Benefits of Physiotherapy Treatment for Back Pain at Home

Published on: 21st June 2021
Medically reviewed by: Medical Director at First Response Healthcare

What is Physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is also known as Physical therapy. Physical therapists study the science of movement and learn how to find out and treat an injury’s root cause. This physical therapy is one of the most common treatments for problems of the joints, muscle injury or nerve issues, and usually focuses on recovery using physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, and exercise rather than by taking drugs or surgery. If you are suffering from an injury, illness or have joint, muscles, or nerves-related pain, then Physiotherapy treatment for back pain can play an important role in helping you to recover from that problem and start the movement of your body. To protect yourself from possible pain or illness, you can also practice basic physiotherapy movements regularly at home.

Reasons for Why Physiotherapy is Necessary

Physiotherapy helps people of all ages and most conditions and therefore, before resorting to using any medicine, we should consider the benefits of physiotherapy. Physiotherapy treatment for back pain restores, maintains, and focuses on making a patient’s movement, function, and prioritizes their long-term well being. With physical rehabilitation, we work on injury prevention, and improvement of overall health and fitness. Physiotherapists ensure to actively involve you in the process of your recovery. There are several reasons why physiotherapy is necessary for a healthy life, and some of them include:

Pain relieving: Physiotherapy reduces need for painkillers
Avoiding surgery
Improved mobility and movement
Recovery from injury
Recovery from stroke or paralysis
Fall prevention
Improved balance
Management of age-related medical problems
Management of diabetes and vascular conditions
Management of women’s health and their problems
Recover from or prevent a sports injury

Medical Conditions That Cause Back Pain

There are some medical conditions that can cause back pain, they include:

A slipped disc (prolapsed or herniated disc)

The spinal column is made up of a series of bones that are stacked onto each other. From top to bottom, the column involves seven bones in cervical spine, 12 in thoracic spine, and five in the lumbar spine, followed by the sacrum at the base. These bones are cushioned by discs. The discs save the bones by absorbing the shocks from daily activities like walking, lifting, and twisting.

There are two parts of each disc: a soft, gelatinous inner part and a tough outer ring. Injury or any type of weakness can cause the inner part of the disc to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped or prolapsed disc. This causes pain and discomfort. If the slipped disc presses one of your spinal nerves, you may also experience numbness and pain along the affected nerve. In severe pain, you may be advised surgery to remove or repair the slipped disc.

Symptoms of a slipped disc

You can have a slipped disc in any part of your spine, it can start from your neck to your lower back. The lower back is one of the more common places for slipped disc problems. Your spinal column is a twisted network of nerves and blood vessels. A slipped disc can place heavy pressure on the nerves and muscles around it.

Symptoms of a slipped disc include:

Pain and numbness, most of the cases on one side of the body
Pain that increases in your arms or legs
Pain that increases at night or with any movements
Pain that increases after standing or sitting
Pain when walking for a short distance
Muscle weakness that can’t be explained
Numbness, aching, or burning sensations in the affected area

The types of pain can be different from person to person. Consult your doctor if your pain results in numbness or tingling that affects your ability to control your muscles.

Causes of slipped discs

A slipped disc problem occurs when the outer ring gets weak or torn and allows the inner part to slip out. Mostly this can happen because of age. Certain motions may also cause a slipped disc. A disc can slip out of place when you are twisting or turning to lift an object. Lifting a heavy object can place great strain on the lower back, resulting in a slipped disc. If you have a physically demanding job that requires a lot of lifting, you may be at a higher risk for slipped discs.

Being overweight also puts an individual at risk for a slipped disc because their discs must support the additional weight. Weak muscles and a sedentary lifestyle may also play a main role in the development of a slipped disc.

There are various diagnostic tests that can help your doctor to view the bones and muscles of your spine and identify any damaged areas. Examples of some of these scans and tests include:

X-rays
CT scans
MRI scans
Discography

Your doctor can use these test reports to check and analyze what is causing your pain, weakness, or discomfort.

Treatments for a slipped disc

Carry on your movement – but with caution

If you have a slipped disc problem, you must immediately get it checked by a doctor and follow his/her recommended method of treatment. Often, it is advised that the person carries on their movement as usual but certainly with a lot more caution. However, if the pain is really bad, then it is recommended to try for minimal movement on a range that is comfortable for the patient so that they can gradually get back to their normal activities. Patients should be careful to not do something that can cause a lot of pain.

Movement under clinical advice and observation is certainly not harmful, though there might be some initial discomfort when the patient tries to keep themselves active. It is advised that you keep yourself at least slightly active instead of completely resting when you are trying to recover from back pain. Also try to more natural sleep on a comfortable surface in a comfortable position.

