Lower back pain is one of the most frequent causes of job-related disability and why some people miss work. It is also the second most prevalent neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headache. In fact, approximately 80% of adults in Western countries have, at some point, experienced lower back pain.

For some fortunate people, pain in the lower back may be resolved by itself or with the aid of medicine within two to four weeks. However, there are some cases of lower back pain that may last for more than a few weeks, for the duration of which case the situation is termed as "chronic" and "progressive," meaning it can only grow worse over time.

Additionally, 60-80% of those patients who suffer their first episode of lower back pain may experience recurring pain within one year.

according to current study, there are certain muscles in the back that work to stabilize the spine. When the spine or the back suffers an injury, these muscles are mechanically inhibited or shutdown. Worse still, these muscles do not spontaneously recover, and this is true even if patients do not feel pain and are able to come back to normal activity levels.

As a result of the inhibition of these muscles, called lumbar multifidi and the transversus abdominus, lower back pain occurs. Still, there are steps you can take to avoid the same thing from happening to you.

Lower Back Pain and Physical Therapy

One way to put a stop to the inhibition of the lumbar multifidi and transversus abdominus is through a series of physical therapy and exercises.

Designed to strengthen the muscles of the lower back and keep the spine good for your health, these physical therapy exercises may range from back stabilization exercises to muscle strength happening and several wide variety of techniques.

In addition, a physical therapist may also counsel such methods as heat therapy, ultrasound, reflexology, mobilization, and instruction about posture and body mechanics in order to prevent lower back pain from recurring.

Some of these techniques will be discussed later on. You will also find some useful self-help tips provided by experts to help you avoid lower back pain or put a stop to the condition from worsening.

However, before we head on to learning how lower back pain is treated through physical therapy, it is important that we first comprehend what causes lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain: CAUSES

There are in fact many types of back pain, but the most usual is pain in the lower back. Why? You might ask. The reason is simple: you hold most of your weight in the lower back. Thus, it is highly likely that a person would suffer pain in that area.

There is no ultimate cause of lower back pain. From time to time, the causes of the condition are so complex that it is difficult to pinpoint just a single one.

Nevertheless, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals have observed that lower back pain is often a result of strained back muscles and ligaments due to any of the following activities:

Improper posture

Heavy lifting

Unexpected awkward movement

Muscle spasm

Stress

We could all be guilty of the above actions. We may not endure any back pains now, but it is likely that as we get older and the measure of inhibition of the back muscles as a result of these activities increases, back pain becomes a very clear risk.

In addition to these ordinary activities, lower back pain may also result from specific conditions, such as:

Herniated disk (when the disk substance presses on a nerve)

Sciatica (when a herniated disk presses on the sciatic nerve. The condition causes sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and the back of the leg).

Spinal stenosis (when the space around the spinal cord and nerve roots becomes narrow. This is caused by arthritis and bone overgrowth, the ache resulting from when a nerve gets pinched in the narrow room.)

Spondylosis (a type of arthritis affecting the spine due to degenerative changes caused on by aging)

Spondylolisthesis (when one vertebra in the spinal column slips forward over another)

Treatment for Lower Back Pain

The healing of lower back pain depends on several factors, including the specific type of lower back pain (whether it is persistent or acute) and the supposed source.

For example, acute lower back pain is commonly treated with pain relieving drugs, such as analgesics, or some forms of exercises that can help relax the muscles.

On the other hand, chronic back pain or one that lasts for more than two weeks and is progressive may be caused by some underlying situation, during which case the treatment plan may consist of resolving the underlying situation to cure the back pain.

Physical Therapy Exercise for Lower Back Pain

Physical therapy exercise is one of the most frequent methods of treating lower back pain. In fact, many home remedies for lower back pain consist of exercise, because the common theory is that if you stay active, you remain healthy. This is true in most cases.

Yet, for purposes of this article, the exercises featured here will be those that are practiced by physical therapists to treat patients with lower back pain.

Usually, in physical therapy exercises, the exercise program for back pain should encompass a set of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises, and low impact work-outs. Read below for more on these exercises:

Stretching

The back of a person is composed of the spinal column and closest muscles, ligaments and tendons. All these are designed to move in consonance with each other so that any limitation in the range of gesture in any of these components of the back result in back pain.

Stretching for lower back pain specifically targets soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons, found in the back and around the spine. By stretching, the spine and soft tissues are mobilized, rising motion and like so, relieving pain.

There are many kinds of stretching exercises used by physical therapists. One is the Hamstring Stretching Exercise which works to relax tight hamstrings, a frequent symptom of lower back pain. This exercise is said to help decrease the intensity of lower back pain among sufferers.

Strengthening

Physical therapists in general use two forms of strengthening and back pain relief exercises, usually depending on the specific condition of the patient. These are the McKenzie exercises and dynamic lumbar stabilization exercises. Still, the two forms of strengthening exercises may also be combined should the therapist find it suitable to do so.

McKenzie Exercises

Named after a physical therapist in New Zealand, McKenzie exercises are primarily extension exercises that could help diminish pain generated from the disc space and also may help lessen the symptoms of herniated disc by reducing pressure on a nerve root.

For acute pain, the McKenzie exercises should be done frequently, at least once every two hours. In addition, patients are advised to avoid flexing their spine when exercising.

Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises

With this back exercise method, the first thing that a physical therapist does is to look for the patient's "neutral" spine. This refers to the position that allows the patient to feel the most comfortable.

Afterwards, when the patient is in that position, the back muscles are then exercised in order to "teach" the spine how to stay in this position.

Performing these exercises on a frequent basis can help strengthen the back muscles and keep the spine well-positioned.

Low Impact Aerobic Exercises

The objective of low impact aerobic exercise is to repair the back. Patients who undergo reconditioning of the back through low impact aerobic exercise will have fewer episodes of lower back pain.

In addition, every time an episode of lower back pain does arise, the pain is less intense and lasts only for a short period.

Another benefit of low impact aerobic exercise is that patients be likely to stay functional that is, they can resume with their regular work and carry on with recreational activities. In contrast, patients who do not undergo low impact aerobic exercises typically experience the gradual loss of their functional abilities.

For low impact aerobic exercises to achieve their desired results, they should be continuous. This will increase the heart rate and keep it elevated as well as increase the production of endorphins, which are pain fighting hormones released by the body.

Here are some examples of low impact aerobic exercises that you may need to try in order to decrease or lower lower back pain:

Walking

One of the simplest forms of aerobic exercises, walking is in general considered as very gentle on the back. To get the greatest benefit from walking as a form of low impact aerobic exercise, walk two to three miles three times per week.

Stationary Bicycling

This form of aerobic exercise is less hurting on the back since there is lower impact produced. This is beneficial for patients with lower back pain who may find walking too painful.