Relieve Back Pain through Physical Therapy

As we age, we experience body aches that we once never had. Take back pain, for instance. When we were younger, most of us used to engage in various activities. We’d play football, baseball, basketball and volleyball. The usual body aches that most of us had back then were just bruises and some minor muscle aches. Give it a day or two and those body aches are gone just like that without even popping a pill. But now, even a minor household chore could “break” our back.

Back pain is the most common body ache among adults today. Well, considering the lack of physical activity, our bodies have become used to a sedentary lifestyle so that even a minor change of physical routine could have a significant impact on our backs. If you need relief from back pain without surgery or pain medication, physical therapy is the way to go.

In most cases, physical therapy is the first method used to relieve back, shoulder and neck pain. The therapist may choose between passive or active treatment when dealing with the patient.

In passive treatment, the patient does not actively participate since this typically involves (1) heat or cold packs placed on the patient’s injured area, (2) ultrasound and (3) iontophoresis, among others. In active therapy treatment, the patient performs various activities like stretching, strengthening and other exercises. Depending on the severity of the pain or injury, the therapist may use both active and passive treatments for better results.