Back pain is one of the most common issues that people have. In fact, around 80% of people will experience back pain at least once in their life. Back pain can be acute and go away after a few days or a week, while other types of back pain are chronic. Although neither type is fun, chronic pain can have a direct impact on every area of your life. It can affect your ability to exercise or sit at your desk at work. It can also lead to depression and other issues.
Many people reach for paid medication to help with back pain. However, there are some things you can do, such as physical therapy for back pain, to treat the cause of the issue. This not only takes away the need for addictive meds, but it also improves the strength and function of your spinal and associated muscles.
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Regaining Muscle Strength
One of the reasons someone has chronic back pain is that the muscles are weak. The muscles that are the most to blame are the core muscles, which are your abdominals and the small ones that attach to your spinal bones.
There are numerous things that can weaken these muscles:
- Sitting for long periods of time
- Poor posture
- Chronic stress
- Lack of stretching
- Lack of, or wrong type of, exercise
When you try physical therapy in Windsor, Colorado, you will discover how to strengthen the muscles associated with your back pain. A physical therapist will first demonstrate how to do the movements and then watch and guide you as you practice them. Doing strength training on a regular basis will start to strengthen these important muscles, which will minimize pain.
Improving Mobility and Functionality
When looking for lower back pain treatment near me, you will also learn that part of treating back pain is adding mobility and functionality to your routines. With back pain and stiffness, range of motion decreases. A physical therapist may use a number of methods to begin to increase mobility in the spine. These may include passive range of motion moves, joint mobilization, facilitation stretching, and neuromuscular reeducation
Because your back muscles attach to your pelvis, it is also important to introduce mobility in the hips. These moves may seem very subtle, but they improve the function of the small, core muscles as well as the tendons and ligaments.
When you strengthen the right muscles and increase mobility, not only does your back pain go away, but you also improve the overall function of your body. If you keep up with a prescribed program to manage and treat back pain, you will begin to notice that you move easier and better and that you are able to do things you have not been able to do in a while. Discovering a life without back pain gives you an entirely different outlook on life.
If you struggle with chronic back pain, search for a physical therapist and find out what you can do to improve the overall movement and function of your back.
