Do you struggle with back issues? You’re not alone. In fact, it’s a problem that affects many people. But the good news is that there are simple, effective solutions to help you overcome this challenge. In this post, we’ll show you exactly how to start making changes to your back pain today.
Can Physio Help With Back Pain?
Yes! Physiotherapy is very helpful with the treatment of low back pain. Physiotherapy is often one of the first-line treatment options for everything from a recent onset episode of low back pain to the occasional flare-up of recurring pain, to ongoing low back pain that affects our daily lives.
What Kind of Physiotherapy Is Used for Low Back Pain?
Physiotherapy is a rehabilitation discipline that focuses on the incorporation of manual therapy (where we get joints to move properly, that may have been stuck, and get tight muscles to loosen), exercise (strengthening those less active muscles to get them move involved, so they can support your low back and pelvic joints and reduce strain on them), and education (empowering you to understand what is happening with your body, and why).
How Long Does It Take for Physiotherapy To Help Back Pain?
Typically we find that patients show improvement within the first 3 sessions. You should start to see improvements, such as strength, range of motion, function, and pain by then. Many patients even notice this after the first visit!
Can I Use Physiotherapy for Back Pain at Home?
Yes! One of the great benefits of Physiotherapy is that your therapist will take the time to educate you on why you have pain, and what the plan is to resolve this pain, to get you back to doing what you love! Part of this plan will include the reduction of pain and improvement of function through a home exercise program.
Is Walking Good for Lower Back Pain?
More often than not, gentle, low-impact movement is very beneficial for those suffering from low back pain. A great example of this is walking! Gentle movement helps to improve circulation. This increase in blood flow will improve the health of the low back muscles, through an increase in oxygen and nutrients, and fluid that reduces pain and improves mobility.
How Do I Know if Physiotherapy Is Working?
With our results-focused approach, you should feel: more knowledgeable, less confused or stressed regarding what is causing your back pain, more confident in your ability to manage your pain, less uncertain around your prognosis, stronger, more mobile, and fewer flare-ups with less daily pain! Imagine how much better your daily life would be if this were you!
Is Massage, Chiropractic, or Physio Better for Back Pain?
When you start with physiotherapy for low back pain, your therapist has the expertise to identify whether collaboration with another therapist will be helpful. More often than not, the best outcomes arise from the collaborative approach between Physiotherapy, and Chiropractic or Massage Therapy!
What Can I Expect in My Physiotherapy Treatment Plan?
Physiotherapy for low back pain is an effective treatment approach for the short-term and the long-term. then the short-term therapy will be focused on the relief of symptoms in the painful area, and the long-term physiotherapy will focus on education and home exercises and teaching you ways to continue to manage and reduce your pain without relying on regular physical therapy visits.
At Body Science Therapy in Mississauga when our physiotherapists treat low back pain we Endeavor to find the root cause of your pain. this is how we help to provide long-term results to effectively change your life and reduce your pain so you can get back to doing what you love.
The Best Approach for Managing Back Pain
One of the most debated aspects of Physical Medicine is what is the most effective approach to low back pain. From our experience, we believe the most effective way to approach low back pain is through a patient-centred approach that incorporates whatever tools are necessary to help the patient.
Typically this will include manual therapy to loosen stiff joints and tight muscles, exercise therapy to strengthen weak muscles and stretch tight ones, education to empower the patient, and often a referral to another practitioner to collaborate care for the best results. This may include massage therapy for more muscular-based issues, or chiropractic for more joint-related problems.
Tight Muscles and Lower Back Pain
Low back pain can at times be the result of tight muscles or muscle strains. There are a few reasons why muscles may be tight. One of the most common reasons for muscle tension is a surprising one, as most people would not expect this. The most common reason for muscle tightness is actually a weakness.
When a muscle does not engage properly or is considered weak, the compensation that the body will likely choose is to tighten up that muscle to create stability, because it knows that the muscle does not have the contract all ability or strength to support the local body part. Another common reason for tight muscles is occupational or postural.
This means that someone is sitting in one position or standing in a vulnerable position for prolonged periods of time creating tension in the body. The most common example of this is something called an upper crossed syndrome.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Disc issues such as degenerative disc disease or a prolapsed disc or disc herniation can be contributing factors to low back pain. They can even refer to pain to the hip or down the leg, sometimes all the way down to the heel if they are irritating the sciatic nerve. Thankfully with Physiotherapy, these issues can often be resolved without the use of surgery.
A physiotherapy assessment will determine the contributing factors in root cause issues that are related to these problems and help to provide immediate and long-term Solutions to these disc issues so that you can get back to doing what you love and avoid having surgery.
Conclusion
We’ve seen firsthand the amazing results that our patients achieve with the help of our clinic. From a minor low back tweak after a deadlift to ongoing chronic low back pain impacting their daily life, our patients have transformed their lives through Physiotherapy in Mississauga. Don’t wait any longer to experience these results for yourself. Book your appointment now.
