How Can Physical Therapy Relieve Your Chronic Back Pain?

After dealing with Chronic back pain for years, many people consider costly surgeries or addictive pain medication to deal with the problem. But did you know that surgery and opioids aren’t the only options available to people suffering from this condition? If you’ve been dealing with chronic back pain and are thinking about surgery to finally feel some relief, contact Therafit today to learn about how working with a physical therapist can be an alternative solution to your chronic back pain.

What Does It Mean To Have Chronic Back Pain?

Back pain by itself is pretty simple to understand. It is pain a person experiences in their back, usually along the spine or in the muscles attached to the spine. “Chronic back pain,” however, is a little different and in some cases, much more serious. Chronic back pain is pain that lasts for longer than 12 weeks. A person suffering from chronic back pain might say that their back feels better or worse depending on what time of day it is, but the pain is consistent and always debilitating. This kind of pain often interferes with a person’s ability to work and can even cause people to struggle with simple day-to-day tasks.

Recognizing Chronic Bain Pain and What Causes It

The main symptom of chronic back pain is intense pain in some area of the patient’s back. Other symptoms might include limited mobility; you may find yourself unable to move your body like you were once able to. Even simple tasks that you once never thought twice about, such as getting up out of a chair or out of bed after waking up can be an incredibly painful experience. Lifting even light objects can cause the pain to intensify.

Maybe the patient received a work-related accident or was in a car accident in which their back was injured. It could be that a patient was injured while lifting a piece of furniture too heavy for them to carry. 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.

Three Ways Physical Therapy Can Alleviate Back Pain

It’s not a secret that physical therapy is a great way to treat chronic back pain, in fact, there’s a substantial amount of medical literature out there proving just that. Ask yourself if “living with the pain” is really going to work long-term for you. If the answer is “no” then understand that working with a physical therapist is a proven method for improving the symptoms of chronic back pain. Oftentimes, the need for surgery can be alleviated and patients won’t need to depend on prescription painkillers if they follow through on the physical therapist’s recommendations.

Here are three ways physical therapy helps chronic back pain.

  • Passive Physical Therapy: Exercise isn’t all physical therapy is made up of. “Passive” physical therapy involves non-physical treatments which can help relax a patient’s muscles and bring relief from their pain. With back pain, this 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 back pain.
  • Long-Term Support: Physical therapy 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.

Surgery and painkillers are not the only options you have if you’ve been struggling with chronic back pain. Call Therafit to schedule a no-risk appointment with a physical therapist and begin your journey to a pain-free life.

Improve Your Posture and Relieve Your Back Pain Today!

According to a longitudinal study, approximately 3% of all emergency room visits tend to be the result of back pain or injury. Back pain is the most commonly reported area of pain, which can cause significant limits to one’s daily life.

It is common for back pain to develop as a result of poor posture. If your posture is not correct, it can cause stress on other parts of your body, resulting in pain, inflammation, or dysfunction. Fortunately, posture can be improved with the help of physical therapy.

To learn more about how we can help improve your posture and relieve your back pain, contact TheraFit in Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, today.

Why did my posture decline the way it did?

Poor posture isn’t anything to be embarrassed about – very few people have perfect posture, and most people partake in bad posture habits in one way or another. We become so wrapped up in whatever tasks we are doing that we forget to think about the way our bodies are positioned.

Maybe you’re completing a project at work, it’s the end of the day, you’re tired, and you’re slouched sideways in your desk chair with one eye on the monitor and the other on the clock. This position isn’t normal for your body, but you are getting in the position most efficient for you to type up the rest of that file and then zoom out the door.

Poor posture isn’t due to laziness or apathy; rather, it generally has something to do with a physical weakness within our bodies. We slouch, slump, hunch, and droop over when we get feel drained because our bodies literally get tired of holding us up.

Even if you exercise regularly, it is possible that there are still a few weak muscles contributing to your posture that you may not even realize. The muscles in your shoulders, back, abdomen, buttocks, and pelvic floor all play an important role in your posture. If even one of these is weak, your core will be affected, and your posture may suffer.

