The Role of Physiotherapy in Back Pain

The Role of Physiotherapy in Back Pain

Back pain can slow you down and even stop you in your tracks. If you’ve suffered from back pain, whether from an acute injury or chronic strain, you’ve probably tried many approaches and had a lot of different advice on how to make it better.

Some people leave physiotherapy as a last resort after they’ve tried every home treatment available but physiotherapy can make a significant reduction in pain regardless of the level of back pain you are suffering. Even if the cause of your chronic pain is unknown at the present, physiotherapy can help you get back into work and enjoy doing what you love.

 But shouldn’t I just be resting until I feel better?

This depends on the nature of your injury and the severity of your pain but most physiotherapists will, if possible, avoid immobilising you for more than a few days.

For pain that isn’t related to a specific injury, not only is long term bed rest inconvenient, it can be unnecessary: the benefits of bed rest for sciatica sufferers after two weeks are no more significant than continuing with your everyday activities and taking care with your back.

So, if resting isn’t helping and the pain in your back is preventing you from getting on with your work, a more active approach will be needed to treat your pain. Physiotherapy offers this approach and it is suitable for both acute and chronic pain.

What will I be doing?

At Physio Med we will probably combine multiple approaches in treating you, because everyone is different and requires different care. Most likely, the care you receive will involve one or more of these activities:

  • Stretching and strengthening exercises
  • Soft tissue massage and manual therapy
  • Posture correction
  • Applying heat or cold to affected areas
  • Learning about what kinds of everyday activities will help or hurt

What if I don’t like doing the exercises?

Your active participation is a very important part of getting better. Your physiotherapist will provide exercises for you designed to improve your body’s function, some of which may be uncomfortable to do at first.

Back Pain

This may make you want to give up but there is good evidence that persevering, with the help of our physiotherapists, will help you to reduce your pain. This is why it’s important to stick to your routine and see your treatment through to the end, keeping your physiotherapist informed of how things feel as you progress so that the exercises can be adapted if need be.

Everyone has their own opinions on how to manage their own health, and that’s a good thing. There has even been a study showing that physiotherapy is just as effective a treatment for back pain even if you don’t agree with your physiotherapist all of the time.

Physio Med will work with you to help you get back to what you want to be doing.

How can I get started?

If you’re ready to consider trying physiotherapy to combat your injury, contact Physio Med to talk to a trained senior chartered physiotherapist. We would love to help you get back to your regular life, and we are ready to listen and work with you on a personalised approach.

 

For more information, please feel free to get in touch:

Tel: 0113 229 1300

Visit: Contact Us Form

Email: customerservices@physiomed.co.uk

 

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