From Injury to Recovery: Physiotherapy’s Journey to Helping Back Pain
Physiotherapy for back pain can help you return to an active lifestyle!
Did you try lifting a heavy box that turned out to be a little too heavy for you? Most of us have done it at one point or another–and many of us have experienced the consequences of intense pain and limited mobility. But did you know that physiotherapy for back pain can help you find relief?
Back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints in Canada, and the vast majority of back pain cases are what’s known as non-specific back pain. This means the pain isn’t due to an underlying illness or condition but some other factor–usually an injury.
When it comes to back injuries, Zenlife Physiotherapy & Wellness is here for you every step of the way. Our team can help you identify the source of your back pain, offer pain management and other treatment options, and help you avoid an injury in the future.
Curious about what physiotherapy can do to help resolve a back injury? Keep reading to find out!
Common Back Injuries
There are two ways that you can hurt your back:
- Sudden, traumatic injuries (such as falling and injuring your spinal vertebrae)
- Overuse injuries, which develop over time due to small, repeated damage (such as using improper lifting technique–it might not hurt you the first time, but after a hundred times, it can cause problems).
But what kind of damage can you do to your back? Strains are probably among the most common and can fall into both the sudden and overuse categories. A strain occurs when you overstretch or damage the muscles in your back, leading to pain and stiffness.
It’s also possible to sprain your back, which occurs when you damage the ligaments that connect your spine, although this is less common.
Herniated discs are another common type of back injury that, again, can result from a traumatic injury or overuse. Your intervertebral discs are small, soft cushions that separate the vertebrae in your spine. Damage to these discs can cause them to bulge or rupture, leading to pain that can radiate out of your back into your extremities.
Finally, spinal fractures are another source of back pain. Fractures are usually a sudden injury. In young people, they might result from a sports or automobile accident. But in older people, they’re often the result of falls, especially in people with osteoporosis.
Regardless of the type of back injury you’ve experienced, physiotherapy for back pain can help you find relief. Not only will it address your symptoms, but it can often address the underlying damage, too–ensuring a full rehabilitation!
How Physiotherapy Helps Address Back Pain
When you visit us for the first time in Calgary, AB, one of our physiotherapists will begin with an in-depth evaluation to help us fully understand your injury. We’ll discuss your symptoms and perform several movement screens to help us understand any limitations in your strength, mobility, posture, walking patterns, and more. We’ll also examine any lifestyle factors that could have contributed to your injury.
All this information allows us to develop a customized treatment plan that addresses your unique needs. While every plan is different, here’s the basic journey that most of them follow to help you find back pain relief:
- We start with pain management. Controlling pain levels is crucial in ensuring you can move on to more intense treatment, and we offer several drug-free options. At the early stages, we usually start with manual therapy, hands-on techniques that mobilize your back and promote blood circulation to help with healing–all while reducing pain levels.
- Next, we get you moving. Regular exercise plays an essential role in rehabilitating after a back injury.
- We usually start with gentle mobility and stretching exercises to help improve your range of motion and reduce pain.
- Next, we’ll incorporate strength training to strengthen the muscles that support and stabilize your spine.
- Finally, we can work on functional training to help you get back to the work and recreational activities that are important to you.
- Finally, we help prevent future injuries. Our physiotherapists will work with you to develop strategies to keep your back strong and healthy! We might make postural corrections to help you avoid putting too much strain on your back, suggest an at-home exercise program to keep your back strong, or walk you through proper lifting techniques to prevent another painful accident.
Physiotherapy for Back Pain: Find a Solution That Works for You!
A back injury is never fun. Pain and immobility usually go hand-in-hand, making it difficult to accomplish the everyday tasks you need to do. Physiotherapy for back pain can provide a customized solution to your injury. From diagnosis to prevention, the Zenlife Physiotherapy & Wellness team is here to help you feel your best!
Have you recently suffered a back injury? Don’t live in pain. Make an appointment at our Calgary, AB clinic and start your rehabilitation journey today!