So, what exactly is going on with my back?

If you are suffering from persistent back pain, there is a good chance it is due to your posture. Poor posture is one of the most common causes of back pain. Do you slouch at your desk? Do you lean forward to read emails? Do you hunch over your keyboard? These are all things that people do subconsciously, without even realizing the toll it takes on the body.

Your posture affects how your body moves – whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, or performing pretty much any other task throughout the day. Your posture may also change depending on what you are doing – perhaps your posture when you stand is perfect, but when you sit at a desk or lay down, your body begins to hunch and fold in ways that it is simply not supposed to.

Get your posture back to normal with us!

Our physical therapists are highly experienced and dedicated to helping patients relieve pain and improve their posture. When you arrive for your first appointment, your physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive exam to find out where your pain is originating and what the best treatments will be for relieving it.

Your physical therapist will design a treatment plan based on your specific needs. This will focus on relieving your pain, improving your strength, and enhancing your posture as quickly as possible. Depending on the nature of your condition, treatment plans may also focus on mobility, balance, flexibility, or stability.

Is your posture causing your back pain? Contact TheraFit in Hazel Green, AL, and Fayetteville, TN today to find out. We’ll provide you with the treatment you need so you can get back to your pain-free life!

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Developing a Hunchback? You Might Have Upper Crossed Syndrome, But Physical Therapy Can Help!

Do you find that you’re always being told to sit up straight? Do you notice that you have shoulder pain after work? Are you developing a hunchback? If you’re nodding yes to these questions, chances are you have Upper Crossed Syndrome, or UCS. This is a muscle imbalance that occurs in the head and shoulders. It is often found in people who work desk jobs or sit with poor posture for most of the day.

As a result of this, they have weak cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles (which form a straight line when looking from the side) and tight upper trapezius and pectoral muscles (forming the cross when looking from the side). Wow! That’s a lot of wires being crossed! UCS causes a person’s head to seemingly lean forward, their body to appear hunched, and their shoulders to ache often.

If you’ve been diagnosed with UCS, or notice any of the above symptoms, call TheraFit today to speak with a physical therapist about correcting the problem before it’s too late.

Symptoms of Upper Crossed Syndrome

People struggling with this condition normally appear stooped over with rounded shoulders. According to Healthline, this is because the deformed muscles put strain on the surrounding joints, bones, muscles and tendons. Below is a list of symptoms that accompany UCS:

  • Headache
  • Neck pain
  • Weakness in the front of the neck
  • Strain in the back of the neck
  • Pain in the upper back and shoulders, as well as the lower back
  • Tightness and pain in the chest
  • Trouble with sitting to read or watch TV
  • Trouble driving for long periods
  • Pain and reduced movement in the ribs

How Can A Physical Therapist Treat Upper Crossed Syndrome?

Physical therapy is the best route to go when it comes to Upper Crossed Syndrome. Not only can a physical therapist relieve pain symptoms, but they can also eliminate underlying causes for your pain. You’d be surprised at what you don’t know about your body!

Your physical therapist can create a custom treatment plan that will address your pain levels as well as your symptoms. Typically, your physical therapy treatment plan will be divided into three parts – stretching the upper trapezius and pectoral muscles, strengthening the cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles, and training you to make postural adjustments throughout the day to avoid future recurrence.

It seems like a lot, but don’t worry! That’s what your physical therapist is here for. Read on to learn more details about each part of this treatment method for UCS.