Do Exercise

If you have a slipped disc problem, exercise is important. Physiotherapy treatment for back pain strengthening the muscles that support your spine. Although one cannot suggest which specific exercise is right for a certain spinal problem, a physiotherapist is the right person to check your problem and advise a course of treatment exercises focused on solving your specific problem. Exercise not only reduces the pain of a slipped disc, but may also reduce the chances of it happening again.

Physical treatments

In cases of slipped disc physical treatment is beneficial and regular exercise can keep it from happening again. People can relieve slipped disc pain by using physical exercise that stretches and strengthens the back and its muscles. A physiotherapist may advise exercises that can strengthen your back and reduce your pain.

Medication

If your slipped disc problem is so bad that you want to take pain killers, then it should be taken under clinical discretion and the recommended dosage should be followed strictly. Missing your medicines can lead to further aggravation of the condition. A strict compliance of the recommended dosage by your doctor can enable you to exercise and keep yourself active more easily.

Surgery

In some cases,however, surgery is the only option. As a general recommendation, surgery should be considered only when the symptoms are very severe and are not improving even after prolonged treatment. This is the rarest of the rare case, because in about 9 out of every 10 people with a slipped disc problem, the symptoms usually recover completely with non-surgical treatment or they are not bad enough to warrant surgery this time.

Sciatica

Sciatica is a nerve pain problem in the leg that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica starts from the lower back, radiates deep into the buttock, and travels down the leg.

This Sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts in your lower back and runs through your hips, buttocks, legs, and feet on both sides. Bone spurs and spinal stenosis (narrowing) can also place pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back. When it happens, it can cause a lot of problems all the way down the nerve.

Risk Factors of Sciatica

Age Factor: Most often, it is found in people who are 30 to 40 years old.

Gain Extra Weight: Extra weight can place pressure on your spine, which means people who are overweight and pregnant women have a greater chance of getting a slipped disk

Diabetes can also cause nerve damage.

Your work Working with heavy lifting or prolonged sitting can damage disks.

Treatment of Sciatica

Most people with sciatica get better in a few weeks without surgery. A short-term solution to relieve the pain can be painkillers upon the recommendation of a doctor on call.

Your doctor may also recommend putting cold packs on your lower back for a couple of days and then switching to hot packs for a few days after that. There are also many physiotherapy movements focused on stretches for your lower-back and sciatic pain relief.

While your first instinct upon developing sciatica may be to rest and take it easy, it is more important for you to keep moving. Because prolonged sitting or resting may cause the nerve to get irritated in that spot and staying in motion will reduce the inflammation instead.

If home remedies do not work, your doctor may prescribe stronger medication, like anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants. You should also try physical therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care.

If your pain lasts for more than 3 months, it might be time for surgery. It’s advised to go to your doctor immediately if your sciatica causes severe pain and weakness, numbness, or loss of bladder/bowel function.

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing Spondylitis is a rare type of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in your spine. It starts from your lower back and can spread up to your neck or damage joints in other parts of the body.

There is no cure for Ankylosing Spondylitis, but medication and exercise can reduce your pain and strengthen your bones.

Ankylosing Spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the small bones in your spine (vertebrae) to fuse. After this fusing the spine is less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture.

Ankylosing Spondylitis affects men more than women. Signs and symptoms begin in early adulthood. Inflammation can also occur in other parts of your body — most often, your eyes.

There is no cure for Ankylosing Spondylitis, but treatments can lessen your symptoms and possibly reduce the severity of your disease.

Symptoms

Early symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis may include pain and stiffness in your lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Neck pain and fatigue are also common. Over time, symptoms might improve, or stop at irregular intervals.

The areas most affected are:

The joint that is in between the base of your spine and pelvis
The vertebrae in your lower back
Tendons and ligaments that are attaching to bones, mainly in your spine, but sometimes along the back of your heel
The cartilage between your breastbone and ribs
Your hip and shoulder joints

Risk factors

Sex: Men are likely to develop Ankylosing Spondylitis than women.

Your age: Generally, it occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Heredity: People who have Ankylosing Spondylitis have the HLA-B27 gene. But many people with this gene never develop Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Complications

When Ankylosing Spondylitis is severe, new bone forms a part of the body’s attempt to heal. This new bone makes a bridge for the gap between the vertebrae and eventually fuses sections of the vertebrae. After that the parts of your spine become stiff and inflexible. This Fusion can also make your rib cage stiffen, restricting your lung capacity and function.

