Physical Therapy for Lower Back Pain Relief

Did you know that lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide? Over the course of three months, 25% of the United States population will experience an incident of lower back pain. The number of lower back injuries have only grown more since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be attributed to increased screen time, decreased active social activities (gym, sports) or psychological factors (depression, anxiety). 

If you are reading this, and have lower back pain please keep reading to see how Physical Therapy can help you! 

• Poor Posture & Prolonged Positioning: The muscles that support your upper body (Thoracic/Lumbar Paraspinal muscles, Quadratus Lumborum, Glut Muscles and Hamstrings) become overstretched and overworked.
  • SYMPTOMS: Rounded shoulders, forward head, rounded thoracic spine, pelvic asymmetries, chronic lower back achiness, typically fair range of motion (stretching may even feel good!), discomfort maintaining prolonged positions and many more.    
• Muscle Spasms:  These can be acute or chronic. Muscle spasms can be the result of mechanical trauma, poor posture, awkward prolonged positioning, stress, or even due to a "pinched nerve."
  • SYMPTOMS: Severe, sharp pain with trunk motions, severely limited trunk motions, sharp pain with taking a deep breath, potentially burning into the buttock or radiating pain down the leg.     
• Nerve Entrapment: Commonly call the "Sciatica," nerve entrapment can come from a variety of sources including: disc herniation, osteoarthritis, lumbar stenosis, trauma, piriformis syndrome and muscle tightness/ spasms.
  • SYMPTOMS: Pinch felt in the trunk with motion (usually one direction), radiating pain down the leg, numbness/tingling/ cold sensation into the calf and foot, weakness in the lower leg and foot, pain with voiding, pain with coughing, and difficulty taking a deep breath.    
• Sacroiliac Joint (SI) Dysfunction: The SI joint becomes misaligned causing: stress of the ligaments that stabilize the joint, muscle spams and nerve compression. SI joint dysfunction is very common postpartum, after traumatic incidents (falls, MVA etc),  in the athletic population (more specifically dancers/ gymnasts) and those with weakened core.
  • SYMPTOMS: Asymmetrical hip and pelvis alignment, potential pain in the lower back, groin and radiating down the back of the leg, feeling being "off center," pain while standing on one leg vs the other, and many more.      
• Piriformis Syndrome: Often grouped into "sciatica," piriformis syndrome is caused by tightness of the piriformis muscle that can cause compression of the sciatic nerve. Many times piriformis syndrome is associated with pelvic asymmetries, and generalized hip tightness.
  • SYMPTOMS: Numbness/Tingling/ Burning down the back side of the leg, difficulty sitting for prolonged time, potential weakness of the hip and leg muscles, usually one sided symptoms, decreased range of motion of back and/or hips.    
• Surgery:  Typically surgery is the last resort for most Orthopedic Practitioners. We typically see: spinal fusion/ debridement/ decompression surgeries related to prolonged intervertebral disc pathology or severe arthritis.
• Other: Emotional stress is probably one of the biggest aggravating factors for lower back pain. We are also accustom to treating lower back pain due to myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia.   

Based on physical therapy examination findings, your physical therapist will design an individualized treatment plan based on the patient's goals. Lower back pain relief can be achieved through a combination of the following treatments:

• Education on Pathology, including Healthy Habits to Improve Posture and Safe Movement. 
• Exercises to Strengthen Core and Hip Muscles
• Stretches to Improve Muscle Flexibility and Joint Mobility
• Hands on Deep Tissue Massage
• Integrated Dry Needling
• Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilizations (Graston Technique)
• Cupping Therapy
• Lumbar Mechanical Traction
• Heat, Ice, or Electrical Stimulation

1. Physical Therapy starts with a patient interview and a review of past medical history.  
2. The Physical Therapist will perform a complete physical assessment to find the source of your lower back pain.
3. Working with the patient, realistic and obtainable goals are designed by the physical therapist.
4. A treatment plan is designed based on the patient's goals, abilities and personal preferences. 
5. Molly and Dylan work closely with local pain management clinicians, orthopedic surgeons, and primary care physicians. If additional consultation is required, we pride ourselves with helping direct patient care.