If you feel some discomfort or pain in your back, do not fret. Millions of people suffer from back pain each year. Back pain can have several causes, from sudden blunt force trauma to extended periods of sitting with bad posture. Regardless of the initial source of pain, back troubles can be extremely debilitating and distracting for the sufferer.
The good news is that care providers such as Mid-County Physical Therapy can help you relieve back pain and move past the distractions. Our experienced medical professionals can guide you through the helpful back pain exercises and practices that can correct and ease back pain. Read on for more information regarding back pain and how we can help you manage it.
What Causes Back Pain?
Back pain can arrive in a number of forms. Consider the different types of back pain before making any grand determinations about your health. Some common causes of back pain include:
- Bad posture. An accumulation of stress on the back can form if you stand or sit with poor posture for extended periods. This is common for office workers who slouch in their seats for hours at a time each day. Tightness in the back while sitting or standing should be a warning sign that your posture is off.
- Strained muscles. If you hyperextend your back while exercising or doing some other activity, you risk straining the muscles in your back. In this case, shooting pain will develop quickly. Avoid this injury by developing better habits while performing strenuous tasks. Specifically, you will want to ensure that you are exercising with the proper techniques in mind.
- Underlying conditions. Consider that your back pain is not necessarily an isolated issue. It is possible, especially in lower back pain situations, that an underlying condition could be contributing to or causing your back pain. Before assuming your back pain is acting independently, consult your physical therapist or physician for a screening to determine if it’s true back pain.
Sudden trauma. The clearest example of how back pain can develop is from sudden, blunt force trauma to the area. This can be from physical contact with another person or any other object. Being involved in a car accident, for example, can cause back pain even if direct contact is not made with the back. Any form of whiplash or sudden jerking of the back can cause back pain.
How Can You Manage Back Pain?
The best way to manage your back pain while you await further treatment is to correct some of the behaviors that may have caused the back pain in the first place. With help from a trusted medical professional, you should be able to identify some of the habits that may have contributed to back pain.
For example, if bad posture or poor exercising techniques are the roots of your back pain, correct your posture and temporarily halt your exercising as best you can. A physical therapist can guide you through proper exercising techniques and show you how to avoid future issues. There is little one can do to prevent underlying conditions and sudden trauma in the short term, so other methods of treatment may be needed in these cases.
How to Treat Back Pain
Even in certain mild cases of back pain, consider using physical therapy tactics to help recover strength or mobility. A physical therapist can also help you correct some of the posture-based issues you may be experiencing.
Back pain is commonly treated through a combination of steps, including ice and heat therapies, strengthening and stretching exercises, and medications. In more severe cases of back pain, it may be necessary to see a doctor. In cases of sudden pain, you should arrange a doctor’s visit immediately. You should also take strange symptoms such as fever or the pain spreading to other body parts very seriously.
Mid-County Physical Therapy Can Help
Mid-County Physical Therapy can help you manage your back and muscle pain. Give us a call if you are dealing with back pain, and we would be happy to develop a physical therapy care plan. In particular, our lower back pain treatment options are among the ailments we treat. If this type of back pain is affecting you, we might be able to help.
Our specialty at Mid-County Physical Therapy is soft tissue therapy, including that which must be administered to the back. Check out our guide to the goals of soft-tissue mobilization and get started on the road to healing.