What is low back pain?
Low back pain is pain that starts at the lumbar vertebrae. This pain can also travel down your legs and can cause weakness, numbness, or tingling into your legs. There are 5 lumbar vertebrae that make up the lower back. It divides your upper body from your lower body. It is a common area of aches and pains due to its ability to bear a lot of weight and is an area where a lot of movement could occur. Structures that can cause pain can include your disc, vertebrae, ligaments, muscles, and nerves.
Lower back pain can happen with poor posture, degenerative changes to the spine, lifting with poor mechanics, repetitive movements, heavy weight lifting, and trauma.
People with lower back pain can be categorized into 4 subgrounds: mobilization, specific exercise, immobilization, and traction. Depending on which category you fall into your therapist will determine what type of treatment you will receive.
Many of our patients see us after they have seen their doctor and have had imaging (x-ray, MRI, CT scan) done. Common diagnoses that a doctor may diagnose a patient with could include degenerative disc disease, stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, and spondylosis. When people hear that they have been diagnosed with one of these diagnoses, many people think that they are doomed and may never be able to live a healthy and active lifestyle, which is false. Although there may be some structural changes, these diagnoses can be managed. Findings can remain during an x-ray or MRI, but symptoms may go away after being treated by a physical therapist. Our treatment can include manipulation, mobilization, core strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises, ultrasound, heat, taping, addressing proper body mechanics, and electrical stimulation.
Our physical therapists can help educate you in the understanding of the anatomy/ structure of the spine, why pain occurs, how to cope with fear of movement, and the importance of activity to prevent future recurrence.
-Dr. Lilly Koh, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
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