Other complications might include

Eye inflammation (uveitis): One of the most common complications of Ankylosing Spondylitis, eye inflammation can cause rapid-onset eye pain, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. If you develop these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately.

Compression fractures: Some of the people’s bones thin during the early stages of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Vertebral fractures can put pressure on and possibly injure the spinal cord and the nerves that are pass through the spine.

Heart problems: Ankylosing Spondylitis can cause problems with your aorta, the largest artery in your body. The inflamed aorta can enlarge to the point that it distorts the shape of the aortic valve in the heart, which impairs its function.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Treatments: Some of the people take medication, but staying active is one of the main factors to managing it.

Exercise: The less you sit or lie down, the better you will feel. Exercise and physical therapy help you stand straighter and keeps your spine limber. Staying active may even end your pain without medication.

Physical therapy: Always try to sit in the correct posture, learn how to stretch tight muscles and keep your spine stable, and use correct techniques that can lower your pain. You can do physical exercise at home, but most people benefit more from working with a professional physical therapist.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a spinal problem that causes lower back pain. It happens when one of your vertebrae, the bones of your spine, slips out of place onto the vertebra below it. Most often, nonsurgical treatment can relieve your symptoms. However, if you have severe pain of spondylolisthesis, surgery is successful in most cases. Proper physical exercise techniques can also help you to reduce this pain.

Symptoms of spondylolisthesis

The symptoms of Spondylolisthesis are of different types. Most people with mild cases may not have any symptoms. But, those with severe cases may be unable to perform daily activities. Some of the common symptoms are:

Persistent lower back pain
Stiffness in your back and legs
Lower back tenderness
Thigh pain
Tight hamstring and buttock muscles

Causes of Spondylolisthesis

Causes of Spondylolisthesis are different and based on age, heredity, and lifestyle. People of all ages are susceptible if the condition runs in the family. Sports may also cause your strain to overstretch and put stress on your lower back. The following sports are mainly the causes of this condition:

Playing Football
Gymnastics
Track and Field
Weightlifting

Spondylolysis occurs when there is a fracture in a vertebra, but it has not yet fallen onto a lower bone in your spine.

Physical examination is the first step in diagnosing this condition. In Spondylolisthesis, you may have difficulty raising your leg straight outward during simple exercises. X-rays of your lower spine are the way for determining whether a vertebra is out of place. Your doctor may also look for any possible bone fractures on the X-ray images.

Treatment

Treatment of spondylolisthesis depends on the severity of your pain and vertebra slippage. Nonsurgical treatments can help to reduce pain and encourage the bone to go back into place. It is important to avoid contact sports during the healing process.

Common nonsurgical treatment methods include:

Wearing a back brace
Doing physical therapy exercises
Taking prescription anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce pain
Using epidural steroid injections

Physiotherapists from First Response Healthcare recommend trying nonsurgical treatments first. But adults suffering from severe cases of Spondylolisthesis may need to have a surgery called a Spinal Fusion.

Surgical correction of the misplaced vertebra is required when the bone has slipped so far down that your spine does not respond to nonsurgical therapies. But surgery is required if the bones of your spine are pressing on your nerves.

At that time, the doctor worked to stabilize your spine by using a bone graft and metal rods. They may insert an internal brace to support the vertebra while it heals.

When the spinal fusion is complete, it will take four to eight months for the bones fully fuse together. The success rate of the surgery is relatively high.

These conditions are treated differently to non-specific back pain.

But, rarely, back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as:

A broken bone in the spine
An infection of the spine bladder, or kidney may also lead to back pain
Cauda Equina Syndrome (extreme pressure and swelling of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord.)
Types of cancer, such as multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer)

Common Conditions That Cause Back Pain

Back pain is not a symptom of some chronic disease or severe medical condition. It is quite a common problem among people of all ages with relatively good health too.

Some of the common causes of back pain include:

Injury
Lack of exercise
Obesity
Poor posture
Prolonged sitting
Lifting heavy things
Age
Kidney stones
Tumors
Infections

Benefits of Physiotherapy Treatment for Back Pain

Are you worried about your frequent back ache? Home Physiotherapy involves movement and physical exercises, like stretching and strength training, that help to improve joint and muscles. Physiotherapy not only reduces the pain, but also helps to restore mobility and posture. First Response Healthcare is the best destination for people who want to treat their back pain.

Physiotherapy treatment for back pain reduce pain and restore mobility for people with back problems.

Physiotherapy focuses on improving the movement and function of joints and muscles.

In physiotherapy, our experienced and DHA-licensed physiotherapists treat all types of back pain. They examine how the nerves, muscles and bones in your body are affected by illness or injury and, through treatment and exercise therapy, focus on restoring movement and function of your whole body.