  • Stretching – When it comes to Upper Crossed Syndrome, the first thing to focus on is restoring shortened muscles. When one muscle is tightened or shortened, the opposite muscle relaxes. Your physical therapist will recommend a series of stretches and other therapies, like myofascial release and massage, to lengthen the upper trapezius and pectoral muscles.
  • Strengthening – Strengthening exercises in your physical therapy treatment will target the cervical flexors and lower trapezius muscles. The most basic stretch is one called the “chin tuck.” Your physical therapist will instruct you to lay on your back with your knees bent, without a pillow to support your head. Next, bring your chin as close to your neck as possible, while keeping the back of your head on the floor and your mouth closed. Keeping your head straight, hold this position for 10 seconds, 10 to 12 times. This is another exercise that you can do at home by yourself as well, so you can continue to make progress outside of your appointments!
  • Postural Correction – You can do hours upon hours of stretching and strengthening exercises but it’ll be for nothing if you don’t address your posture! This is the problem that landed you with UCS in the first place. So, to address it, practice standing with your back and the back of your head against a wall. Your feet should be about six inches or so from the wall. Your neck should be two fingers-width from the wall. This is a fast and easy way to remind yourself what it feels like to stand up straight and have proper posture. Think of it as a way to retrain your body to know when it’s slouching.

You can also get a standing desk or adjust your own desk to be raised up a bit to allow for a more neutral posture sitting position. Pay attention to your posture as you text, type on a computer, cook in the kitchen, or drive.

Contact Our Office Today!

It’s easy for people to put off correcting something like their posture, because they’ve become so used to slouching or being hunched over. Putting off treatment will only make correcting the problem a longer process in the future!

Not only will you look better from a postural perspective, you will see bigger gains in your athletic performance. For more information about UCS or to find out more about the three part routine for correcting this issue, contact our physical therapy offices in Hazel Green, AL and Fayetteville, TN today. We’re ready and waiting for your call, and we can’t wait to see the improvements you’re bound to make in our care.

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Is Your Back Pain Due to Herniated Discs? Understanding the Cause of Your Discomfort

Living with back pain can be frustrating, especially when it seems like nothing you do makes it better. At our physical therapy clinic, we invite you to call us to schedule an appointment if you’re concerned about your back pain symptoms. Could they be caused by a herniated disc? If so, a physical therapist at TheraFit Physical Therapy & Fitness Center can help you feel better and even restore health and healing to the injured disc.

What is a Herniated Disc?

A herniated disc happens when the gel-like core inside a spinal disc leaks out through a small tear in the disc’s outer layer. We often compare it to jelly leaking out of a jelly donut! When this happens, the injured disc tissue can irritate or compress nearby spinal nerves or joint structures and may cause pain and other symptoms.

Herniated discs are most common among men between 35 and 55 years old, although they can occur to anyone, especially if they have herniated disc risk factors like:

  • Sedentary behavior
  • A physically demanding job and/or frequent exposure to vibration, heavy lifting, or twisting and bending
  • Smoking habit
  • Obesity
  • Family history

Herniated discs can happen suddenly as the result of an auto accident or other acute trauma, or they can develop gradually over time. We see them most often in the neck area or lower back area.

A herniated disc is often mislabeled as a slipped disc. But discs don’t actually “slip.” They can herniate, as described above, or “bulge” out of place. In the case of a bulging disc, something causes a disc to protrude out of its normal position in the spine, but the outer layer of the disc doesn’t tear, so the inner gel-like core doesn’t leak out. The symptoms and treatment of a bulging disc are often similar to a herniated disc, however.

Common Herniated Disc Symptoms

Here’s something that may surprise you: herniated discs don’t always cause pain or other symptoms! Surprisingly, it’s not unusual for a herniated disc to show up on an MRI even when the person has no complaints.

But if a herniated disc does cause symptoms, the issues can be incredibly disruptive. Common warning signs of a herniated disc include:

  • Shooting pain and numbness in an arm or leg (if the herniated disc irritates a nearby nerve root that innervates that arm or leg)
  • Weakness and altered reflexes in an arm or leg (at our physical therapy clinic, some of our patients report issues like frequent tripping because the muscles that lift the foot become weak)
  • Decreased range of motion in the neck or back
  • Tense and painful muscle spasms near the injured disc
  • Pain that gets better with certain movements and worse with other movements (for example, herniated disc symptoms often get worse or move further into your arm or leg when you bend forward, and get better or move closer to your spine when you lean back or lay flat)

The only way to know for sure what’s causing your back pain is to consult with a doctor, physical therapist, or other health professional. Keep in mind, sometimes it’s simply not possible to know for sure what’s causing your symptoms. That’s okay, though: research shows that when doctors aren’t able to provide an exact back pain diagnosis (the so-called “idiopathic” cases), physical therapy treatment can still be beneficial.

