How to Fix Your Lower Back Pain in 4 Steps with Physiotherapy
Low back pain….. it really is a pain! It can be so debilitating and restrict you from living your life to the fullest. In fact, research shows that as much as 84% of the population will have low back pain in their lifetime!
So…. Is it inevitable? Something you just have to live with?
Recently I treated a patient who came in for physiotherapy for knee pain. They are a construction worker and had this pain suddenly come on one day at work. While taking his history, he told me that he has had back pain for as long as he could remember, stating it to be an “occupational hazard”. It turns out his knee pain was actually referred pain from his chronic back issue! In a matter of a few physiotherapy treatments focused on his back, we were able to resolve the knee pain, and see improvements in his back pain as well!
This story is unfortunately all too common. I hope for you to be able to share in his lessons after suffering for years with low back pain. He would admit later that his stubbornness took years of enjoyment away from his life.
Does this sound familiar? Let today be the first day in your journey of finding back pain relief!
What is Lower Back Pain, and Why Does it Matter?
Low back issues may seem simple to identify, but it isn’t always the case. While sometimes it is simply a matter of feeling pain in the low back, that may not be the only place! You may feel numbness, tingling, decreases in sensation, or even decreases in strength, in conjunction with low back pain. And the pain can radiate into the butt, hip, and even all the way down the leg and into the foot!
It is important to rule in or out the lower back as a contributor to the pain you are feeling! Often pain and dysfunction in the back are a result of issues not only in the low back, but further up the spine, in the bum muscles, core muscles, or even the hips and pelvic!
Accurately identifying the factors contributing to your low back pain is an integral piece of physiotherapy when it comes to fixing your low back pain!
How to Fix your lower back pain in 4 steps with physiotherapy
Step 1: Write it down
If this is not your first time seeing a doctor or going to physiotherapy, you will know that the first meeting typically involves answering some questions. These questions are important because they will help to guide your next steps. If you have these questions answered ahead of time, you don’t have to try and remember something that may have happened years ago.
Here are some important questions that you need to be able to answer:
- When did your pain start?
- How did it begin? (Was there an accident or incident, did it come on gradually?)
- Were there any changes in your life around that time?
- Are you experiencing any numbness or tingling?
- What makes the pain worse? What makes it better?
Step 2: Physiotherapy Assessment
Your answers to the above questions will help to determine which physical and movement test the therapist will want to perform. For mobility tests, with each movement, we will look for one of three things to happen: Your pain will increase; Your pain will decrease; or, it will remain the same and have no effect. The therapist will likely also assess your strength in varying muscles including your core and glutes!
From your responses to the tests, your therapist will be able to determine which specific area and nerves or muscles have been injured. Further, they will identify if there is dysfunction in other areas of the body that are contributing to the pain you are experiencing! From here, you are on your path to recovery!
Step 3 – Education/Activity modification
The next step in the physiotherapy process is arguably the most important one – learning about your injury! Not all cases of back pain are the same, so the advice your friend or family member may or may not apply to you. It is important to receive advice that is specific to your situation from your treating physiotherapist.
Important information to find out:
1. What is your Diagnosis? What does that mean long term and what can therapy do to improve it. It is important you learn what will make your pain or condition worse, and more importantly what you can do for pain management om the short term
2. What habits should you stop? Sitting at your desk for 4 hours on end, lounging on the soft couch at night, standing with your knees locked out… There are so many little day to day habits that can be contributing to/aggravating your back pain! It is important for you to speak with your therapist about how you can modify your daily activities to aid in the path to recovery.
3. Where can you improve how you move?
While weakness is a common contributor to back pain, it is often not the only problem. You may be coming into the clinic with back pain while having an active job or regularly exercising…. And you may find yourself asking why that is not enough strengthening! Muscle strength is only one piece of the puzzle. The other piece is using the right muscle at the right time for the right job!
A simple example of this is lifting with your legs as opposed to with your back! While your back can lift the box, over time this leads to pain as it is not what those muscles are meant to be used for. In contrast, your leg muscles were designed for such a movement!
Read the 6 Tips for Managing your Lower Back Pain here
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Step 4 – Physiotherapy Exercise
In the early stages, the pain can often be debilitating! This means that the thought of even getting out of bed seems unrealistic. Despite this, it is important to try and get up and move around at least once an hour! Research shows that this leads to long term decreases in pain and dysfunction.
Once you are able to start moving, it is time to build strength! While it is commonly thought that the solution to low back pain is to simply strengthen the back, it is not that simple. Protecting the back from a repeat incidence of low back pain requires strength in the whole core unit! This includes the core muscles, back muscles, and even the butt/glut muscles!
Try out this core exercise as a way to practice your core stability!
Once you are nice and strong in those muscles, it is important to look at your form in how you move through day to day activities! This ensures you are using those strong muscles to get the job done right…. Whether it is working construction or playing tag with your grandkids!
Ending your lower back pain for good!
When it comes to ending your back pain for good, getting to the root cause of the issues is the most important factor! Following the above steps with a certified health professional will help you make sure nothing is missed and your recovery is successful!
Whether in acute pain or chronic disability, you can achieve the quality of life you deserve. Imagine getting back to doing the things you love. And reconnecting with the person you were before lower back pain was your life.
Learn more about our Special Program – Back Pain Relief Clinic. Our back pain specialists will perform a thorough assessment aimed at identifying the root of the problem and will come up with a specific treatment plan tailored to your needs.
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If you looking for more information on fixing your low back pain, click here to download our FREE ebook on how to Naturally Relieve your back and neck pains!
FAQ
Can a physiotherapist help with lower back pain?
Physiotherapy is a type of treatment that helps to improve the movement and function of your joints and muscles. If you have lower back pain, physiotherapy can help to reduce it and get you back to normal mobility. It can also help you to make changes that reduce the chances of hurting your back again.
When do I need to go to the hospital for my back pain?
Back pain can feel very intense and debilitating, often leaving people questioning if something more serious is going on. When considering going to the ER, ask yourself the following:
– Did the pain result from a serious accident or trauma?
– Is there a sudden increase in pain, weakness or numbness?
– Are you losing control of your bladder function?
– Do you have other symptoms including high fever, severe stomach pain, and/or unexplainable and sudden weight loss?
If you responded yes to any of the above questions, you should seek medical attention immediately.