Am I Seeing the Right Type of Doctor?
Getting relief means seeing the right medical professional—find out who's who and how to get referred.
Find OutPhysical therapy is an important treatment option for most back pain sufferers. Find out how to make it work best for you.
Physical therapy involves working with a physical therapist who is trained to carry out your doctor's orders to stretch, strengthen, and exercise your back in a safe and effective way. It is important that physical therapy be coupled with education, so you can be empowered to take charge of your own recovery and move forward in your journey.
Physical therapists are trained to give instruction on posture, educate about basic anatomy and physiology, and instruct people in body mechanics, stretching, strengthening, and conditioning exercises. A physical therapist also works with your physician to determine if other types of non-surgical treatments including ultrasound, heat, diathermy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy, massage, or spinal manipulation may be right for you.
Your physical therapist will do an evaluation and determine if there are any joint limitations or muscle weakness, as well as pinpoint the pain distribution in your back. Heat/cold therapy and massage, as well as ultrasound, may be used to ease back pain, but these are no longer the mainstays of treatment. These types of treatments—called modalities by physical therapists—demand little from the patient and may feel good at the time, but the pain relief produced by them is often only temporary.
More recently, physical therapists have been using physical activity as part of treatment. This may cause minor pain at the beginning of the course of therapy, but it has longer-lasting effects—strengthening the back and relieving pain in the long run.
Physical therapists who use movement, back pain exercises, strengthening and conditioning, and who encourage gradual increase in activity, are usually most successful.
Getting relief means seeing the right medical professional—find out who's who and how to get referred.
Find Out