Your back has started hurting every time you bend down to pick something up. What is going on? You know you didn't have a traumatic injury. What should you do?
Go see a physical therapist. PT's are doctors of physical therapy and trained to assess the spine and figure out what is causing your back pain. In fact, PT can improve a range of back-related problems, including those caused by disease or structural abnormalities. A 2015 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that PT works as well as surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal in your lower back).
A 2012 study in Spine highlights the value of early physical therapy for low back pain. When you get PT before the pain becomes chronic (lasting three months or more), you’ll likely have fewer doctor visits for back, less need for lumbar injections, and less need for back surgery. And if your acute pain does become chronic, meaning it lasts for three months or longer, PT remains key to feeling and moving better.
"But I've been to PT before and it didn't help that much"
Something that people often fail to recognize is that there are different business model's of physical therapy. Perhaps the one you went to didn't work well for you and the model where the PT treats multiple patients at one time isn't the best situation for you. There are other types of models out there that you should try and might like better. Sticking with your PT program will help you achieve the best results and get you back to where you want to be.
Read more about all this, including the different business models out there for PT in Dr. Marko's new guest feature in SpineUniverse:
If you would like help with your back pain in a one on one private treatment session, Marko Physical Therapy offers that type of setting. Make an appointment today with a physical therapist! We are doing both in person and telehealth!
A physical therapist can help you Restore Your Body!
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