25 Jul Sick of Back Pain? Here’s How to Handle It
Back pain can hit you out of the blue: one minute you’re lifting a box or working out, and the next you’re reaching for an ice pack. Hundreds of thousands of people deal with back pain every year and it can be expensive! It’s one of the main reasons people miss work and for why you might need a medical appointment or imaging. Over 90,000 people a month turn to the internet with questions about back pain, hoping to find some answers and some help. As experts in the musculoskeletal system – who see a LOT of patients with back pain – here is a little info about back pain (and some reasons PT is ideal treatment):
What Causes Back Pain?
Some common causes of back pain include:
- Poor mechanics: such as improper lifting, bending, or movement
- Accidents: like a car accident or fall
- Poor muscle strength
- Genetic factors: some people are prone to arthritis, sciatica, or spinal issues
- Age: the risk of back pain increases with age
What Does Back Pain Feel Like?
Back pain is different in everyone and depends on the cause, but is often described as:
- Burning, aching, or sharp pain
- Severe pain
- Radiating pain that can affect the buttocks and legs
- Pain with movement or at rest
- Pain that prevents normal activities
- Numbness or other symptoms in the legs and feet
How Do You Fix Back Pain?
Treating back pain depends on the person, symptoms, and cause; some possible treatments are:
- At-home treatment like rest, heat, ice, and stretching
- Prescription medication
- Injections
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
Why is Physical Therapy a Good Treatment Choice for Back Pain?
Although every patient is different, PT offers unique benefits for back pain like:
- Non-invasive
- Expert evaluation
- Safer than prescription medications
- Treats the symptoms and the cause
- High rate of success
- Wide variety of PT treatment types available, including IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization), dry needling, manual (hands on therapy), assisted stretching
- Education to help prevent recurrence of back pain
- Exercises to improve core strength, movement, and mobility
Back pain -whether it’s a strain or an issue with your spine – can turn your day upside down. We treat patients with back pain every day and almost everyone sees improvement with PT. Even if you’ve been fighting chronic back pain, we can usually help. Your PT will perform a thorough evaluation and develop a custom treatment plan to reduce pain, improve your movement, and get you back to what you’d rather be doing!
Body One has three convenient north-Indy locations: Fishers, North Meridian, Zionsville. Call today to talk to our friendly front office and schedule your appointment!
