When your lower back hurts, how do you react? If you’re like many people, you reach for the ibuprofen bottle without giving much thought to the root cause of the pain. There is nothing wrong with taking ibuprofen for pain. In fact, when used as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to pain relief, NSAIDs can be helpful. However, if medications are preventing you from discovering a long-term solution to your low back pain, it may be time to explore exercise-based treatment options instead of or in addition to taking pain relievers.
Physiotherapy: Your First-line Treatment Against Back Pain
Physiotherapy is a first-line treatment against low back pain. As soon as low back pain becomes a problem, individuals should consider visiting a physiotherapy clinic for an evaluation. While physiotherapy is well-known for treating back pain, many people have the misconception that it is only for seriously injured individuals or those just out of surgery. Physiotherapy is for the seriously injured, but it is also for those who have minor aches and pains. Physiotherapy can be incredibly effective at quelling all levels of pain — intense, modest, and everywhere in between.
How Does a Physiotherapist Relieve Low Back Pain?
Physiotherapy can ease or even eradicate certain cases of low back pain. Why? Because it prompts people to engage in physical activity everyday. The right type of physical activity can be your ticket out of a life bound by back pain. After an initial consultation, a physiotherapist will design an individualized exercise plan for a patient with low back pain who is a good candidate for physiotherapy. He or she will teach that person how to perform special exercises at home for a few minutes each day. Also, the patient will visit the physiotherapist one or more times a week to get hands-on treatments like manual therapy of joint mobilizations and soft tissue work, and perform more extensive exercises under the care of the PT. Spine Health’s article Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain Relief stated,
“There is a substantial amount of medical literature supporting specific physical therapy exercises for the treatment of low back pain. While most episodes of low back pain are self limiting and will get better on their own, active exercise plays an important role in helping reduce the patient’s pain and improving subsequent function in patients with low back pain. An ongoing exercise program also reduces the likelihood and severity of future occurrences of low back pain.”
Does Your Low Back Pain Need to Be Treated by a Physiotherapist?
Not all cases of low back pain need to be treated by a physiotherapist. As the paragraph above says, some instances of this type of pain correct themselves. But, when it comes to your back, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It is a good idea to have any low back pain checked out out by a physiotherapist. You can trust that a licensed physiotherapist will tell you the truth about whether or not you need physiotherapy.
Low back pain is one of the most common types of pain. Physiopedia said that 60-80 percent of people will deal with low back pain throughout their lifetime, and that low back pain is the fifth most common reason for doctor visits. If you suffer from low back pain, make physiotherapy your first-line treatment option. The results could change your life.