Physical Therapy for back Injury

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HOW CAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ADDRESS BACK INJURIES?

Injuries to the back are unexpected and can interfere significantly with your daily routines. Physical therapy is helpful to manage symptoms of a back injury, facilitate healing and promote return to your prior activities. Physical therapists are also important players in post-surgical rehabilitation for back injuries. Physical therapy for a back injury can help reduce pain and swelling, improve strength, flexibility and stability around the spine, prepare you for surgery when needed and help you return to your prior activity level as much as possible.

WHAT DOES PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR A BACK INJURY LOOK LIKE?

Physical therapy for a back injury is aimed at improving symptoms of pain or stiffness, helping restore normal strength, spinal control and range of motion and facilitating return to full activities. In cases where surgery has been performed, physical therapy is also indicated to achieve these same outcomes. My team of therapists and I will start by getting to know your concerns and goals and performing a thorough physical exam to determine what areas we should target with our physical therapy interventions. Your therapist will employ manual therapy interventions to target joint and tissue mobility while also prescribing movements and exercises for strength, motor control and mobility to be performed in the home and the clinic. Modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound and laser therapy may also be utilized.

HOW LONG WILL I NEED PHYSICAL THERAPY?

The duration of your physical therapy plan of care is based on several factors including the type of injury, the severity of your symptoms, if you are recovering from or planning to undergo surgery, and the activities you aim to resume. While full resolution of symptoms can take some time, you may begin to see some results right away. You should experience improvements in many symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and inflammation within a couple of weeks but returns in full strength, flexibility and overall mobility may take longer. Achieving long-lasting results may take some time, but dedication to your program will not only help you achieve these results but will help to decrease the likelihood of symptoms recurring in the future.

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WHAT DOES AN INJURY TO THE BACK FEEL LIKE?

Signs and symptoms of a back injury can develop suddenly in response to an acute trauma or may develop more slowly over time. Sporting and exercise injuries, falls, car accidents and other traumas are common causes of back injuries. Common symptoms of back injuries are as follows:

Pain in the upper, mid or lower back with activity or with rest
Pain with coughing, sneezing or straining
Swelling or redness around the injured area
Back stiffness
Weakness in the back or trunk muscles
Tenderness over the spine* or back muscles
Numbness or tingling in the trunk, groin or lower extremities*
Pain or abnormal sensations radiating into the groin or lower extremities*
Changes in bowel or bladder function such as difficulty starting or stopping during a bowel movement or urination*
Leg weakness*
Tripping or difficulty walking*

ANATOMY OF A BACK INJURY

The spine consists of many complex structures–any of which could be injured. Injuries can involve the muscles, tendons, ligaments, facia, bones and nerves of the upper, middle and lower back. Some injuries can be pinpointed through careful clinical testing such as palpating for painful tissues or through special tests but in some cases imaging such as an x-ray, CT scan, ultrasound or MRI may be recommended for a clearer answer. Here are some common back injuries treated by physical therapists:

Back muscle and tendon strain
Back ligament sprain
Back contusion
Spinal nerve compression
Intervertebral disc herniation
Vertebral fracture
Spinal cord injury

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End Injury Progression

Physical Therapy for a back injury has proven to prevent injury, slow and even stop pain issues, improve performance, and reverse injury progression in many cases.

**Relieve Pain**
The movements used in this technique can target your entire body helping you to manage discomfort and pain during the course of your physical therapy treatments.

**Improve Range of Motion**
Posture awareness is an important area to focus on due to the fact that certain positions may cause you further discomfort and pain.

Restore Mobility

You can regain mobility and flexibility by taking part in the stretches and exercises as prescribed by your physical therapist.

How Long Will Physical Therapy for back Injury Last?

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help correct your back injury issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized back injury physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your back PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

WHAT PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENTS ARE BEST FOR A BACK INJURY?

The answer to this question is truly individualized and depends on many factors such as the type of injury you have sustained, the severity and chronicity of the injury, and other personal factors like your prior activity level and other medical comorbidities. It also depends on whether or not you’ve undergone surgery as a post-surgical protocol may guide your course of care.

Your physical therapist will design an individualized treatment plan for you, however, these are some of the more common back injury treatments offered by physical therapists and which you might experience when working with your PT:

Modalities and manual therapy techniques to reduce pain and inflammation and promote tissue healing in the earlier stages of healing. This could include soft tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, IASTM, myofascial release techniques, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, ice/heat and laser therapy.

Bracing or taping may be used to protect healing tissues and reduce discomfort in early stages of healing or as you return to activity. A spinal brace may be prescribed by your doctor if spinal instability is a concern or to minimize painful motions.

Education about your injury, the stages of healing and what you can do to participate in your recovery and prevent future injury

Muscle strength, endurance and power training to improve muscle performance for return to normal activity

Mobility and stretching exercises to restore normal range of motion and flexibility in the spine, shoulders and hips might be prescribed in mid and later stages of healing

Motor control and coordination training to ensure proper muscle activation and control around the spine as you progress back to normal activities.

Sport and work-specific training exercises to prepare the back to return to your prior activities and limit the risk of future injury.

Gait training to restore normal walking if a back injury has affected your gait.

As you can see, physical therapists have a lot of treatments in their toolbox to help you with your back injury. If you have an injured back or are noticing uncomfortable symptoms in your spine, call us today to learn more about our services and schedule an evaluation