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Most back pain is the result of years of overuse, poor
body mechanics and posture,
weakness in certain muscle groups, and stiff or loose
joints. Our expert understanding of the spine and
its function enables us to help you regain proper
spinal mechanics so that you can live, play, and work
pain-free again. Today, most physicians recommend
conservative treatment, including physical therapy,
prior to surgical intervention.
Goals:
Normal joint movement
Our therapists have extensive training in the mechanics
of overall spinal motion and at the vertebral
joint level. Assessment of the movement of each
of the 24 facet joints in the lumbar spine is
essential. Joint mobilization
of stiff joints is necessary in order for the
whole lumbar spine to move normally.
Core stabilization
A joint or joints which move too much require a
stabilization exercise
program to reduce or alleviate repetitive irritation
to the joints and muscles of the spine. We are
experts in assessment of muscle functioning and
teach you how to use the muscles necessary to
stabilize your spine when too much joint motion
is present.
Normal Body Mechanics
Body mechanics is a term
used to describe how the whole body moves by looking
at how motion is occurring in each of the joints.
"Good" body mechanics means that the
body is functioning without causing abnormal stress
through the joints. Once the physical therapist
has mobilized joints that were not moving well,
identified joints that are moving too much, and
found muscles which are too weak to do the job
they're supposed to, whole body movement can then
be addressed. You will be taught how to lift,
bend, and rotate, without harming your joints
and muscles.
Muscle re-education to perform work
There are many muscles in the body which need to
work properly in order for your low back to perform
heavy work. How you use your shoulders and hips
can affect the stresses that go through your spine.
Sometimes, we need to teach you how to use your
hip muscles properly, for example. We study myokinematics,
the complex relationships between muscle groups,
and understand how one part of the body interacts
with, and affects, another. Myokinematics
is a term used to describe the study of movement
and muscle functioning.
Muscle Strain
Chronic low back pain is a
major problem in the USA, for a number of different
reasons. One reason is that many jobs in our modern
society are not physically demanding and require a
lot of sitting, which can cause weakness and loss
of flexibility in many parts of the body. If this
persists, movement can become painful and difficult
as time goes by. According to the British Journal
of Medicine, people who participated in an exercise
program for low back pain, supervised by a physical
therapist, reported less pain and disability than
those who had pharmaceutical therapy. Furthermore,
the patients in the supervised exercise group continued
to progress over the following year.
So, why do some people who "feel strong"
experience chronic low back pain? One reason could
be a poor sitting position over a long period of time.
Poor posture can "turn off" the muscles
that stabilize the pelvis and spine and without these
muscles working, the body is supported solely by the
ligaments of the spine which increases the pressure
on the discs. The deep muscles become weak and easily
strained. Without these postural muscles working properly,
an abnormal force can be exerted through the joints
of the spine when the large muscle contract to perform
work.
Poor habits can also cause repetitive strain to the
back muscles. Lifting and bending improperly can put
an additional stress on the back. Our therapists evaluate
the functioning of these deep, stabilizing muscles
and teach you how to regain strength in them again.
Proper exercising can strengthen and increase the
endurance in this important muscle group. The larger
muscles of the back can then exert the forces necessary
to perform work without causing a harmful force in
the joints.
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