Low back pain is now the leading cause of disability worldwide and only a small proportion of people with low back pain have a well-understood pathological cause! A non-invasive, non-pharmacologic approach for the treatment of acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain is Physical Therapy. A study published in December 2018 in the journal Health Services Research found that starting physical therapy as a first step after experiencing acute low back pain decreases the long-term need for surgery or medications.1 During your initial visit, your specialized physical therapist will perform an in-depth review of your medical history, a thorough evaluation of your current symptoms, an assessment of your range of motion and strength, and an analysis of your gait and posture. Your therapist will start with simple questions like, “Do you feel pain when you sit? When you stand? When you move from sit to stand? When you walk?”
Your answer to these questions will help us determine what is the probable cause of your low back pain. Are you experiencing muscle tension, tightness, stiffness, and corresponding weakness? There are many reasons why you may be experiencing the above symptoms including but not limited to:
Non-specific Stenosis
Disc Bulging
Disc Herniations
Cervicalgia
Lumbago
Neuralgia
Calcification
Spondylosis
Kyphosis
Kyphoscoliosis
Scoliosis
Ankylosis
Instability
Degeneration
Radiculopathy
Neuropathy
Inflammation
Scar tissue formation
Post-operative recovery
Radiculopathy
Postural asymmetries
Neuro-muscular dysfunction
Did you know specialized physical therapists at F.I.T. PT are clinically trained to differentially diagnose and treat each of the impairments listed above? Once we determine the root cause(s) of your symptoms or dysfunction through our initial evaluation, together, we will establish a personalized care plan. We will then guide you through the most efficient treatment plan to get you feeling better and back to doing what you love in the least amount of time.
Our goal at F.I.T. PT is to improve your quality of life as we help get you back to what moves you! Our compassionate Physical Therapists share this common goal and are committed to finding a long-term solution while guiding you toward living a pain-free life.
References:
Frogner BK, Harwood K, Andrilla CHA, Schwartz M, Pines JM. Physical Therapy as the First Point of Care to Treat Low Back Pain: An Instrumental Variables Approach to Estimate Impact on Opioid Prescription, Health Care Utilization, and Costs. Health Serv Res. 2018;53(6):4629-4646. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12984
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