5 Benefits of Physical Therapy for Back Pain

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as chronic pain. This is the lingering ache that comes and goes, whether due to an old injury that’s been re-aggravated, a new ailment that developed after an accident or a sports misstep or simply a change in the weather that always seems to make your joints bark. But one of the worst chronic issues you can suffer is back pain. The spinal column is made up of many tiny bones, each of which fits perfectly up against the ones above and below. Anything that jars your spinal column can impact the delicate nerves underneath and cause a wide range of pain, from dull aches to sharp stabbing. And it could get worse based on how you stand, sit or twist just going through your day to day life. If you feel back pain is negatively affecting you on a consistent basis, you should probably consider seeing a physical therapist. Here are five of the benefits of physical therapy for back pain.

First and foremost, physical therapy will help alleviate the symptoms that come along with the back pain. After all, if it was just pain you might simply grin and bear it. But that pain often comes with a loss of strength in the area and a reduced range of motion that impacts your ability to handle all sorts of regular tasks. Perhaps it has come to the point where you can’t even bend over to pick up a dropped pencil anymore. After consistent physical therapy these related symptoms will begin impacting you less and less frequently.

Through regular physical therapy you’ll improve your long term strength and physical mechanics, not only in the area that’s causing you pain, but all across the body. People dealing with back pain are often brought through a series of exercises designed to strengthen the core group of muscles. This dense muscular section is responsible for much of what you can do physically, and for providing stability and balance. In many back pain cases the real issue is a weakened core. Your physical therapist will address this directly, getting to the potential root of the problem.

Your physical therapist will also take a holistic approach, helping you address any issues related to your back pain. All PT treatment plans will begin with a complete examination. The goal is to understand how you can improve your body’s functioning across the board. The back pain will certainly be addressed, but there may be other elements that are making things worse. The body’s systems are all interrelated. It’s like when a baseball pitcher hurts his thigh. If he attempts to continue pitching, a shoulder injury might develop from changing his mechanics in order to compensate for the leg injury. If anything like this is at the cause of your back pain, it will be discovered.

Another fantastic benefit of physical therapy is that you will learn all sorts of exercises you can bring home with you. You may never be a gym rat, but there are plenty of simple ways to keep your body in decent shape, most of which require simple items that can be found around the house, and the use of your own body weight. A good physical therapist won’t just walk you through exercises like a robot, but will teach you what you need to know to keep things going in between sessions.

After you spend some time at physical therapy centers, you’ll begin to notice how even the furniture is designed to help people heal. And you’ll have the chance to speak with your physical therapist about what sort of changes you might want to make at home or in the office. For example, a good desk chair with sufficient lumbar support is absolutely crucial, especially if you’re dealing with back problems. The physical therapist will be able to recommend brands and help you make these necessary changes.