Physical Therapy and Low Back Pain: Is It Right for You?

When you have back pain, your whole life can be pretty miserable. That’s because you use your back for so many activities of daily life. While a back specialist is your first line of defense in diagnosing and managing back pain, seeing a physical therapist can be a perfect complement to your regular medical treatment.

Physical therapists are trained in relieving symptoms of lower back pain and in strengthening your back and core muscles to help you stay fit and pain free. One of the primary benefits of working with a therapist is that they understand the different causes of lower back pain, and they also understand that not all back pain is created equal. They’ll work with you and your doctor’s diagnosis to develop a therapy plan that’s specifically tailored to the underlying factors that have caused your pain to occur in the first place. Approaches can include exercises to improve strength and flexibility, manual therapy to improve joint mobility, education about how to care for your back, and training in how to use ice and heat to relieve pain.

Additionally, a physical therapist can teach you strategies to help you avoid having back pain in the future, developing a customized fitness plan based on your needs and your health and identifying proactive ways to help reduce the load on your back muscles. They can also provide helpful tips for performing daily activities in a ways that can help you avoid muscle and joint strain.

When choosing a physical therapist for your lower back pain, look for one who has extensive experience treating people with musculoskeletal problems, especially one who is a board-certified orthopedic specialist or who has completed a residency in orthopedic therapy. Our office works with many skilled, local therapists, and we’ll be happy to provide a recommendation. Before seeing any physical therapist, you should have an evaluation of your back pain to ensure therapy is the right choice for you. If you’re having lower back pain, call Microsurgical Spine today at (800) 890-1964 to schedule your own evaluation.