Back pain can hinder your day-to-day activities. As one of the most common physical complaints, over 80 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from it at some point in their lifetime. The pain itself can hinder your ability to reach, lean, kneel, lift or bend. It can also hinder your time spent with friends and family. With all the information at our fingertips, it can be difficult to navigate through differing opinions and treatment strategies.
Our holistic approach has proven time and time again to successfully help individuals manage, resolve, and prevent low back pain and get back to the activities you love most.
What Causes Back Pain?
A few things cause back pain. The American Physical Therapy Association covers each of these, but the following are leading causes:
Spinal and abdominal muscle weaknesses
Bad posture and bad sleeping positions
Spinal muscle and tissue damage
Improper lifting form
Limited spine, hip, knee, and ankle range of motion
Poor abdominal, pelvic and back muscle coordination
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t seek treatment when back pain arises. When left untreated, it can lead to long-term joint, spine and nerve damage. Many patients will ignore pain from a “tweak” or “strain” thinking it will pass. Ignoring the pain for any length of time can cause weakness and loss of motion and can lead to extended periods of pain, additional injury, decreased endurance which can then lead to even more future injury.
Relieving Back Pain with Proven Results with Athletic Advantage Physical Therapy
You’re in luck: Back pain can be cured! Hyper sensitive regions anywhere in the body can affect a wide number of physiological systems and structures. When your muscles constrict and become tight, your mobility of the affected area becomes restricted, and any movements you make can result in pain. Our dry needling method is the most effective form of getting rid of tight, painful or hypersensitive muscles and increasing movement patterns. Athletic Advantage’s Patented Dry Needling Method has been developed by Dr. Cody Johnson and he has been practicing his approach for over 12 years.
Our treatment models also include a combination of many disciplines. We prescribe many different ways to reset a muscle: mechanical pressure (with a massage or lacrosse ball), temperature contrast, laser, electrical stimulation, and full range of motion to a joint.
Back Pain Prevention
To protect our lower back, it’s important to build stability around our lower spine and pelvis. Our pelvis and hips act as the foundation to our lumbar spine. To promote a stable base for the spine to sit, we need to train our gluteal and hip muscles to function at their best. We also need to train our core muscles to stabilize the spine and reduce the impact activity has on our lower backs. A little prevention goes a long way. If you want to avoid future back pain, you can make sure you’re being good to your back.
Here are four simple exercises you should incorporate into your daily routine to help eliminate and prevent future episodes of low back pain:
Lift Properly
You pick things up constantly. Even if you’re lifting something light, make sure you’re first facing the object and standing as close as possible. Then squat while keeping your spine straight. Lift with your leg muscles, as this will reduce the pressure placed on your spine.
Good Posture
When you’re standing, imagine a string is attached to the top of your head—lifting you up. Standing in this way will help keep your hips, spine, shoulders and neck aligned. When sitting, it is important to have your body positioned in a neutral way that will reduce stress and strain on your body.
Strength Training
Your body has hundreds of muscles. These muscles protect and control your spine. By lifting weights, running and swimming, you can keep them strong. Train your core muscles. In doing so, you’ll easily control quick, lifting movements.
Maintain Hip Flexibility
A lack of motion in your hips leads to overuse of the spine during everyday activities. This often leads to back pain. Our individualized hip stretching techniques will help build strength and mobility to help with your back pain.
Ongoing Physical Therapy
It never hurts to get regular check-ups, and make sure your body is in good condition. If you have a history of back injuries, pain or minor aches, don’t hesitate to call. Dr Kirsten Trapp recognizes the importance of evidence-based practice as a central component of providing high-quality care. She has attained numerous post-graduate certifications in manual therapy with an emphasis in spinal evaluation and manipulation. Kirsten holds six advanced manual therapy certifications such as advanced lumbar and thoracic spine, advanced cervical and upper thoracic, functional analysis of the pelvis and hip, and more.
Contact our physical therapy practice today to schedule an appointment.