Is back pain bothering you? Do you have difficulty working out, bending over, or even walking around? If so, don’t you worry about that. Back injury is regarded as a condition that is a primary cause of disability worldwide. Look at the bright side, it can be successfully treated and prevented.
Back pain can affect people of different age gaps.
Stating the obvious, as people get older, the possibility of developing lower back pain increases. This is mainly due to the factors such as degenerative disk disease and their previous occupation. Back injury is one of the most common reasons for sick days and doctor visits.
There are different methods to reduce lower back pain. This ranges from stretching and strength training to physiotherapy. Physiotherapy in Whitby not only reduces the pain but also helps you restore mobility and improve your posture in the long run.
What Causes Back Pain?
It is the lower back that helps you make your everyday tasks possible. It supports your upper body weight and enables you to bend, twist, and rotate your hips while walking. Moreover, the nerves located in this area ultimately control your legs, feet, and pelvis. Your mobility can be influenced even by the smallest pain or imbalance. Other factors like obesity, lack of exercise, poor posture, and even prolonged sitting can result in lower back pain.
The human back comprises a very complicated structure of muscles. Ligaments, discs, tendons, and bones work together and allow us to move around. The cushioned cartilage-like pads referred to as disks are the segments of the spine and any problems that arise with any of these components can lead to back pain.
Strain is one of the primary reasons for back pain. Some of the frequent causes of back pain are listed below.
- Strained muscles or ligaments
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle tension
- Injuries fall or fractures
- Damaged disks
Examples of some of the activities that can cause back pain are –
- Lifting something that is way too heavy
- Lifting something without proper form/improperly
- Making an awkward movement/abrupt movement
Moreover, several structural problems can also cause back pain, such as ruptured discs, sciatica, bulging disks, arthritis, the abnormal curvature of the spine, kidney problems, and osteoporosis.
One of the most common causes of back pain is none other than adopting a very hunched sitting position when using computers or doing something else. It can arise from poor posture. Examples include-
- Pushing, pulling, or carrying something
- Twisting
- Over-stretching
- Long drive sessions without a break
- Standing or sitting for a long period, etc.
Other causes, specifically some medical conditions can also result in back pain. A few examples are cauda equina syndrome, infection of the spine, cancer of the spine, sleep disorders, shingles, etc.
Risk Factors for Back Pain
We all know that ageing is one of the most common factors for back pain/injury. Other than that, there are a couple of other primary risk factors to be concerned about. Factors such as weight gain, genetics, pregnancy, and lack of physical activity fall under this category.
If your occupation requires a heavy physical workload such as pulling, pushing, heavy lifting, etc., you may experience back pain at some point. These activities tend to put more stress on your body, especially the spine, and may worsen your symptoms. However, office jobs, where you sit for long hours aren’t better either.
Sports activities are another major risk factor for back pain. Professional athletes have to be extremely careful because serious back injury might even affect their performance. Poor lifting form triggers pain and hence results in spine injuries and slipped discs, which can even cost major athletes their careers.
A skilled sports physiotherapist can treat you well and instruct you on how to exercise properly. They will also recommend the most appropriate routines to follow and all movements to avoid.
How Effective is Physiotherapy for Back Pain?
Before you make up your mind that you do require physiotherapy, think about what may be the actual reason for causing the back pain. In some cases, the root cause would be something minor, for example- a sudden movement that may have caused a sprain or it can be due to sitting or sleeping with bad posture.
Generally, when this happens, you will tend to recover from the pain in a couple of days through conservative treatments such as rest, heat therapy, etc. It should only be just a matter of days until you get up and running. However, if the pain gets worse, it can result in a more serious health condition like arthritis, kidney infections, or a herniated disc. Seeking medical help is vital if your symptoms do not improve within a couple of days.
However, physiotherapy has emerged to be one of the best methods to prevent and treat back pain. This medical practice encompasses joint mobilization, stretching, dry needling, and other techniques that help relieve back discomfort. The sooner you get treated, the higher your recovery chances will be.
Physiotherapists recommend stretching exercises that target back muscles, to relieve tension and improve joint flexibility. Certain massages are a great example of stimulating blood flow to the affected areas. This relaxes your body, as well as your mind, and jolts up the healing process.
6 Benefits of Physiotherapy for Back Injury
Now let’s take a look at some of the benefits of physiotherapy for back pain.
- Personalized Care
One of the major advantages of seeking help from physical therapy is that the therapist won’t follow a one-size-fits-all kind of approach to treating your back injury. They will take into account your body type, lifestyle, age, occupation(whether you’re an athlete or a sedentary person), how you respond to certain types of movements, and your other existing health conditions.
- Restored Mobility
Physiotherapists also search for the root cause of discomfort other than just treating the pain. Take an example, the therapist will mainly focus on easing the stiffness if your lower back is stiff and on the other hand, if your back muscles are weak, the therapist may recommend strengthening exercises that will help you regain your strength and recover quickly.
- May Eliminate the Need for Surgery
This is regarded as one of the most important benefits as physiotherapy eliminates the possibility of surgery. It is one of the proactive methods to attempt to fix back pain conservatively.
- Decreases the Chance of Further Injury
Physiotherapy even reduces the risks of further injury by properly suggesting your recovery stretches to avoid future back injury.
- Reduces the Risk of Falls
If you are a person that has poor posture or degenerative disease that builds up the possibility of falling, do not worry, as a physical therapist will design a unique plan just for you to enhance your balance & coordination and prevent you from falling in the future.
- Decreased Pain
A physiotherapist will suggest exercises that will diminish the pain that is directly caused by your movements.
Conclusion
Today, physiotherapy is one of the best medical practices. To be best prepared, it is very much recommended to make a note of the possible factors that are contributing to the pain before you consult a good physiotherapist. This in fact will help your therapist to gain a detailed view of all areas you might need help with and prescribe the correct medicine for faster recovery.
