In the United States, lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for visits to the doctor. It is also one of the most common causes of disability. Physical therapy is often recommended as a treatment for low back pain. Research has shown that physical therapy can effectively treat low back pain. In this blogThiswe will this some of the benefits of physical therapy for treating low back pain. We will also describe how Physical Therapy in Houston can help reduce your risk of chronic low back pain.
Lower back pain is a common problem that various factors can cause. These factors include:
Muscle Strain: When the muscles in your back are strained, they can become weak and less able to support your spine. This can lead to pain and stiffness.
Disc Herniation: A disc herniation occurs when the gel-like center of a spinal disc bulges out and puts pressure on the surrounding nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, and weakness.
Spinal Stenosis: Spinal stenosis is a condition that occurs when the spaces in your spine narrow, putting pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. This can cause pain, tingling, and weakness.
Arthritis: Arthritis is a common cause of back pain. There are many different types of arthritis, but they all involve inflammation of the joints. This can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Physical therapy can help treat lower back pain by increasing your flexibility and range of motion. This can help support your spine and reduce your risk of chronic back pain. Physical therapy can also help to strengthen the muscles in your back and abdominal area.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
One of the benefits of physical therapy is that it is non-invasive. This means that there are no side effects associated with physical therapy. In addition, physical therapys is often covered by insurance. If you are suffering from low back pain, we encourage you to talk to your doctor about whether physical therapy might be right for you. Physical therapy also:
- Improve joint range of motion and flexibility
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Enhance muscle strength and endurance
- Improve balance and coordination
- Regain independence after an injury or surgery
How Physical Therapy Treats Low Back Pain
There are many ways physical therapys can treat low back pain. The type of treatment will be based on the diagnosis of the cause of your low back pain. Some common treatments include:
Manual Therapy
Manual therapy is a hands-on hand treatment focused on ligaments and joints. Manual therapy can help to reduce inflammation and improve the range of motion.
Exercise
Exercise is an integral part of physical therapys. Exercise can help to improve muscle strength, endurance, endurance, and balance. A physical therapist can create an exercise program specific to your needs. If you experience pain in specific muscles that contribute to discomfort in your back, such as gluteus medius pain, it’s essential to exercise those muscles to find relief from lower back pain.
Massage
Massage can help to relax tight muscles and reduce pain and inflammation. Massage may also help to improve blood circulation and promote healing.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Heat and cold therapy may be used to help reduce pain and inflammation. Heat therapy can be used to loosen tight muscles, while cold therapy can help reduce swelling.
We hope this article has helped you better understand your options for treating low back pain. It doesn’t matter which approach you take to treating your low back pain; the important thing is that you find something that works for you. If you do not see any improvement with one approach, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about trying something else.