How a Physical Therapist Can Help Treat Herniated Discs

Physical therapy is considered the first line of defense for herniated disc treatment. Your physical therapist can perform a variety of examination tests and techniques to help clarify what’s going on and identify any underlying factors which may have contributed to your disc herniation.

For example, we often find that people with limited hip range of motion or weak core muscles­ are more at risk for herniated discs. Identifying these types of contributing factors allows us to address them and help reduce your chances of recurring disc problems.

Other common treatments for a herniated disc that your physical therapist may recommend include:

  • Manual therapy, including soft tissue massage
  • Non-invasive tools like therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation, biofeedback, cold and hot therapy, and diathermy to promote healing, reduce spasms and inflammation, and improve your movement
  • Therapeutic exercises and stretches to improve core strength and endurance, range of motion, and posture
  • Orthotics and other types of adaptive equipment like walkers or long-handled reachers to help improve skeletal alignment and make it easier to perform daily tasks

Research also suggests that even after a herniated disc heals, a person may still experience prolonged pain. This can happen if the nervous system becomes increasingly sensitive in an attempt to protect you—and it’s something physical therapy can address through a technique known as therapeutic neuroscience education (TNE). By helping you better understand what pain is and how it happens, we can actually help you experience less of it!

For our patients with herniated discs and other issues causing low back pain, we also provide education about proper body mechanics, ergonomics, self-pacing techniques, exercise programs, and more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers physical therapy a good alternative to prescription opioid medications for helping people with low back pain caused by herniated discs and other (non-cancer) related issues. Our physical therapy team also understands that sometimes pain medication is essential in the early phases of an injury in order to alleviate pain and minimize inflammation. That’s why we work collaboratively with your whole medical team to ensure you get the most appropriate treatment for your specific situation. If you have questions about your medications, be sure to talk to your prescribing physician.

Is a Herniated Disc Impairing Your Ability to Get Through Your Day?

If you’re laid up by herniated disc symptoms and are hoping to avoid surgery or reduce your dependency on medications, contact TheraFit Physical Therapy & Fitness Center today. We’re happy to get you scheduled to see a physical therapist who can start you on your pain-relief path ASAP.

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Relief For Your Lower Back Pain with These 3 Simple Steps

If you have been living with lower back pain, you know how limiting it can be. While it may seem simple to relieve the pain with prescription medications, our current opioid epidemic has left people in search of less harmful solutions. Fortunately, physical therapy can be that very solution.

A study published by BMC Health Services states that physical therapy has been known to prevent habit-forming dependencies on prescription medication and reduce the overall health cost that a patient will have to pay for pain relief. Additionally, physical therapy focuses not only on the pain you are currently facing but also on preventing your pain from returning in the future.

Your physical therapist will work closely with you to provide simple pain-relief strategies that you can carry into your daily life, even after your treatment sessions are complete. 3 of these strategies include:

1. Alternating between hot and cold remedies.

Alternating hot and cold compresses or packs on your lower back can help in providing significant pain relief. If you prefer one remedy over the other, it is not necessary to alternate every time, but often alternating the two extremes can help provide a fuller range of benefits.

Heat works to increase your circulation, and when your body experiences that extra blood flow, your healing properties are initiated in your bloodstream. Hot compresses and packs also ease pain by blocking the painful “signals” that run from the nerves in your lower back to your brain. However, cold packs can also come to the rescue with their ability to numb the pain, halt spasms, and reduce swelling in the affected area.

