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Physiotherapy for lower back pain edmonton south

Lower Back Pain: The Best Physiotherapy Treatment Options

Physiotherapy For Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is common, even if you don’t work at a desk all day. An injury to the lower back can be caused by a sports injury, lifting heavy objects, carrying them for a long time, stretching or repeating the same posture excessively, underlying issues, sciatic nerve damage, degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, herniated discs, running, or a variety of other activities or complex injuries. Fortunately, there is a range of services available to prevent and treat lower back pain.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the risk of back pain. When discomfort occurs, there is a wide range of physiotherapy treatment plans available that may help reduce pain and prevent future injuries.

Here, we will examine some effective physiotherapy treatments and their ability to reduce discomfort and prevent re-injury.

Manual Therapy Techniques

Lower back pain is a long-standing issue that is frequently treated using manual adjustments and spinal manipulation. Physiotherapists utilize joint mobilization, active release therapy, soft tissue mobilization technique, massage therapy, stretching, and electrotherapy in addition to other techniques to reduce inflammation, boost blood flow, improve range of motion, and help with balance issues and provide pain relief. Many studies suggested that manual therapy is one of the most effective treatment options to treat lower back pain.

While manual therapy cannot eliminate the underlying cause of lower back pain, it can alleviate it and reduce its recurrence. If your injury is a sprain or strain, manual therapy may help reduce swelling, restore mobility, and strengthen the injured area.

It can also restore excessively tight muscles to their normal length and flexibility. However, it is critical to remember that manual therapy will not alleviate pain immediately. It is best to consult with your physiotherapist before beginning the treatment.

Ultrasound Therapy

Physiotherapists may also use ultrasound therapy to treat lower back pain or facilitate tissue repair and pain reduction.

Even though research has not been in agreement concerning the appropriateness of this approach for lower back pain, some research has indicated that it may significantly reduce chronic pain and promote healing. A 2019 study concluded that ultrasound therapy was just as successful as medication in reducing pain.

The combination of manual therapy and ultrasound therapy is an excellent way to treat soft tissue injuries. It improves blood flow and reduces inflammation, just as manual therapy does. When used as part of a pain management strategy, ultrasound therapy is best for treating lower back pain and reducing the recurrence of pain.

TENS Units and Electronic Disc Protruding Units

Your physiotherapist may use transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to relieve lower back pain and promote healing.

How does it work?

TENS units send mild electrical signals to the nerves near where you are experiencing pain, resulting in reducing pain. Using a TENS unit with a disc applied to the area of pain, you can expand its benefits. These discs can be employed independently or in a TENS device.

While TENS units and discs are efficient at reducing minor pain, they do not provide long-term relief or treat the underlying causes of the pain. They are best used as part of a short-term pain management strategy following an injury. Although TENS units and discs appear to lower pain and enhance healing, they are not considered a long-term therapy option.

Exercise

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent lower back discomfort and other common conditions. When combined with other treatment options (such as medications and manual therapy techniques), exercising can effectively reduce pain and promote healing.

Your physiotherapy professional can recommend specific exercises that will enhance your lower back health by strengthening and stretching your muscles.

Even though aerobic exercise is usually suggested to treat lower back pain, resistance training can also alleviate discomfort and promote recovery. When it comes to lower back discomfort, frequency and length are critical. 

To relieve discomfort and promote recovery, you should regularly participate in moderate exercise for about 30 minutes if you have acute lower back pain.

If you have chronic lower back pain, you may want to consider high-intensity interval training or HIIT: a method of exercise that has been shown to enhance healing, build muscle and reduce discomfort. Your physiotherapist can help you create a custom exercise program.

Final Thoughts

It can be extremely uncomfortable to live with chronic lower back pain. There are many methods to help ease back pain and keep it from returning, but you must tailor your treatment approach to your personal needs.

It’s crucial to be flexible and seek out various treatment approaches with your physiotherapist until you find one that works best for you. A person’s pain might not be treated as successfully as another person’s pain.