal, all the joints of the spine and hips should move normally.
 
– Now we get you on your feet and start working on everyday movements like squatting, lunging and lifting/pushing/pulling. This is an important step because these are the everyday motion that cause low back pain if done poorly.
 
– By the end of this stage you know exactly how to perform everyday and work tasks with the proper mechanics to avoid future episodes of back pain. You will also know the stretches and exercises to perform if you ever have another episode so you can quickly deal with it.

STOCKTON PHYSICAL THERAPISTS FOR LOW BACK PAIN

OUR TREATMENTS FOR LOW BACK PAIN

MANUAL THERAPY

physical therapist working on scapual

Hands on treatment by the therapist to improve:
– Muscle Tone
– Muscle Spasms
– Disc Pressure
– Relieve Pressure on Pinched Nerve
– Flexibility of the Spine/Hips
– Swelling from Inflammation

THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE

woman in childs pose

Specific exercises for your back pain to improve:
– Low Back and Hip Flexibility
– Low Back and Hip Mobility
– Flexibility in the Legs
– Core Strength
– Core Control
– Leg Strength
– Body Awareness

THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY

woman doing a lunge twist

Specific activities mimic everyday movements to improve things like:
– Tolerance for Sitting/Standing/Walking
– Mechanics Training for Lifting/Pushing/Pulling
– Work Duties Training
– Transfer Training

MODALITIES

modality to the upper back

We use the latest modalities to speed along the healing. Modalities for low back include:
– Shockwave Therapy
– Electrical Stimulation
– Heat/Ice
– Ultrasound
– NMES