Research tells us that a whopping 80% of people suffer from back pain during some point in their lives.
Thankfully, many people find relief from physical therapy for back pain and are able to get back to work and enjoy their lives as they did before their injury.
Back pain can feel so debilitating that it affects many people’s ability to work, exercise, play with their families, and prevents them from being able to do the things that bring them joy. In fact, one in every four American workers is unable to work due to back pain.
But the problem is, most doctors just prescribe patients with pain medications and send them on their way. This causes a dependency on prescriptions and many side effects.
Keep on reading to learn how physical therapy for back pain will help you to enjoy your life again, pain-free.
1. Physical Therapy Gets to the Root of the Pain
Most prescription pain medications are meant to numb your pain all over — they do not get to the root of the issue which caused you to feel the pain in the first place.
Unfortunately, medications only last 12-24 hours, which means you will have to continuously pop pills if you want to avoid the pain.
This eventually leads to some nasty side effects, which may need more medications to handle on top of the back pain.
Skip the chemical trauma and opt for physical therapy instead, which will get to the base of the issue. Eventually, this will alleviate the pain altogether and allow you to live the life you love again.
2. Physical Therapy Provides Long-Term Relief
Because physical therapy gets to the root of the problem, it becomes the perfect remedy for long-term relief.
In the first appointment, your physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to discover where the pain originates from, and determine the right course of action for treatment.
For example, you may feel pain in your right lower back, but the problem is actually caused by the muscles in the front of your left hip. This is called referral pain, and it is something that physical therapists are trained to evaluate.
3. Restores Your Range of Motion
Due to the cause of an injury, you may be left with an inability to move your body as you did before the trauma occurred.
This can be extremely frustrating, as you will not be able to do simple things such as putting on your seat belt or even style your hair.
Thankfully, a skilled physical therapist will teach you some range of motion exercises and help you to strengthen the areas that are causing you problems.
4. Improves Athletic Performance
You do not have to be a professional athlete to reap the benefits of physical therapy for back pain.
Your physical therapist will help to identify the weaknesses and imbalances that are causing your back pain, then they will help you to improve your strength and mobility in that area so you can be active again.
You will also learn some exercises that will help you to prevent any further injuries to that area.
Physical therapy is not meant to be forever — the treatments are designed so that you will not have to come back after you are healed.
5. Helps to Prevent Falls and Future Injuries
Physical therapy does not have to be for people who have experienced a physical injury.
Many elderly individuals are referred to physical therapists by their doctors to help them achieve balance so they can prevent a fall.
As you age, your risks for falls increase due to muscular weaknesses and imbalances. Physical therapists are highly trained to assist the geriatric population with risk assessments for falls and help them to achieve balance again.
6. Helps to Recover From Accidents
Every year, approximately 20-50 million people experience injuries or disabilities due to car accidents.
Accidents are more common than you would realize. Physical therapists are trained to work with whiplash, spinal injuries, neck injuries, head injuries, and other muscular-skeletal injuries due to car accidents.
7. You’ll Be Able to Exercise Better
Unfortunately, many people do not know how to exercise, which can lead to injuries in the future.
To add to that, if someone is experiencing pain, they may skip exercise because of fear they could make it worse.
This leads to a sedentary lifestyle that will affect all aspects of your health and life. A physical therapist will teach you how to workout with your pain and learn how to manage it better.
8. Learn How to Stretch Better
Stretching is essential for a healthy and properly functioning body.
However, many people avoid stretching due to an injury or lack of knowledge on how to stretch.
After seeing a physical therapist, you will have a program of exercises and stretches that you can follow regularly to improve your strength and flexibility.
9. Physical Therapy Includes Many Modalities
While other forms of therapy may only be able to provide hands-on treatments, physical therapy offers many modalities to help you recover from your back pain.
This includes:
- Graston therapy
- Electrical nerve stimulation
- Active release therapy
- Cupping
- Diathermy
- Massage
- Ultrasound
- Joint Mobilization
After your initial consultation, your physical therapist will help you discover which treatment is best suited for you.
10. Helps to Alleviate Other Conditions
In addition to helping to cure your back pain caused by trauma, physical therapy can also help with a wide range of other conditions that cause back pain.
This includes conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and strokes.
Learn More About the Benefits of Physical Therapy for Back Pain
As you can see, the benefits of physical therapy for back pain are abundant.
If you feel that it is time to get your life back and feel free of pain, physical therapy is one phone call away.
If you would like to learn more or have any questions about how physical therapy can work for you, feel free to contact us and schedule a free telephone interview with one of our physical therapists.