Tired of dealing with chronic back pain? Here’s how to manage symptoms at home and with our treatment plans!
You’ve probably experienced back pain at some point in your life, whether from an injury, an awkward movement, or straining your back from lifting something heavy. However, while back pain is one of the most common issues that people face, it’s important to get treatment and know how to manage symptoms before they become worse!
Our physiotherapists at The Running Physio in Toronto, Ontario can treat your chronic back pain in the clinic and help you learn to manage symptoms at home. Call us today to schedule an appointment!
What Are the Symptoms Of Chronic Back Pain?
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is defined as pain that persists for at least 12 weeks, even after an injury or underlying cause has been treated.
Back pain can range from a specific area to generalized pain that spreads over the back. Sometimes the pain may radiate to other areas of your body, such as the buttocks and legs. The severity of back pain varies for each person.
Symptoms of chronic back pain include:
- A constant, dull ache.
- Sharp or stabbing pain.
- Tingling or burning sensation
- Pain that radiates away from the back into the buttocks, leg, or hip.
- Stiffness or soreness.
How Can I Manage My Symptoms?
When you're suffering from chronic back pain, it may be tempting to rest on the couch all day. However, inactivity is signing you up for pain that’s worse than it already is. Although it may be hard to motivate yourself to get up and move, physiotherapy treatment is the best way to reduce pain.
Physiotherapy can decrease painful symptoms, improve low back function, and increase the spine’s mobility. Techniques that we use at The Running Physio in Toronto, Ontario include:
Strengthening exercises for the core muscles: Strengthening the back, hip/pelvis and abdominal muscles (i.e., core) can help to support and stabilize the spine, alleviating some of the stress and reducing pain.
Stretching: Stretching and mobility exercises help restore joint mobility and relaxes the muscles of your spine, which can reduce back pain. These techniques can also relieve tension you may be holding, which causes other muscles to work harder to compensate.
Postural training: Poor posture often magnifies back pain, and if it isn’t corrected, pain can become chronic over time.
Manual therapy: Your physiotherapist will use their hands to manipulate, mobilize, or massage the body tissues. This can help decrease back pain and reduce muscle tension or tightness. Manual therapy techniques include:
- Therapeutic Massage: Breaks up muscle tension and pain. Massage can also be relaxing and can relieve mental stress that may carry in the back.
- Mobilizations: Hands-on methods are used to reduce pain and stiffness in the joints. These techniques work by guiding the joints and surrounding tissues with mild to strong forces and varying speeds.
- Myofascial release: Type of manual therapy that works to release tightness and pain throughout your myofascial tissues.
Patient Education: Your physiotherapist will teach you about the causes of your back pain and how to prevent further injury. This can involve advice on posture, ergonomics, and lifestyle modifications during daily activities.
In between sessions with your practitioner, you can practice activities at home to help manage your pain, such as:
- Yoga: Yoga can help increase mobility and function, reduce stress, and protect the spine by improving posture.
- Pilates: Pilates exercises are effective in decreasing pain as well as improving function in people with chronic lower back pain.
- Aerobic exercises: Aerobic exercises increase blood flow to back structures and decrease stiffness in the back and joints, which leads to back pain.
What to Expect From Treatment
Our physiotherapists begin with a comprehensive assessment of your condition, which includes details about your medical history, lifestyle factors, and the severity of your back pain. Next, they will design a treatment plan that is customized to your unique needs and recovery goals.
We understand that learning to manage your back pain can be tricky. That’s why we approach treatment in a way that works best for you, your needs, and your lifestyle.
Call The Running Physio in Toronto, Ontario today to request your first appointment!
