What is lower back pain?

What is lower back pain?

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Lower back pain (LBP) refers to discomfort or pain that is specifically located in the lower part of the back, typically in the lumbar region. It is a common condition that affects a significant portion of the adult population, affecting up to 80% of all adults at some point in their lives.

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Lower back pain can vary in intensity and duration. It may be acute, lasting for a short period of time, or chronic, persisting for more than three months. Individuals reporting persistent pain and activity limitation are usually given a second screening to rule in and rule out other possible conditions that caused LBP. The pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp, stabbing sensation. It may be localized to the lower back or radiate into the buttocks, hips, or legs.

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What causes lower back pain?

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Causes of lower back pain can include:

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1. Muscle strain: Overexertion, lifting heavy objects, sudden movements, or poor posture can strain the muscles and ligaments in the lower back, leading to pain and stiffness.
2. Disc problems: Herniated or bulging discs occur when the soft inner material of a spinal disc protrudes through the outer layer, potentially pressing on nearby nerves and causing pain.
3. Spinal conditions: Conditions like spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), degenerative disc disease, or spondylolisthesis (vertebral slippage) can contribute to lower back pain.
4. Arthritis: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other forms of arthritis can affect the joints in the lower back, leading to pain and inflammation.
5. Structural issues: Abnormalities in the spine's structure, such as scoliosis (curvature of the spine), can cause lower back pain.
6. Injuries: Trauma from accidents, falls, or sports-related activities can result in lower back pain, including fractures, sprains, or strains.
7. Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as kidney stones, infections, or endometriosis, can cause referred pain to the lower back.
8. Lifestyle factors: Sedentary behavior, obesity, poor posture, and lack of regular exercise can contribute to lower back pain.

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If you are experiencing lower back pain, it is recommended to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

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How can physical therapy help?

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Physical therapy can be highly effective in the management and treatment of lower back pain. A physical therapist can assess your condition, identify the underlying causes of your pain, and develop a customized treatment plan. Here are several ways in which physical therapy can help with lower back pain:

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1. Pain management: Physical therapists use various techniques and modalities to alleviate pain, such as heat or cold therapy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and manual therapy techniques like soft tissue mobilization. These modalities can help reduce pain as well as muscle tension and promote healing.
2. Lumbar Traction: In most patients with spinal conditions such as; nerve root impingement, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease and other certain spinal conditions that causes lower back pain, lumbar traction may be prescribed. It has the mechanical benefit of temporarily separating the vertebrae, causing mechanical sliding of the spinal joints and may help reduce circulatory congestion and relieve pressure on the nerve roots and other spinal structure.
3. Stretching Exercises: Decreased flexibility in joints, muscles and fascia (connective tissues) may restrict the patient’s ability to assume normal spinal alignment. Manual and safe self-stretching exercises are utilized to increase muscle, joint and connective tissue mobility.
4. Stabilization and Strengthening Exercises: In the spine, muscle performance involves not only strength and endurance but also stability. Activation of the deep segmental stabilizing muscles and exercises to develop spinal control in the global stabilizing muscles are fundamental for developing spinal stability. Once the patient has improved spinal stability, strengthening exercises are initiated. It includes low-intensity dynamic spinal exercises and later on will progress to trunk and extremity strengthening exercises to improve muscle strength, endurance and performance.
5. Manual therapy techniques: Physical therapists utilize hands-on techniques such as joint mobilization, spinal manipulation, and soft tissue mobilization to improve joint mobility, reduce muscle tension, and restore normal movement patterns in the lower back.
6. Aerobic Exercises: Aerobic conditioning exercises are initiated as soon as the patient tolerates repetitive activity without exacerbating symptoms. Emphasis is placed on using safe spinal postures while exercising. Aerobic activity increases the patient’s feeling of well-being and improves cardiopulmonary fitness.
7. Posture/Kinesthetic Training:  Physical therapists assess and correct posture issues that may contribute to lower back pain. One of the fundamental interventions for spinal rehabilitation is to develop patient awareness of safe spinal positions, and spinal movement as well as the effects of different positions (e.g. lying, sitting, standing) have on the spine. Awareness of what posture makes the symptoms better or worse and identifying neutral spine position are important in helping patients manage their symptoms. 
8. Postural Stress Management and Relaxation Exercises: It is common that a patient's symptoms are exacerbated with sustained postural stress such as sitting at a computer or repetitive forward bending. Therefore, analysis of work, home, or recreational postures and activities is a necessary component of the patient’s program. The patient is then advised about methods to correct sustained or repetitive postural stresses. In addition, frequent changes in position and movements are encouraged. The therapists will also teach the patient how to consciously relax tension in muscles to relieve stress.
9. Environmental Adaptations: Ergonomic assessment and modification of the home and work environments are necessary to correct stresses as well as prevent future recurrence of symptoms.
10. Education and Self-management Strategies: Physical therapists educate patients about their condition, including the causes and contributing factors of lower back pain as well as the role and importance of the rehabilitation program in relieving the symptoms. They provide guidance on self-management strategies, such as proper body mechanics, pain-relief techniques, and lifestyle modifications.
11. Home Exercise Program: Physical therapists provide a specialized home exercise program for each patient and teach them how to safely and effectively incorporate it into their daily routine to reinforce the interventions and promote optimal recovery.
12. Functional Training: Once the patient has learned spinal control and stabilization and has developed adequate flexibility and strength for specific tasks, components of the tasks are incorporated into the exercise program and then into the patient’s lifestyle. Safe body mechanics are included in all aspects of care. 
13. Prevention strategies: Education occurs on a continual basis. Physical therapists emphasize strategies to prevent future episodes of lower back pain. This may include the following:

• When experiencing pain or the recurrence of symptoms, check posture.
• If sustained postures are necessary, take frequent breaks and perform appropriate range of motion exercises at least every half hour.
• If in a tension-producing situation, perform conscious relaxation exercises.

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It's important to remember that each person's condition is unique, and physical therapy interventions will be tailored to individual needs. Consulting with a physical therapist will allow for a comprehensive evaluation and the development of a personalized treatment plan to address your specific lower back pain concerns.

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Finally – the all-in-one, professional, convenient approach to physical therapy that you deserve with PeteHealth.

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