Lower back pain is a common reason for people to seek physical therapy. In 2020, lower back pain affected 619 million people. Lower back pain isn’t the same for everyone — it can range from a dull ache to persistent pain that makes it difficult to move or perform daily activities. Fortunately, physical therapy offers effective treatments that can help relieve your pain and address its underlying causes.
Potential causes of lower back pain
Common contributors of lower back pain include injuries, chronic conditions and posture issues. Here are some specific causes that could be behind your back pain:
- Strain — Strain happens when you overstretch or tear the muscles and ligaments in your back. This might happen due to heavy lifting, sudden movements or poor posture.
- Herniated disc — Herniating a spinal disc often comes with pain. A disc herniation happens when one of the discs positioned between spinal vertebrae bulges or ruptures, irritating nearby nerves.
- Arthritis — Arthritis refers to inflammation of the joints. There are multiple kinds of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. These chronic conditions can inflame the joints in the spine, leading to stiffness and pain.
- Sciatica — Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve gets pinched. The sciatic nerve is a long nerve that runs from the lower back into the legs. It is the largest nerve in the human body. If you have sciatica, you may experience lower back pain that radiates down your legs.
- Core weakness — Weakness in the abdominal and pelvic muscles can lead to improper spinal alignment and back pain.
With each of these causes, physical therapy can help address the condition behind your lower back pain. The comprehensive and direct nature of physical therapy is what sets it apart from other approaches and leads to lasting relief.
4 physical therapy techniques for lower back pain
- Dry needling — Dry needling is a technique for treating pain caused by muscle tension. Whether muscle tension is the root cause of your back pain or simply another symptom of something else, dry needling can help. During treatment, thin needles are inserted into specific points within the muscles to release tension and improve circulation. There are many benefits associated with dry needling. It can reduce muscle tightness and provide localized pain relief. It can also increase blood flow to injured tissue, promoting natural healing processes. If your back pain is connected to a strained muscle, sciatica or chronic tension, dry needling may be particularly effective. After an initial evaluation, your physical therapist can help determine whether dry needling is right for you.
- Manual therapy — Manual therapy refers to techniques where a physical therapist uses their hands to apply pressure, mobilize joints and stretch soft tissue. Manual therapy techniques can be highly effective in relieving pain, improving mobility and promoting relaxation. There are several ways in which manual therapy might help with your back pain. Manual techniques such as soft tissue mobilization can help loosen tight muscles around the spine. This can help alleviate painful tension and improve your back flexibility. Manual therapy can also improve your blood flow, enabling more nutrients to reach injured tissue. Because manual therapy incorporates multiple techniques, from soft tissue mobilization to joint mobilization, it is highly versatile. This makes it suitable for treating a wide range of back conditions.
- The Graston Technique® — Like manual therapy, the Graston Technique works to directly address symptoms through soft tissue mobilization. The main difference is that, unlike manual therapy, the Graston Technique involves specialized instruments. These stainless steel tools are designed to break up muscle knots and scar tissue. The Graston Technique may be particularly useful if your back pain is tied to an old injury.
- Pelvic floor rehabilitation — The cause of lower back pain is not always located in the back. Referred pain develops when dysfunction in one part of the body causes pain in a different area. If you’re experiencing symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction, such as urinary incontinence, then this dysfunction could be responsible for your lower back pain as well. The pelvic floor is a set of muscles that work together to support your core and lower spine. When these muscles aren’t functioning properly, it can lead to more strain on areas such as the lower back. If pelvic floor dysfunction is the cause of your lower back pain, pelvic rehabilitation may be the best solution.
Forever Fit offers an array of effective PT techniques for lower back pain
Lower back pain shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love. At Forever Fit, we can treat your pain using a range of proven techniques. Whether you’re getting specialty back pain treatment at our Gaithersburg location, receiving pelvic floor care at our Gaithersburg or Rockville locations, or seeking top-notch treatment at one of our other Maryland locations, our expert physical therapists are ready to help meet your needs.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule an initial appointment.