Are You Experiencing Low Back Pain?
Low back pain affects almost everyone at some point in their life. Low back pain varies from person to person. It can be mild or severe, short or long lasting, constant or intermittent, or have a slow or sudden onset. The pain felt can be sharp, stabbing, achy, dull, or burning. People with low back pain may notice that their pain is worse with bending, lifting, sitting, standing, or walking. In most cases, lying down will help alleviate the pain.
There are many factors that can contribute to low back pain. Some factors include: poor posture, over-activity, degenerative changes as we age, disc injury, and scoliosis. The most common cause of low back pain is from over-activity. Pain from over-activity can be caused by too much yard work, shoveling snow, the first sporting game of the season, or any weekend warrior activities. This type of pain is usually felt as stiffness and soreness in the low back and usually goes away within a few days. Degenerative changes in the spine can start in our 30's or even earlier for some people. As we age, the discs between the vertebrae begin to shrink, and in some cases they may even collapse, causing the vertebra to rub against one another causing pain and stiffness. Back pain that radiates down into one or both legs can be caused by a disc injury when the disc presses on a nerve as it leaves the spine. Disc injuries are often caused by heavy lifting, pulling, bending, or twisting movements.
Physical therapy can help alleviate low back pain. There are many goals associated with a physical therapy program. One goal is to control the inflammatory process which can help alleviate pain. Restoring range of motion of the spine and soft tissue movement is another goal of physical therapy; backward bending movements may alleviate the tension, while forward flexing movements may help stretch the muscles. Another goal of physical therapy for low back pain is improving the strength of the abdominal and back muscles. Maintaining adequate strength of these muscles will help relieve pressure on the discs limiting the damage. All patients who participate in physical therapy will also receive a home exercise program consisting of specific exercises to help alleviate their low back pain.
Visit PTSTL.COM for more physical therapy information.