During physical therapy, you’ll receive expert applications of these ice and heat therapies. Your physical therapist can also recommend the best types of hot or cold remedies for your specific condition. As a general rule, ice packs and heating pads are good all-around options, as both are effective, inexpensive, and readily available.

2. Working those hamstrings.

While it is not something that backs pain sufferers always consider, your hamstring muscles can play a key role in whether or not your lower back joints become over-stressed. When the backs of your upper thighs are too tight, your lower back has to work in overtime, in order to compensate. Stretching your hamstrings helps to lengthen those muscles, which can help to soothe your lower back — especially when it’s in spasm.

A physical therapy session can help you identify specific stretches for your hamstring muscles, and will help in explaining how the two muscles affect one another. In the meantime, try bending over and reaching for your toes twice a day. Don’t strain as you reach down, and try not to lock your knees. If you feel any pain at the outset, discontinue the exercise, and talk to your physical therapist about alternative hamstring lengthening exercises.

3. Balancing your activity with rest.

Bed rest is a common initial prescription for lower back pain in some cases. It is especially true if your pain comes from an injury or re-injury. In fact, resting while applying ice packs is a time-honored way of reducing swelling in the first day or two. However, for chronic lower back pain, moving around is much better medicine than lying around. Physical activity releases your natural endorphins, which have both mood-lifting and pain-killing properties.

Of course, it is important not to overdo your workouts before consulting with your physical therapist. Keep it simple by taking a light walk or getting some household chores done, in order to limber up your back and release those helpful endorphins. If a brace helps in relieving your pain, wear it to support your lower back as you move.

Physical therapy is an important exercise option. It delivers both the benefit of exercise and the watchful eye of a professional to make sure you are using proper technique and remaining sage. Your physical therapist can warn you about moves that risk re-injury and will work with you on both flexibility and strengthening moves. These exercises are meant to build up the muscles that support your spine, in order to ease the pain on your lower back. They also help provide a greater range-of-motion as you work through that back stiffness.

Find relief today:

If you are in need of extra assistance for managing our lower back pain, don’t hesitate to contact our office today. One of our dedicated physical therapists will be happy to meet with you to discuss treatment and simple lifestyle changes that can help decrease the severity and frequency of your lower back pain episodes. Call Therafit today to get started on your path toward lower back pain relief!

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Chronic Back Pain Doesn’t Have to Control You – Reclaim Your Life with Physical Therapy

When you have chronic back pain, it can feel like every aspect of your life gets interrupted. Pain at work can lead to decreased productivity, sick days, and increased stress. Pain at home can prevent you from being able to care for yourself and your loved ones. Chronic back pain can even make it difficult to exercise and stay active, which may lead to even more pain, weight gain, and other issues associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

The good news is, even if you have chronic back pain now, you don’t necessarily have to live with it forever. Contact Therafit to schedule a consultation with a physical therapist who can help you start feeling better and feeling more in control of your life.

How a Physical Therapist Can Help Alleviate Your Back Pain

Back pain affects most of us at some point, but for some people, the pain can persist for at least three months or more. While alleviating pain is an important goal, it’s also critical to identify and address the contributing factors leading to chronic back pain. Addressing root causes reduces your risk of recurring problems and long-term dysfunction—otherwise, pain can just keep coming back once you stop taking pain medication.

This is one of the reasons why working with a physical therapist is so valuable. Physical therapy services like postural assessments, strength and range of motion testing, and tests of balance, motor control, and coordination can give us a lot of insight into why your back pain is occurring and why the underlying issue developed in the first place. Your physical therapist can then prescribe specific interventions to resolve these root factors while at the same time prescribing symptom-alleviating services.

In other words, we seek to resolve the “why’s” of your pain while also resolving the pain itself!

