Are You Experiencing Both Back AND Neck Pain? PT Can Help
Relieve Your Pain with the Help of Physical Therapy!
Back and neck pain are very common problems that many people deal with throughout the course of their lives.
According to the National Institute of Health, back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. Even school-age children can have back pain.
Unfortunately, it’s not always a straightforward job to locate the exact cause of pain you experience in your neck or back. Pain can also spread to your arms, legs, and head.
Fortunately, physical therapy can help. People often end up paying for costly surgeries to find relief, or falling back on addictive medications that can cause adverse health effects later in life.
Our innovative care strategies at Schuster Physical Therapy will help you find quick relief. However, there is a safer remedy for pain in the back and neck: physical therapy!
How can physical therapy help with my back and neck pain?
No matter what age you are, neck and back pain is absolutely not easy to deal with! The good news?
Physical exercise, regardless of the root cause of pain, has been shown to help with neck pain or back pain. For those trying to prevent costly procedures or dangerous drugs, physical therapy is a completely safe, natural, and effective mode of care.
If you have pain in your neck or back, contact our office today and see how physical therapy will help you get back to a pain-free life.
Our physical therapists are trained and waiting for you; they’ve helped a lot of people, and you’re next in line!
What can I expect from a PT treatment plan?
A personalized recovery plan that is tailored to your needs will be developed by your physical therapist.
Since the origin of your back or neck pain may vary, this treatment plan may be different for you than it would be for anyone else.
For example, you might be experiencing pain because of a herniated disc, a degenerative disc disease, whiplash from an auto accident, a sports injury, arthritis or poor posture.
A few conditions that could be the root cause of the pain you’re feeling are as follows:
- Strains & sprains: This is a very common issue that sends people straight to a physical therapist. It is not uncommon for athletes to incur sprains and strains to the neck or back regions when engaging in sports that require aggressive overuse of a body part or muscle.
- Osteoarthritis: Arthritis is developed due to wear and tear on the facet joints. This causes friction when bending, can result in pinching a nerve root, or in sciatica.
- Degenerative disc disease: This condition occurs when there is wear and tear on the discs.
- A herniated disc: This condition occurs when the gel-like material of the disc bulges or leaks out.
How can a physical therapist help me?
A thorough evaluation of your physical condition will be done, and a customized recovery plan will be formulated to remedy the cause of your back or neck pain.
To find the root cause of your back or neck pain, your physical therapist will perform a comprehensive examination. To test your range of motion, he or she may use an instrument called a goniometer. It is also likely that they will conduct a strength test on you.
Spinal mobility is assessed along with palpation in order to find sore or tight muscles. Your physical therapist will also ask you to perform some activities in order to find out what your level of functional mobility is.
Your physical therapist will also take a look at your medical history to see if there are any factors that could be contributing to the discomfort you are currently experiencing, such as previous accidents or surgeries.
During this time, you can discuss the things that you are now not able to do as a result of any past injuries you might have sustained.
What else should I know?
There are several common methods of physical therapy for neck and back pain. Physical therapy for these disorders focuses on spinal support systems.
They include tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. Physical therapists typically provide stretches, exercises, and adjustments to alleviate discomfort in the neck and back.
Some therapists also use water exercises to make the therapy even easier. Aquatic therapy is helpful because the buoyancy of the water eliminates the pressure from the cervical and lumbar spine when you exercise.
Passive physical therapy also involves a range of techniques, such as heat or ice therapy, massage therapy, electrotherapy, and ultrasound therapy.
Heat or ice therapy can increase blood circulation to speed up the healing process and reduce swelling and inflammation. Massage therapy will relax your muscles to reduce your pain.
With electrotherapy, electrical waves are sent directly to the sensory nerves to prevent the signs of pain from reaching the brain. Ultrasound therapy uses sound waves to reach deep into the tissues and soothe affected areas.
Ready to get started?
Make a call today and learn how we can get you on the road to recovery.
When we have the answer right here; there’s no need to suffer from pain any longer! Contact us today.
