Back pain is two things–common and not a whole lot of fun. Consider some of these mind-blowing statistics from The Good Body:
- 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives
- Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain treatment
- 10% of the world’s population suffers from lower back pain
- Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide
So, back pain is obviously an uncomfortable condition that plagues a large population of the entire country. The silver lining? There are ways to treat back pain, so it doesn’t take over your whole life. (Another stat: 3 million years of productive life are lost every year in the US thanks to back pain. Wow!)
Common Causes of Back Pain
You may be surprised by how many minor things can cause back pain. Something as innocuous as a sneeze can strain the back. Most back pain, however, is generally caused by one of the following:
- Injury: This can be from a car accident, a slip, and fall, sports-related impact, etc. Any of these can cause injuries to the back, including sprains and strains, fractures, spasms, and disc herniation.
- Certain conditions: These may include arthritis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, and other diseases or conditions.
- Lifestyle: Some jobs that include an abundance of sitting can lead to back pain, as can obesity, lack of physical activity, activities, or work that includes heavy lifting and smoking.
Any of these can result in back pain that ranges from mild to excruciating.
Treatment for Back Pain
There are many different approaches to and treatments for back pain–from traditional to more modern techniques. Among the tried-and-true treatments are heat and ice, both over-the-counter and prescription pain medication, and spinal injections. Hands-on treatments include massage therapy, physical therapy (more on that shortly…), and chiropractic adjustments.
Among the other treatment methods are acupuncture, nerve stimulation (often using a TENS machine), and in more extreme cases, surgery. All of these treatments can work to varying degrees. However, one of these methods is especially effective in treating back pain.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Back Pain
In many cases, staying active and mobile is essential in helping ease back pain, and physical therapy can play a significant role in that. A physical therapist will have you stretch, perform exercises, and even handle some of the abovementioned approaches, such as heat and ice therapy, massage therapy, and others like aquatic therapy, ultrasound therapy, and more.
Here at Physical Therapy NOW in Irving, your physical therapist will work with you to create a personalized treatment plan and use a combination of therapies designed specifically for your pain.
Back Pain Treatment
If you’re suffering from back pain, call Physical Therapy NOW in Irving at (214) 225-0291 to set up your initial appointment, where you’ll talk through your injury and pain with one of our expert physical therapists. Then we’ll get you started on a PT plan just for you right away. Call us today to get started.
