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5-Keys to Overcoming Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common conditions that we see in our physical therapy office in Greenville, South Carolina.  The types of back pain we treate include degenerative disc diseasesacroiliac (SI) painstenosisdisc herniationsspinal arthritis, back strains, and a variety of post-operative cases.

Fortunatley, the majority of back conditions do not require surgery and respond well to physical therapy.  The physical therapists at Movement Solutions design custom trailored programs to help people, ages 40-60, overcome back pain and injury and get back to being active without uneccessary medications, injections, or surgeries.

When patients with back pain reach out to us they often have:

  • back pain along the base of the spine or radiating pain to the side of the back or down the legs.
  • back pain that worsens when prolonged bouts of sitting or standing
  • back pain when twisting at the trunk
  • back pain when getting in and out of bed

Some of these patients also experience:

  • back pain in the buttock or down the legs
  • tight back muscles
  • back pain that is worse in the morning or at night
  • Difficulty sleeping due to back pain

The pain often results in being limited with normal day-to-day activities including:

  • Difficulty bending forward.
  • Pain standing upright.
  • Difficulty tying shoes.
  • Difficulty carrying or lifting anything heavy

We’ve find that there are five keys for successful rehabiliation of back pain.  They include:

  1. Identifying Root and Contributing Causes to Back Pain
  2. Alleviating Pan with Hands-on Therapy
  3. Restoring Movement with Targeted Exercise
  4. Developing Strength Through Safe Weight-Training
  5. Having a Plan for Progression and Maintainance

The purpose of the Evaluation is to identity the root and contributing causes of back pain.  Some of the things we often find include weakness of the back and abdominal muscles.  Sometimes there is stiffness of the upper back, hip, and buttock regions.  The only way to identify all the root and contributing causes of back pain is to perform a thorough assessment. 

After we perform a full evaluation, we have an understanding of the time frame needed to get results.  We then develop a treatment plan so our patients can live happier and healthier lives without back pain slowing them down.

Initially, the focus of treatment is to alleviate pain.  Pain improvements can be made quickly with hands on therapies such as soft tissue work, gentle joint mobilizations, or dry needling.  Often times it makes sense to start on with these hands-on therapy to calm down irritated and inflamed tissue around the back.

Once pain is alleviated, we need to restore the spine’s ability to move freely through full ranges of motion.  We also need to restore movement quality.  We spend time on developing good movement habits to prevent falling into the pain cycle.

To achieve lasting results, we need to develop strength through resistance exercise.   The types of resistance we use at our office include dumbells, barbells, and kettlebells.  We develop foundational strength to achieve sustainable results.

After our patients are able to get back to their favorite activities, there is a discussion of developing a program for progression and maintainance.  We have many patients who continue this journey with us through structure program that is evolving with them.

When addressed with the “5 Key’s” in mind, overcoming back pain is possible.  Ignoring symptoms, on the other hand, may lead to pain that simply does not go away.  If you have back pain, the physical therapists at Movement Solutions would be glad to be a resource for you.

We have a free guide on relieving back pain and stiffness that can give you further insight into back problems and help kickstart your recovery.  We are available for a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk about how your pain is affecting you and discuss your treatment options.

If want help, we offer a limited number of free Discovery Visits at our office.  This type of appointment of for those who are interested in working with us.  It is an opportunity to ask questions, obtain clarity about your back pain, and develop confidence that we can help you.

If you’re certain that we’re a good fit and ready to book an appointment, you can inquire about cost and availability and get the process started.

If you’re in pain and unsure about what your next step  should be, call us at (864) 558-5020 and ask how we can help.

Physical Therapist Dr. Tim Varghese
AUTHOR

Dr. Tim Varghese

Movement Solutions

"We Help Active Adults, Ages 40-60+ Overcome Pain And Injuries And Get Back To Their Favorite Activities Without Unnecessary Medications, Injections, Or Surgeries."

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