Living with prolonged back pain can be extremely challenging for people of any age. One might not pay heed to the right posture or be burdened with an overwhelming workload over time would have a high chance of developing back Pain in the long run. Anyone suffering from back pain should consult a physical therapist for expert advice on effective back pain relief as the role of physical therapy and modalities are highly effective in back pain relief.
What causes back Pain: A general overview
In a hectic routine where everyone has something to do at every time, likely, the majority of people get back pain at some point in their lives. Many factors add to this problem including fitness level, job-related risk factors, weight gain, age, stress level, heredity etc. While many factors cause back pain but following are some of the prevalent ones.
Structural/Mechanical Problems
Sprain: An injury to the ligaments supporting the pine, which joins the various bones, frequently brought on by incorrect lifting or twisting.
Degenerative Disc Disease: The discs in between the spine’s vertebrae degrade with age. It is linked to additional degenerative conditions of the spine, like spinal stenosis and arthritis.
Strain: a tear to a tendon or muscle
Spondylolisthesis: A vertebra in the spine becomes misaligned or progressively shifts out of position.
Myofascial Pain: Soreness and tightness in the muscles that support the spine as a result of either injury to the muscles or nerve signals originating from the spine.
Herniated or ruptured discs: An occurrence that compresses a disc and aggravates surrounding nerves. Although it can also occur in the cervical spine, this usually happens at the lumbar level.
Inflammatory Conditions
A particular kind of spinal arthritis: A particular kind of spinal arthritis
Other forms of inflammatory spine arthritis.
Effective back pain relief through physical therapy
Back Pain can be caused by minor reasons such as bad posture or sudden sprain, but Pain over a long time can be the result of serious health issues such as arthritis, kidney infections, a herniated disc, bowel issues, or even cancer. One should consider a consultant who could diagnose the root cause of the problem and suggest educated advice to see an expert according to one’s condition. A physical therapist is a trained professional who assesses the condition of your Pain and suggests exercises that relieve back Pain. Some of the exercises for effective back pain relief are the following:
- Stretching
- Manual Therapy
- Electrical Stimulation
- Strength Training
- Low-impact aerobic activity
The role of physical therapy ineffective back pain relief is regarded as really beneficial. Some benefits to consider while choosing physical therapy for back pain relief are the following.
Personalized Care
A primary advantage of consulting a physical therapist is that they will not use a one-size-fits-all method of treatment. Your body type, age, lifestyle (such as being an athlete or generally sedentary), pre-existing medical issues, and how you react to various forms of movement will all be considered.
May discard the need for surgery
Physical therapy is among the most aggressive techniques to try to treat back Pain conservatively; surgery should only ever be the last option.
Lessen Pain
In physical therapy, your gait, the way you walk or run, as well as your rising from sitting and lying down positions, will be examined. This enables them to recommend physical activities that will reduce the Pain that is directly brought on by your motions.
Restored Mobility:
Physical therapists seek to identify the underlying cause of discomfort in addition to treating Pain. The therapist will concentrate on reducing stiffness in your lower back, for instance, if it is present.
Knowing about Modalities for Back Pain relief
Modalities in Physical therapy for back pain relief refer to various treatment approaches or agents used by physical therapists to heal, give relaxation, pain relief, and improve functions in patients. There are several categories of modalities, including:
Electrical Modalities
Physical Therapists use a variety of agents for electrical modalities such as Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), and Interferential Current (IFC) to strengthen muscles and improve circulation, interrupt pain signals to the brain and reduce Pain and inflammation.
Thermal Modalities
Thermal modalities include heat therapy and cold therapy using warm packs, heat wraps ice packs and cold compresses. These therapies help increase blood flow, reduce pain, relaxing muscles, and reduce inflammation.
Mechanical Modalities
Ultrasound, mechanical traction, and Phonophoresis are some of the mechanical modalities used by experts to promote tissue healing, deliver medication through the skin, and stretch and mobilize the spine to relieve pressure.
Conclusion
The achy back is one of the alarming factors in realizing one’s age, but due to multiple factors at play, back pain can occur in anyone regardless of age. Consulting a physical therapist for effective back pain relief is the best option one can choose as the role of physical therapy and modalities are really effective for long term back pain relief.