How Can a Physical Therapist Help In Correcting Posture and Back Pain Relief?

Physical therapy helps patients recover from the symptoms of back pain, neck pain and other injuries quicker by working on muscle and joint imbalances to restore normal function and prevent future injury. It's often recommended to the patients of neck and back pain to get rid of problems associated with joint tendons, muscles and ligaments. Many physical therapists also work with medical doctors, chiropractors, massage therapist and acupuncturists in unison to ensure patient's heal as fast as possible. This unique approach is what leads to the best results possible in the shortest amount of time and it is the protocol we use at South OCChiropractic.

What causes back pain in your day-to-day life?

While there are numerous causes of back pain, one main reason for your back pain in general is sitting for long hours on the job. Decreased core and abdominal muscle tone during prolonged sitting increases spinal flexion and axial pressure on the disc which causes increased load and creep on the disc causing desiccation and thinning overtime. Often this leads to progressive spinal problems. Excess force on the spine can become a common reason for your neck/back pain, ultimately leading to a chronic condition if left untreated. Here are a few harmful conditions that one may undergo due to affected posture.

There are essentially two types of physical therapy that a doctor of physical therapy would recommend for you depending on the extent of degeneration and your specific condition.

1. Passive Physical Therapy - This may include activities such as heat application, ice packs and electrical stimulation. For instance, a heating pad may be applied to warm up the muscles to reduce pain and increase blood flow. An ice pack or electrical muscle stimulation can be used to soothe the muscles and soft tissues decreasing inflammation and pain. Passive therapies are normally used at first until pain levels are reduced then patients are moved to active care protocols because most research shows that the best long-term results are achieved through active physical therapy protocols.

2. Active Physical Therapy – It consists of exercising and stretching and is often recommended to patient suffering from low back pain, migraines, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, etc.

A physical therapist can help heal even the worst conditions of neck/back pain through various stretching exercises and addressing muscle imbalances that can lead to overuse injuries or tendonitis. Patients who suffer from long term neck or back injuries should go for physical therapy treatment combined with chiropractic care to obtain the best long term results for their condition. Call 949-470-4757 for more information on how South OC Chiropractic can help.