How can Back Pain Physiotherapy be beneficial for you?

Physiotherapy involves carrying out physical activities after addressing your symptoms and causes of that back pain. Because there are different causes, there are various Physiotherapy methods to treat them. Some of them include

Personalized treatment

Physiotherapists usually look at your medical requirements and recommend exercises that are suitable for your condition. Upon evaluation of your condition, they may also recommend massages, preventive measures, and exercise programs. Home Physiotherapy can teach you how to perform these exercises regularly and safely, along with the list of things you should avoid, and how you can strengthen your body. A physiotherapist continues to look at your movements, at your pace when you walk, and your way of laying down and sitting.

Reduce Pain

After analyzing your situation, they may suggest exercises that will minimize your back pain caused by the movements that you make. A physiotherapist might use electrical stimulation to restore your muscle and body function. They examine why it contributes to your pain, whether its soft tissues, neutral structures, bones, or organs. Constant pain can be minimized when exercises like stretching are done regularly.

Restore Mobility

Your mobility will be restored because physiotherapists find out the root cause and the symptoms of back pain to treat you. Thus, bringing back the flexibility, mobility, and possible a full range of motion.

Free from medications

As your condition improves and you recover with physical exercises and massages, the need for medicines gets reduced and you feel better. Physiotherapy keeps you away from medicines.

Avoid the risk of recurrence of injury

If you focus on your therapist’s recommendations, you might experience long-term healthy physiotherapy outcomes.

Back pain can affect your daily activities and the overall quality of life. Therefore, it is important to get the best treatment in time. Physiotherapy helps to evaluate the non-medical reasons for frequent backaches, such as bad posture. Hopefully, this article has helped you to understand the health benefits of physiotherapy for your back pain.

Reduces the risk of falls

If you have poor posture or a degenerative disease of nerve system or of the spine that increases the likelihood of falling, the physiotherapist may design a plan to improve your balance as well as coordination.

It will help to make a full list of possible factors that may be contributing to your pain, including job duties, sports, stressful life event, any recent injury, falls or accidents as well as family history. Your physiotherapist will work with you to figure out a plan that will best work for you.

When to Search a Physiotherapist ?

You should take physiotherapy when you have joint pain, muscle pain, back pain or nerves related problem. Physiotherapy can provide pain relief to patients of all ages, no matter what the type of injuries or ailments is. Upon an initial consultation, our physiotherapist will evaluate your condition and provide a treatment plan, then they will work with your diagnosis, and ensure that you are able to lead a healthy and active life in the future.

Some of the problems that can be solved with a physiotherapy treatment include:

Joint pain
Muscle pain
Nerve problem
Back pain
Neck pain
Obesity.

Best Physiotherapist in Dubai

If you are looking for the best physiotherapist in Dubai, First Response Healthcare is the answer you are looking for. Accredited by the US-based Joint Commission International, there are several reasons why the quality of healthcare services provided by us is exemplary and unmatched:

Our physiotherapists are experienced, well-trained, and licensed by the Dubai Healthcare Authority
They have an impeccable expertise in managing and curing different types of physical therapy requirements such as chronic pain, back pain, knee pain, neck pain, and other types of injuries or pain.
Our well-trained best physiotherapist in Dubai only focuses on quick recovery of the patient’s health.
Our physiotherapy team does not use complicated medical language so that you fully understand the reasons for your injury and your treatment.

You may use the services yourself to find out why First Response Healthcare will provide you with the best physiotherapist in Dubai.

How to Call for Physiotherapy Dubai

If you want physiotherapy in Dubai, we provide our services at your doorstep. You can book your appointment online or call/WhatsApp our team. Below are the quick and easy steps to book your slot now:

Call/WhatsApp to 0505050387 or Dial 800DIALDOC
You can also book online at https://firstresponsehealthcare.com/ae/dubai
Bookings available #24/7 365 days by sending an email to appointment@firstresponse.ae
Share your location and confirm your appointment in a hassle-free way

After booking your appointment for physiotherapy treatment for back pain, our physiotherapist will reach you within 30-45 minutes and start their treatment. Because the earlier the treatment starts, the sooner you will feel better. Our team of physiotherapists just a call away.

Physiotherapy is essential for a better and a sustainable life. If you have back pain, or related pain in your body, physiotherapy treatment help to reduce it and get you back to normal and comfortable mobility. Physiotherapy treatment for back pain can also help you to reduce the chances of hurting your back again. First Response Healthcare will always stand by your health needs anywhere, anytime.

Also Read: Health Benefits of Physiotherapy for Arthritis

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