Here are a few specific things you can expect when working with a physical therapist for your back pain:

  • A thorough assessment. We’ll look at your body, find out about your medical and family background, compile a list of your symptoms (including pain, stiffness, and weakness or numbness in one or both legs), and learn more about your lifestyle and current challenges to help us clarify your diagnosis. A physical therapist can gain a lot of insight even from looking at your footwear, walking style, posture, and body mechanics, so come in comfortable clothing and be prepared to move.
  • A chance to clarify your goals. Helping you make progress with objective measurements like strength, pain levels, and range of motion is important. But we also will take the time to learn about the things you really want to be able to do and achieve once your back pain gets better. This includes very specific functional activities like playing a round of golf or being able to walk your dog around the block without stopping. What matters to you is what matters to us! We’ll always keep your goals in mind as we create a treatment plan so you can really feel and see your progress in therapy. By keeping your goals and personal vision in the front and center of your plan of care, we also help you have more FUN in your physical therapy sessions!
  • A plan of care that combines a customized range of evidence-based interventions. Physical therapy services that are effective for alleviating chronic back pain include soft tissue massage, joint mobilizations, spinal manipulations, therapeutic exercise, therapeutic pain education, and non-invasive modalities like electrical stimulation. We can make practical recommendations on stress mangement, diet, and other lifestyle matters, and refer you to other providers as needed. We can prescribe and fit you for adaptive equipment and support devices like braces or orthotics, teach you safer ways to move or complete daily tasks with efficiency and safety, and help you start feeling better so you can exercise regularly again, which we know is good for spinal health and mental well-being.

Your physical therapist can even help you prepare for or recover from back surgery if this kind of procedure is eventually determined to be appropriate for your needs.

Here are the Benefits of Physical Therapy for Chronic Back Pain

Physical therapy is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the “first lines” of treatment for most types of chronic pain. Altogether, our approach to diagnosing and treating back pain can benefit you by offering:

  • Longer-lasting relief
  • Improved spinal health
  • Reduced risk of recurring issues and worsening tissue damage
  • Decreased reliance on pain medications or invasive procedures
  • Improved cost-effectiveness
  • Lowered healthcare costs
  • Decreased downtime (unlike back surgeries, which can require months of challenging recovery, often with little or no symptom improvement)
  • Improved productivity
  • Improved activity tolerance
  • Increased sense of control of your health
  • Increased understanding of your pain experience

Is Back Pain Bugging You?

Physical therapy is proven to be an effective back pain treatment and is safe for people of all ages and health backgrounds. Contact Therafit today to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist and get back on the road to the active and pain-free lifestyle you want and deserve.

You Don’t Have To Live With Arthritis Pain. Physical Therapy Can Help!

Did you know that arthritis is one of the leading causes of joint pain? It’s true. Arthritis can come from pain in the ankles, knees, hands, elbows, or hips, and it can affect just about anyone! Sometimes it’s a pop in your knee as you descend a flight of stairs, or a painful crack in your fingers when you try to open a jar. There’s a good chance you won’t realize how much you depend on your joints to perform painlessly until you’re experiencing joint pain daily.

Arthritis affects more than 50 million American adults, and is also the leading cause of disability in the United States. Most people believe it’s something that people only experience with old age, but it can actually happen to anyone at any age! More than 300,000 children and infants in the United States alone are diagnosed with arthritis, and unfortunately, this is a struggle that many of these children have dealt with from birth.

One of the best treatments for pain caused by arthritis is physical therapy. Most people think that physical therapy is a treatment only suitable for those who have suffered an injury or have a chronic health condition, but this simply isn’t true. Using physical therapy for the treatment of arthritis pain is very effective and widely recommended.

4 Ways Physical Therapy Can Relieve Arthritis Pain:

  1. It targets your pain through specialized treatments. Hot and cold therapy, therapeutic massage, and chiropractic care all provide optimal pain relief from arthritis. Many physical therapists utilize these forms of therapy.
  2. Physical therapy improves muscle strength, which supports your joints. Weakness in the surrounding muscles can put extra stress on your joints, thereby causing you to experience more joint pain during the smallest movements, like writing or picking up an object.
  3. It improves your range of motion. Physical therapy is a great way to improve your range of motion, which in turn supports optimal joint functionality.
  4. Physical therapists are experts at targeting the source of joint pain. Occasionally arthritis pain may be triggered by an environmental factor. Working with an experienced physical therapist can provide insight into the cause of your pain. Your physical therapist can help you make adjustments to environmental factors to decrease your level of discomfort.

