The back is made up of bone, muscle and ligaments, all of which are capable of incurring damage from wear and tear and even disease. Back pain is often the result of a breakdown in the pads/discs between the vertebrae. This breakdown can be due to injury, disease, or other changes, including age and can be a source of a great deal of pain that can be constant and debilitating. In fact, more than one-third of all American adults reports having some form of chronic back pain. Here is more about ... [Read More]
Back Pain
Why You May Need Physical Therapy for Back Pain: More than Just a New Mattress
If you suffer from an aching back, you are not alone: according to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States. Although a lumpy, unsupportive mattress can lead to back stiffness and pain, you may need more than just a new mattress to get your back on track. Back pain basics Back pain is generally categorized as upper or lower back pain. Lower back pain is by far the most common, occurring most often in mature and older ... [Read More]
How Back Pain Can Affect Your Mood
In the United States, back pain is the second most common cause of disability, affecting over 80% of people at some point in their lives. Back pain is caused by injury from lifting heavy objects, accidents, injuries, or degeneration due to conditions such as herniated discs and sciatica. Even though back pain is extremely disabling and common, not all people experience the same symptoms, and even with people who do suffer the same symptoms, their reactions could be very different. This is ... [Read More]
Reasons to See a Physical Therapist
The goal of physical therapy is to alleviate pain and restore or improve your body’s function and mobility. A physical therapist has years of training in how to help your body heal and ways to optimize its function. This could mean getting back to work (occupational therapy), or exceeding performance milestones in sports. Here are some of the reasons you might want to see a physical therapist. Joint pain Whether you have osteoarthritis or an acute injury, joint pain can seriously interfere w ... [Read More]
Dry Needling and Low Back Pain
If you suffer from chronic low back pain, you know that there are many treatment options out there. But pain medication can have dangerous side effects and even cause dependency. Surgery is rarely recommended unless other treatments have failed to provide relief, and injections don’t always provide lasting results. Dry needling is a physical therapy technique that offers an alternative treatment for low back pain without the potential for dangerous side effects. Dry needling is included in m ... [Read More]
