Back Pain Treatment

“Back pain” is a general term for many conditions that cause pain in the upper or lower back. It can happen due to poor posture, car accidents, arthritis, or sports injuries. Our Physical Therapists can create a treatment plan based on your specific back pain, where it’s located, and your medical history.

Back pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts for one month or less. It’s important to avoid staying in bed and start therapy to reduce the time you have symptoms. Chronic pain lasts for three months or more. It can be constant dull pain, severe pain, or something in between. Physical therapy can help, no matter how long the pain lasts!

vSciatica, or lumbar radiculopathy, is connected to the nerves in your lower back. People with sciatica have pain along their sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body. This nerve starts in the lower back and splits at the base of the spine, going down the buttocks, both legs, and the bottom of each foot. Sciatica happens when the sciatic nerve gets “pinched,” causing sharp, stinging, or burning pain in the lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet. Numbness and tingling can also occur with sciatica.

Back pain typically develops from an injury, though this is not always the case. Repetitive straining motions, such as bending down multiple times to pick up heavy boxes, or from a sudden trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident are examples of ways we injure our back.

Sedentary lifestyles and obesity can also contribute to low back symptoms. Other underlying conditions may be present including stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and herniated discs. Those who suffer from degenerative disc disease usually report feeling dull, aching, and chronic pain in their lower back. While these conditions may contribute to low back pain, studies have also shown that people with these conditions do not always have pain.

People who develop sciatica are typically between the ages of 30-50, and there are several different conditions that can lead to it. Among the most common include arthritis, bone spurs, or any injury that affects the sciatic nerve. Common injuries that cause sciatica development include sports-related collisions, harsh falls, herniated discs, or anything that occurs gradually over time through overuse, repetition, or general “wear and tear.”

It is important to note that cancers, infections, fractures and other serious diseases can present themselves as back pain. Our providers are trained in recognizing these red flags and referring you to the appropriate healthcare specialists.

The pain you experience in your back may either be acute or chronic, depending on how it was sustained.

Acute pain means that it lasts for a short time and is usually severe.

Chronic pain means that it lasts generally three months or longer and it can either cause dull or severe persistent pain.

The pain you experience is typically either rooted in your back muscles or the bones in your spine. If your pain is severe enough to hinder you from doing daily tasks, if it suddenly worsens, or if it has lasted longer than three months, then it is time to seek the help of a physical medicine specialist.