Physiotherapy for Back Pain in Orleans, ON
After a few minutes of standing, you put your hands on your back, wondering if you will always feel this pain. It’s been going on for a while, but you hoped it would go away. Perhaps last time it did. But as you get older, you think maybe you don’t want to rely on OTC or prescription meds to temporarily take away the pain.
Were you in a car accident, recently or long ago? Have a fall, or hurt yourself playing sports? Or maybe you don’t really remember the exact minute your back pain started. It just seemed to sneak up on you as you spent more and more time behind the wheel or in front of your computer screen or using your phone. It may be hard to remember when the pain first began, but it doesn’t take long for you to feel like it may last forever.
Do You Have Sharp Back Pain or a Dull Ache?
Many people with sharp back pain find it comes and goes, and shoots down one leg. This is usually sciatica. You have a sciatic nerve that runs down each leg, so when the sharp pain just goes down one leg, that’s a good indication it is sciatica. Sometimes sharp back pain results from pinched nerves, but those wouldn’t cause the radiating pain down your leg, and it would be pain in another part of your back.
But most patients we see at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON, have more constant or chronic back pain with more of a dull ache. This constant dull ache varies from mild to severe, and it certainly makes it difficult to carry out regular activities. It can be difficult to bend over, lift and carry, get into or out of bed or a chair, and in severe cases even makes it hard to walk. The pain is different from the hot, searing pain of sciatica, but both are incredibly debilitating.
Low Back Pain Physiotherapy at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON
Most people have back pain at some point in their lives. It might be a quick tweak of your back by twisting wrong or lifting something too heavy for you. You end up with acute low back pain. After using an ice pack, taking it easy, and taking some ibuprofen, everything seems fine in a few days.
Yet as you get older, it seems like it is easier and easier to tweak your back. That’s when the question arises – Could low back pain physiotherapy help make a difference in the long term?
The answer is yes, there is a way to reduce the risk of reinjuring your back, even if you have never had a serious injury. This is especially true if you have had even a moderate injury, such as a fall or were in a car accident, or if you have a disease that causes chronic low back pain like arthritis or fibromyalgia.
Often, physiotherapy helps patients find significant chronic low back pain relief immediately and in the short term and makes reinjury less likely.
Here are some reasons you should see a physiotherapist at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON for back pain relief.
Back Pain After an Injury
Sometimes back pain comes and goes, but after a car accident, fall, or sports injury, contact Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON as soon as possible. Your physiotherapist starts by completing a comprehensive exam to ensure they find back pain relief for you in the short and long terms. You don’t want the injury to escalate into the need for surgery, but if an operation is required after an accident, physiotherapy helps you to both prepare and recover. Physiotherapy helps speed healing, reduce inflammation and pain, increase flexibility, and range of motion, and strengthen the muscles in your back. With stronger muscles and increased flexibility reinjury becomes much less likely.
Your Symptoms Interfere with Normal Activities
If you find yourself hesitating to take part in your normal activities, it is time to see a physiotherapist at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON. Does it hurt when you bend over to unload the dishwasher? Have you stopped lifting or carrying a child? Having trouble getting into the truck cab? Not doing the normal lifting and carrying you are used to at work? Hard to concentrate as you sit at your desk because your back hurts?
Back pain gets quite painful, making it difficult to do what are simple functions when your back doesn’t hurt.
You Still Have Pain After a Week
It has been a week. You’ve been sitting on a heating pad and alternating with ice packs. You are taking some OTC anti-inflammatory meds, long walks, and otherwise taking it easy. Sleeping with a pillow between your knees is a good thing to keep doing, but you can’t sleep in a recliner in the long term.
You can’t live like that forever! Remember your normal, pain-free life?
If lifestyle changes and home remedies leave you dealing with back pain after a week, it’s time to call us at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON.
Physiotherapy for Back Pain at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON – What to Expect
At your first appointment, your physiotherapist asks a lot of questions. At Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON, we listen carefully to your story because we know you know your body best. Your physiotherapist asks if something happened event that caused your pain, like an accident or fall. Then, they ask about your lifestyle, medical history, and how your back pain impacts your regular activities.
Then, your physiotherapist will evaluate reflexes, flexibility, range of motion, strength, muscle balance, and other elements that could be contributing to your pain. They will ask you to do simple movements like leaning forward or bending side-to-side, twisting, extending backwards, and simply walking. The assessment results demonstrate how your back pain affects your physical functioning.
Your physiotherapist uses the information from your evaluation to develop customized physiotherapy treatments for you. Most patients require treatment programs that include various types of therapy to support complete, rapid healing. Hands-on manual therapy is at the core of every physiotherapy program, but in addition, your physiotherapist may recommend:
- Joint mobilizations
- Myofascial release
- Soft tissue massage
- Relaxation stretches
- Cervical mobilizations
- Corrective stretches
- Therapeutic exercises
- Daytime and/or sleep posture correction
- Dry needling (IMS)
- Electric stimulation (TENS)
- Ultrasound
Most physiotherapy programs begin with more passive therapies to reduce your pain quickly. As your back pain subsides, your therapy becomes increasingly active to include stretches and exercises for greater muscle strength.
Physiotherapy for back pain usually takes several weeks for an initial treatment plan. Most treatment plans also include a long-term plan designed to reduce the risk of reinjury and keep you pain-free.
Physiotherapy is a highly effective back pain treatment. Reach out to us here at Orleans Physiotherapy in Orleans, ON for an assessment of your condition. We are here to help and let you get back to your normal, pain-free life!
Back Pain Relief FAQs
What is physiotherapy for back pain?
Physiotherapy for back pain relief uses several different treatments, including mobilization and manipulation of joints, hands-on manual therapy, deep tissue massage, low-level laser, dry needling, and trigger point therapy to reduce inflammation, muscle spasms, tightness, and pain. Physiotherapy for back pain helps for both acute and chronic pain patients providing immediate relief and long-term results.
Do physiotherapists treat back pain?
Physiotherapists treat back pain with hands-on manual therapies and other modalities using TENS, ultrasound, cold laser, dry needling, and others. Soft tissue problems and joint and muscular problems are treated by physiotherapists, especially when they restrict movement and cause pain. Physiotherapists treat back pain from injuries and illness such as arthritis or degenerating disc disease that cause back pain. Many patients find they rely less on prescription pain medications when they receive physiotherapy for their back pain.
What is the best physiotherapy for back pain?
Physiotherapy for back pain usually combines several different types of treatments depending on the underlying cause of the patient’s pain. Many patients receive ultrasound, TENS, cold laser therapy, therapeutic exercises. The core of physiotherapy, and probably the best treatment for most patients, is hands-on manual therapy.
Should I go to physio for lower back pain?
Yes. Physiotherapy is one of the most effective methods for the treatment of lower back pain. A comprehensive assessment by a physiotherapist helps uncover the underlying and contributing causes of your back pain. There is a large amount of research to support physio for lower back pain. Most cases of lower back pain respond well to physio, with both short-term relief and long-term results.