Arthritis can happen to anyone at any age. Though women are more likely to experience joint pain than men, statistics show almost two-thirds of people dealing with pain from arthritis are of working age. This means regardless of gender, those between the ages of 20 and 65 are actually at the greatest risk of developing this type of pain. Learning how to manage arthritis head on is important, and while pain medications can help to reduce the amount of pain you feel, pills don’t fix the problem. This is why physical therapy is commonly referred to as one of the best solutions for the treatment of arthritis joint pain.

If you are experiencing regular joint pain that is interrupting your life, then it’s time to look for help. No matter what age you are, the correct way to ensure that your treatment is right for your personal needs is to consult a physical therapist. The beauty of physical therapy is that it is targeted and personalized treatment created to meet your individual needs. Contact our office today for more information on setting up an appointment with a physical therapist, so you can get back to doing the things you love without arthritis pain.

Stand up to Lower Back Pain – Find Relief Through Physical Therapy

Lower back pain is a very common sensation that affects 60-70% of people across industrialized nations. It can also greatly limit many aspects of your daily life. For example, working, doing the activities you love, spending time with friends and family, or even just relaxing can be difficult if you are ached by lower back pain.  It is the leading cause of inactivity among adults, and it can result in other health issues if left untreated. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 149 million days of work are lost due to lower back pain.

If you are suffering from lower back pain, it is important to find relief as soon as possible. Contact our Hazel Green or Fayetteville office today to find out how our services can ease your pain and get you back to comfortably living your life.

PT treatments for lower back pain:

The role of a physical therapist is to help patients alleviate pain and regain function. This is done by promoting healing to the affected area and using targeted exercises to restore function and movement. Then you come in for a consultation, your physical therapist will provide you with an extensive evaluation, discovering what form of treatment will be best for your condition.

There are two specific categories of physical therapy – passive therapy and active therapy:

1. Passive physical therapy

Passive therapy works to manage pain. The main goal of passive therapy is to alleviate pain altogether so the rest of your treatment program will be easier. Lower back pain may impede your physical abilities due to the pain you are experiencing, so passive therapy works to alleviate that pain in order to improve your physical abilities. Passive therapy  can include any combination of specialty treatments, including, but not limited to:

  • Manual therapy.
  • Massage.
  • Ice and heat therapies.
  • Dry needling.
  • Ultrasound.
  • Hydrotherapy.
  • Electrical stimulation, such as TENS Units.
  • Iontophoresis.

2. Active physical therapy

Active therapy focuses on targeted exercises and stretches in order to improve function in the affected area. Many active physical therapy treatments are designed so the patient can perform them on their own, after their PT sessions are over. Once your lower back pain has subsided enough that your physical therapist believes you are ready for active physical therapy, he or she will set up an exercise plan specific to your needs. This may include any combination of strength training, stability training, and stretching. These exercises will help provide support to the painful area and will guide you further in your recovery process. Active therapy is geared toward helping you regain your muscle strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

What to expect from your visit:

At your initial consultation, your physical therapist will conduct a thorough physical evaluation to determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs. You will also discuss your medical history, lifestyle, and any additional symptoms you may be experiencing.

Once your evaluation is complete, your physical therapist will design an individualized treatment plan for you, beginning with passive physical therapy and leading into active physical therapy. You may also be given exercises to do at home, during your time away from treatments. This is all done in order to reduce pain, avoid further injury, and provide you with the quickest recovery time possible.

If you’ve been suffering from aches and pains, don’t suffer any longer – stand up to your lower back pain today. Contact TheraFit Physical Therapy to schedule an appointment and get started on your path toward recovery and relief!

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