If you’re someone who is familiar with lower back pain, you know how much of an effect it can have on your daily life. It can make even the simplest of movements and activities feel like a hassle. It’s estimated that chronic lower back pain affects about 16 million adults in the United States. It can affect people of any age but may be more likely to occur in older adults.

If you’re struggling to manage your lower back pain, you should consider your treatment options. You don’t have to keep living your life at the mercy of your pain. Treatment options, like physical therapy, exist to help improve quality of life by reducing undesirable symptoms. Take a moment to consider the benefits of seeking physical therapy treatment. There are several types of physical therapy treatments for someone with low back pain, which you can read about below.

What are the benefits of seeking physical therapy treatment for lower back pain?

Physical therapy can be an effective treatment for those who are experiencing lower back pain. Here are some of the unique benefits PT can provide:

• You may experience less pain — One benefit of PT is that it can decrease the level of pain you experience. It’s a gentle type of treatment that is always performed within the patient’s pain threshold and often results in less pain in the long term.
• You may experience an increased range of motion — A common benefit of PT for lower back pain is an improved range of motion in the back. It may become easier to move the back in ways that previously were difficult and painful.
• Your muscle strength may be improved — A common result of physical therapy treatment for lower back pain is improved muscle strength. If back pain is caused by muscle weakness, muscle strength may improve a patient’s symptoms.
• Your joints may be better protected — When muscle strength improves, other areas of the body, like the joints, become better protected.
• Your ability to perform daily tasks may improve — An added benefit of physical therapy treatment for lower back pain is that it makes everyday tasks much easier to complete without experiencing pain and discomfort.

What are some physical therapy treatments that can provide the benefits mentioned above?

Are you hoping to experience some of the benefits of physical therapy to decrease your lower back pain? Here’s how treatment might look for you. 

• Work on improving your posture — One of the ways that physical therapy can reduce your lower back pain is by improving your posture. If you have poor posture, your back problems may be improved by correcting the way you habitually sit and stand.
• Reduce the inflammation in your lower back — Another method that can be used during physical therapy to help lower back pain is reducing inflammation. Physical therapists are trained to use techniques to reduce inflammation, as well as pain and swelling.
• Ease the tension in your muscles — Physical therapists may also use exercise to ease the tension in your muscles. If muscle tension is contributing to your lower back pain, gentle exercise may be used methodically to alleviate some of your discomfort. 
• Strengthen your core muscles — Another PT method that can provide benefits to those with lower back pain is the strengthening of muscles. Muscles help support various parts of the body, including the joints, ligaments, tendons, bones and even organs. If your pain is caused by muscle weakness, a strengthening program may be implemented to treat your condition.
• Decompress the spine — Spinal decompression is a method used by some physical therapists to decrease the stress and pressure placed on the vertebrae in the back. It can improve arthritis, disc herniations, spinal stenosis and several other conditions that can lead to chronic back pain.

Let Lattimore PT help you get the right physical therapy treatment for your lower back pain

Lattimore Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation Network first got its start in 1992. John and Cindy Shuman, husband and wife, first launched their own physical therapy practice with the aim to improve the quality of life of each member of their community. Since 1992, Lattimore PT has opened nearly 30 locations across New York.

Our team of talented physical therapists spread across the state is dedicated to understanding the treatment that works best for you. We specialize in taking a hands-on, interactive approach with each of our patients to provide them with the best care possible. We love to see our patients thrive, which is why we’ll do as much as we can to help get them to that point. The physical therapists at each of our Lattimore locations take pride in their work and do their best to come to the clinic each day with a smiling face. We aim to make each physical therapy session enjoyable yet productive. The ultimate mark of success, to us, is a patient who feels positively impacted by our work. Are you ready to experience “the Lattimore way”?

We believe that our team of experienced and professional physical therapists can address the root cause of your lower back pain and provide the treatment you need to experience relief.Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.