Why choose Physical Therapy?
Physical therapists are well-trained and positioned to treat both acute and chronic episodes of neck and back pain. We know having pain close to your spine can be a scary feeling, but the good news is most cases of neck and back pain are not serious and will respond to conservative treatment.
- Studies have shown seeing a Physical Therapist first for low back pain leads to lower use of opioids (by 87%) and lower out of pocket costs compared to not seeing a Physical Therapist or seeing them later on.
- Studies on neck pain have found physical therapy treatment to provide better relief and return to function compared to surgery or pain medication for many types of neck pain.
Common diagnoses treated:
We treat all types of neck and low back pain from a new strain to an old injury, recent surgery, and everything in between. If you have a history of neck or low back pain, you have probably heard terms like degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and herniated disc. These factors may be contributing to your pain, but it is important to keep in mind that evidence has shown pain is poorly related to image findings from an MRI or X-ray.
- In a study of 1,200 healthy individuals without neck pain, 87% of the group had disc bulges in their neck.
- In a study of 3,000 healthy individuals without low back pain, over 50% of 30 year olds and 88% of 60 year olds had disc degeneration.
Regardless of if you have or have not had imaging, we are ready to help you better understand why you are feeling pain and what you can do about it!
What to expect:
- A thorough evaluation to screen for underlying pathology/red flags and identify areas for improvement
- Education on what may be causing pain
- Education on what is safe and appropriate to do to start alleviating your pain and returning to normal activities
- Many patients are surprised that staying active is one of the best things to do to expedite recovery process
- Bed rest will slow down recovery
- An individualized plan of care based on your goals and our evaluation findings
- Manual therapy such as spinal manipulation to restore function and decrease pain
- To learn and safe and effective exercises to improve mobility, flexibility, strength and reduce pain
- Assessment of other lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your pain and advice/resources on how to manage these factors
- To review strategies for returning to higher level activities (for work, fun or fitness!).
