Low Back Pain

It is estimate that more than 75% of people will experience low back pain at least once in their lives. Low back pain can occur due to a variety of reasons, including but not limited to, misalignment of joints, nerve compressions, muscle tension or spasms or herniated discs. Physical therapy can help with three general types of low back pain, acute (lasting less than three months in duration), recurrent (acute pain coming and going over a period of time) and chronic, (lasting longer than three months in duration). Physical Therapy is a mainstay treatment for patients with low back pain. The sooner a patient is treated after the initial pain begins the better.

At ITR Physical Therapy your physical therapist will perform a comprehensive evaluation, not just of the back, but assessing the body as a whole. Posture, joint alignment, muscle and fascial tightness/restrictions and muscle imbalance will all be assessed. Each patient will receive the manual therapy needed to realign joints, improve muscle function and coordination as well as release fascial restrictions that could be affecting pain. Patients will receive education on body mechanics and healthy posture, individualized stretches, strengthening and stabilization exercises. The inner core stabilizer muscles are a group of four muscles (respiratory diaphragm, transversus abdominis muscles, the multifidus and the pelvic floor muscles) that all need to be working in coordination with each other in order to maintain alignment. As pelvic floor physical therapists we will address each of these muscle groups and work with every patient to tailor their home program for their own body. It is critical that patient and physical therapist work together as partners through this healing process. The more time and effort a patient puts in to their own healing and home program, the better s/he will feel.