Back pain is a pain in the neck and back, plain and simple. After years of dealing with it, many people become frustrated and consider costly surgeries or addictive pain medication to solve the problem. What they may not realize is that surgery and opioids aren’t the only treatment options for people with this condition. If you’ve been suffering from chronic back pain and are considering surgery as a solution, contact our clinic today to learn more about how physical therapy can be a viable alternative to surgery.
What is chronic back pain?
Back pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks is referred to as chronic back pain. Chronic back pain sufferers may claim that their back pain improves or worsens depending on the time of day, but the pain is constant and incapacitating. This type of pain frequently interferes with a person’s ability to work and can even make it difficult for them to complete simple daily tasks.
If you’ve ever found yourself tempted to call out of work because of pain in your back, you’re not alone. Back pain is the sixth most costly condition in the United States, and a major leader in work-loss days.
The Health Policy Institute At Georgetown University states that “nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. Some 16 million adults — 8 percent of all adults — experience persistent or chronic back pain, and as a result are limited in certain everyday activities.”
Back pain isn’t rocket science; it’s fairly simple to comprehend, and you’ll know it when you experience it for yourself! It is a type of back pain that occurs in a person’s back, usually along the spine or in the muscles that attach to the spine. Acute back pain lasts for a short time and usually goes away on its own, but chronic back pain is a different story, and it can be much more serious in some cases.
Common causes of chronic back pain?
Sometimes patients and their doctors know exactly what the root cause of the back pain was. In a majority of cases, back pain develops on its own over time, without one specific event that injured the person’s back. In fact, a 2014 article in the journal Clinical Radiology notes that in 90% of cases, patients can’t quite place the source of their back pain.
The signs and symptoms of back pain differ from person to person. Chronic back pain is characterized by severe pain in the upper, middle, or lower back. Limited mobility is another symptom; you may find yourself unable to move your body as freely as you once could. Even simple tasks that you previously took for granted, such as getting out of a chair or out of bed after waking up, can be excruciatingly painful. Lifting even small objects can exacerbate the pain.
How can physical therapy help to manage and eliminate chronic pain?
Physical therapy is a safe and effective method of pain management for people of all ages to treat back pain. In fact, there is a substantial amount of medical literature that supports this claim!
Consider whether “living with the pain” is a viable option for you in the long run. If you answered no, you should know that working with a physical therapist is a tried and true way to alleviate the symptoms of chronic back pain. If patients follow the physical therapist’s recommendations, the need for surgery can often be avoided, and they won’t have to rely on prescription painkillers.
A few ways a physical therapist may choose to treat your back pain are as follows:
- Passive Physical Therapy: “Passive” physical therapy involves non-physical treatments which can help relax a patient’s muscles and bring relief from their pain. Exercise isn’t all physical therapy is made up of! Chronic back pain can involve hot and cold packs applied directly to affected areas, electrical stimulation of the muscle structures, and more.
- Active Physical Therapy: Your physical therapist has years of training and hands-on experience working with chronic back pain patients just like you. Your physical therapy plan might include specific stretches and exercises. This technique is known as “active” physical therapy. These exercises are great for strengthening the muscle groups that support your back and core. The stretches will be geared toward helping your body regain the flexibility and mobility you have lost as a result of your chronic back pain.
- Long-Term Support: Physical therapy is not an overnight solution to your pain; oftentimes it takes months to fully recover from an injury. PT takes dedication and patience. It takes time to alleviate chronic back pain through stretching and exercise, and it’s easy to get discouraged if you try to do it on your own. Your physical therapist is there to help you by providing emotional and psychological motivation throughout your treatment journey until your back pain is a thing of the past.
Make an appointment with us today!
Surgery and painkillers are not the only options you have if you’ve been struggling with chronic back pain or any other discomfort that may be plaguing you. Call Eastside Sports Rehab in Bellevue, WA today to schedule a no-risk appointment with a physical therapist and begin your journey to a pain-free life!
