A type of back pain that can be so agonizing is one where you will feel tingling numbness or even shooting pain traveling down your legs. Specialists will call this condition as sciatica, as the type of back pain you are experiencing is one where pressure is being felt by your sciatic nerves.
Instead of recommending you to exercise since you could be suffering from too much pain, the doctor will advise physical therapy for back pain to relieve your sciatica. Physical therapy for back pain in Covington, LA can either be passive or active. Keeping your condition in mind, the passive kind of physiotherapy will be your doctor's initial recommendation. There are different options you can choose as your source of back pain relief.
* Hot and Cold Therapy
The physical therapy for back pain will depend on the treatment and cause applicable. If the distressed area requires more blood to flow into it, heat will be the component to apply as your physiotherapy treatment.
A heat pack or hot compress will stimulate the circulation of blood and at the same time intend to reduce the muscle contractions in the affected area. Whereas, the cold therapy will address the inflammation or swelling aside from the muscle spasms that are taking place. If essential, both hot and cold packs will be applied alternately as treatment.
* Deep Tissue Massage
This type of passive physical therapy will target what physiotherapists entitle as adhesions or tissues and ligaments that have tensed up rigidly. These adhesions may block blood supply, therefore, causing pressure on your sciatic nerves.
The deep tissue massage technique will try to reinstate normalcy by causing the relaxation of the ligaments, tissues, and tendons and ultimately breakdown the banding of the distressed tissues.
* Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)
This kind of treatment makes use of a machine but it is something that you can do at home, as there are units ideal for home use. The units which are used by clinicians are much larger of course and it makes use of electric charges in different degrees to treat your muscle spasms.
During the process, endorphins will be induced into secretion. Endorphins are the substance released by the brain acting as natural pain killers. They affix themselves to cell receptors that will take away any message of pain being experienced by the body.
* Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a type of physical therapy for back pain which uses sound waves that can produce heat as it is applied and will result to the promotion of blood circulation. By achieving proper blood circulation in the distressed lumbar area, natural healing of the affected tissues will be allowed thus reducing muscle contractions, easing out stiffness and eliminating pain.
If your sciatica is caused due to back disorder, then the physical therapy for back pain may make use of the other type of physiotherapy which is of the active kind.
Resource: Rehab Dynamics, LLC is an unusual combination of science and sensitivity providing effective physical therapies for back pain relief. They offer flexible appointment times intended to fit their patient's busy schedule.