How Physical Therapy Can Help Alleviate Back Pain

Back pain affects more than 70 percent of Americans each day. Oftentimes, the pain is just a fleeting annoyance stemming from a temporary injury or strain that will disappear with time. But back pain can be completely debilitating for others. The relentless discomfort can lead to a decrease in function and quality of life.

Unfortunately, most back pain is over-treated with narcotics, invasive procedures, costly imaging scans and unnecessary surgeries. Most of these methods do little to alleviate the pain. Research has shown that early physical therapy is actually the most effective way to reduce back pain. Not only is it effective, but it is also significantly cheaper than more drastic options.

At Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy, our professional therapists utilize a treatment plan that integrates a series of different techniques to reduce temporary pain while also helping the patient avoid future issues. Let’s take a closer look at how back pain can be alleviated with physical therapy in Napa County, CA.

Full-body approach

Integrative manual therapy has been proven to centralized pain by combining the hands-on techniques of manual medicine with traditional physiotherapy. Each session focuses on the whole body, instead of just the back. Every structure in the body is connected by layers of tissues, known as fascia. The tension from other structures can inhibit the body’s ability to heal at the injured site. This whole-body approach looks past the central injury to identify and treat the root cause of back pain. The pain is less likely to return if the original cause is addressed and corrected.

Stretching and strengthening

Painkillers only serve to temporarily dull the pain. A physical therapist will be able to help you naturally reduce any aching or soreness through a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises. Proper stretching of the back muscles will help the patient maintain a normal range of motion and provide both temporary and long-term relief. A physical therapist will design an effective stretching and strength training routine that doesn’t add to any pre-existing pain.

Typically, low back pain patients will focus on stretching the lower back muscles, abdominal muscles, hips and legs. Strength exercises will also be incorporated with the goal of better developing the muscles that stabilize the spine from the back and assist with posterior support. This will reduce the amount of stress placed on the discs and joints of the spine.

A hands-on approach

Unlike other exercise therapists, the staff at Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy use a hands-on approach to healing. Your therapist will develop a detailed treatment plan based on the one-on-one interactions during each hour-long session. Over time, the combination of manual and functional medicine coupled with hands-on treatment and functional exercises will assuage back pain without having to rely on surgery or medication.

Ready to get started with physical therapy in Napa County, CA? Call Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy today for more information or to book your first appointment. We look forward to helping you on your journey to healing and getting back to your favorite activities!

Categorised in: Physical Therapy

This post was written by Writer