Back pain can be very disabling. It can limit your mobility and make it a challenge just to perform everyday activities. Physical therapy can help relieve pain, improve the ability of your spine to function correctly, and aid in the prevention of future injuries.
Physical therapy for the back is beneficial to the spine in many ways. One of its most well-known benefits is its ability to relieve back pain.
The benefits of physical therapy can go far beyond that, however. Especially in the framework of a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific personal needs.
Physical therapy for the back is good for the health of your spine, and can also increase your overall sense of well-being and give you a better quality of life.
What is physical therapy for the back, and how can it help?
Physical therapy for the back is a non-surgical treatment to improve the spine’s ability to perform its functions.
At Instituto Clavel we have our own physical therapy center specializing in manual physical therapy and active therapies for the back.
As the name suggests, manual physical therapy treats the body using both invasive and non-invasive manual techniques. Active therapies can include different types of physical exercise.
Physical therapists adapt these techniques to suit the current physical condition of each person and their individual therapy goals. This involves the patient’s active participation, ensuring that the benefits of the therapy can be maintained in the future.
In the following, we list some of the specific benefits you can expect from physical therapy for your back.
1) Relief of pain
The main goal of physical therapy for the back is to fight pain. It is usually part of the recommended treatment for pain in the neck (cervicalgia), the middle back (thoracic spine) and lower back (lumbar spine), whatever its cause.
Physical therapy for back pain can also be useful during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Women often find that the physiological and biomechanical changes they go through during these times cause discomfort throughout the body and, most intensely, in the back.
2) Improved spinal mobility
Physical therapy for the back helps increase your spine’s flexibility and range of motion.
Improved spinal mobility makes everyday activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, or getting out of bed, easier. It also helps in sports performance.
The range of motion of the spine may be limited due to muscle strain or back injuries.
By improving the mobility of the back, we improve its ability to function properly, and help prevent further injuries.
3) Increased muscle strength
Active therapies focus on performing exercises to strengthen the muscles that surround and support the spine.
This improves stability, coordination, and balance, and reduces back pain.
In addition, strong muscle tone acts as a preventative measure, promoting a healthy and well-functioning spine for the long term.
Another benefit of strength training is that it improves hormonal functions that contribute to the overall health and condition of your body.
Strength training can be carried out in personal training sessions, or in group classes, each according to the level of the individual.
During these sessions, we work on overall strength, elasticity, and coordination, among other aspects, allowing you to get the most out of your training according to your condition.
There are disciplines that are particularly interesting for back pain such as therapeutic Pilates, combining floor exercises with use of machines (Pilates reformer). Working with the Pilates reformer machine is very effective in restoring muscle strength and improving overall physical condition.
The Gyrotonic® method is also very beneficial for increasing range of motion, and improving strength, and efficiency in movement. It focuses on guiding the body through flowing, circular, spiral, and wave movements.
4) Better posture
Making good posture a habit is essential for the health of your back.
When you strengthen the muscles supporting your spine, and increase its mobility, it helps the body maintain better posture, avoiding unnecessary strain.
In addition, physical therapists teach habits of posture that you should use throughout your daily activities and at work.
This concept receives special focus in our posture exercise groups, because, practice makes perfect!
5) Helps manage persistent back pain
Physical therapy is part of the treatment for persistent back pain that is commonly caused by various spinal pathologies.
It can be useful in controlling pain, for example, in cases of disc protrusion, disc herniation, lumbar canal stenosis, or scoliosis.
Physical therapy is usually the first line of treatment for these pathologies, along with treatment with medication.
Although in some cases, more invasive procedures may eventually be needed, rehabilitation physical therapy is still recommended.
In fact, if you are scheduled for back surgery, physical therapy can be an excellent way to prepare your body. Doing the physical therapy before the operation allows you to arrive in better condition, and sets you up for a good postoperative recovery. This is what we refer to as prehabilitation.
6) Reduced pain in other parts of the body
Back pain is often accompanied by pain in other parts of the body. Primarily, the upper or lower extremities.
It is also common to experience a feeling of tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms or legs.
Physical therapy for the back can help reduce the pain and other symptoms in the upper or lower extremities.
In addition, it can help improve your digestion, because of the neurological relationship that each organ has with the vertebrae.
7) Reduced chance of future back injuries
Physical therapy for the back not only treats existing problems, but also focuses on preventing relapses or future injuries.
It does this by enabling your spine to function as it should. It also tends to increase the person's confidence in their ability to perform greater physical activity.
8) Improves quality of life
All of the above benefits make everyday activities easier and help you maintain a more independent and active lifestyle.
This results in an overall positive impact on your quality of life.
Instituto Clavel, specialists in physical therapy for the back
At Instituto Clavel we have our own physical therapy clinic in Barcelona.
At this center, our physical therapists evaluate each patient in order to design a personalized treatment plan based on their individual needs and limitations.
This rehabilitation plan includes a combination of manual therapy techniques with the help of our specialized physical therapists, along with specific exercises, a training program and postural re-education.
The physical therapists at our center also work hand-in-hand with our team of neurosurgeons, traumatologists and orthopedic surgeons.
If you want to know more about our physical therapy, osteopathy, or active therapies services, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Dr. Laia Tarrés Piñol
IC Rehabilitation Director
Osteopathy coordinator; Specialist in osteopathy and phisical therapy
Categories: Back pain, Rehabilitation, Pain Management