There are many different kinds of care and treatments available for lower back pain. Primary care doctors can offer medications that can temporarily make pain go away throughout the day, or a chiropractor can realign your spine. 

However, what these forms of treatment do not focus on that is crucial to recovery is movement. As we move and exercise and play and work, our bodies experience stress, tension, and sometimes pain. A physical therapist can help you understand how your activities may be beneficial to your health or how they might be the root cause of your back pain. 

What can a physical therapist do to help you with lower back pain?

Physical therapists can take many steps to help you treat and prevent lower back pain. These specialists offer a variety of in-clinic treatments that are designed to reduce pain and inflammation in your back. 

The treatment physical therapists offer can also help you better manage and go about your daily life. They can help you learn how to take precautions during certain activities so they don’t lead to back pain. Also, physical therapists can show you how to do warmup exercises or stretches before you exercise, in the morning, during your workday, or before bed. 

How can lower back pain physical therapy benefit you?

Physical therapy is a practice that sees the moving picture that is the body. This insight means that it and the physical therapists who practice it can provide many benefits to those dealing with lower back pain. Some of the benefits you may get from going to PT for help with lower back pain include: 

• Identifying the root cause of your pain — A physical therapist aims to identify where the pain is, whether that be in a bone, tendon, ligament or muscle. They can use multiple methods to look for spinal curves or identify other common sources of back pain. Additionally, they’ll ask you questions about your activities and lifestyle that are designed to help them learn more about you and your pain. 
• Helping you find effective in-clinic treatment for your pain — A lower back pain physical therapist can help you figure out the next steps that can help remove the pain from your life. They offer many different treatment options for back pain, including treatments like aquatic therapy or gentle stretches and strengthening exercises. They can review the treatments that they recommend with you and then combine them into a beneficial treatment plan to fit your needs. 
• Providing you with ways to continue your care at home — Your specialist will send you home with custom exercise routines you can do when you’re not in a PT session. These routines may include a program of stretches you do in the morning before work, exercises to do on your breaks to ease pain, or even a workout program to stretch your back. 
• Helping you learn how to care for your back in the future — Your therapist can also give you recommendations on lifestyle choices that could be affecting your back’s health. They can discuss with you which activities or postures may lead to lower back pain. Even better, they can help you learn better posture and how to do your daily activities in ways that reduce your risk of future back pain.

How does a physical therapist personalize your treatment?

Lower back pain can have a multitude of causes, which may include many different factors related to how you live your life. A physical therapist will help you consider these factors and needs and create a program of personalized care to treat your condition. 

The treatments your therapist chooses will be based on their extensive knowledge, your lifestyle, and your recovery needs and goals. They will also take things like whether you may be pregnant or whether you need assistance during exercise into account. 

Lattimore PT is proud to provide custom lower back pain treatment

A Lattimore Physical Therapy physical therapist considers the moving parts that make up you. As you go through life, stress, tension and pain can build in your back until you just can’t take it anymore. Working with one of our experienced physical therapists means you’ll have someone who can help you navigate your pain and find the right treatment options for you.

Pain does not have to be a regular part of your life. Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat your pain or to schedule an initial PT appointment.