A back spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of the back muscles usually caused by heavy lifting, strain, overuse or weakness. Spasms can be extremely painful sending even the toughest folks to the ER. The pain usually stays in one area but other muscle groups such as in the buttocks and legs may get tight and sore as they respond to the stress of a spasm. Imaging such as X-ray and MRI are rarely ordered when spasms are suspected. Treatment can include rest, medication (muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories and pain meds), heat or ice – although ice is recommended to reduce swelling.
Most people do eventually feel better once the spasm resolves, however spasms tend to become more frequent and intense if no action is taken. Physical therapy will guide you through a comprehensive strength training and stretching routine to increase strength, flexibility, minimizing your pain and allowing you to resume normal function. Having a stronger back and core can significantly reduce your risk for having future episodes.
Sciatica
Sciatica is the medical term used to describe pain going down the leg from the lower back. Anything that aggravates the sciatic nerve can cause sciatica; common culprits include disc herniations, narrowing, degenerative changes and piriformis syndrome. The pain usually goes down just one leg. A MRI may be ordered in severe cases. People often feel significantly better once the swelling and inflammation subsides. Physical therapy can help by strengthening and stretching muscles ligaments and tendons that have adaptively shortened or weakened in response to pain allowing you to resume normal function.
Stenosis
In a nutshell, stenosis means narrowing. As we age the canals that our nerve roots go through can become smaller, typically due to arthritis and or shrinking discs. This can cause pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. A very common symptom of lumbar stenosis is increased pain in the legs back or both, worse with standing and walking, usually relieved after sitting for a few minutes. You may notice that you can walk better and longer when you use a grocery cart.
An X-ray can show how much space there is between bones, a MRI may be ordered when a closer look at the soft tissue is needed. Surgery, oral medication and injections may be part of the treatment plan. However, for many people physical therapy can help you maintain active lifestyles and reduce pain by increasing strength, flexibility and endurance.
Scoliosis
Our spine normally has 4 curves: a curve to the front in our neck or cervical spine, a curve to the back in our thoracic area, another curve to the front in our lumbar area and another curve to the back in our sacral area. However, when there are curves to the left or right this is known as scoliosis. Children are often screened in school for scoliosis. Minor curves are usually just watched, larger curves may require bracing or surgery. Physical therapy will not correct the curve but stretching and strengthening the surrounding muscles can help correct muscle imbalances and improve movement patterns reducing pain and improving overall function.
Spondylosis
As the body ages degenerative changes in the spine such as bone spurs and degenerating intervertebral discs between the vertebrae can occur. Spondylosis changes in the spine are frequently referred to as osteoarthritis. Degenerative disc disease is not actually a disease but an age-related condition that happens when one or more of the discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column deteriorates or breaks down, leading to pain.
There may be back pain weakness, numbness, and pain that radiates down the leg. The aging process does not stop, however physical therapy can address strength, flexibility and functional deficits and most importantly pain. Increased core strength can help minimize stress to your spine, improve posture, reduce inflammation and decrease your pain.
Herniated Disc
Herniated or Bulging Disc… Our discs are natural shock absorbers that allow for movement. Disc are like jelly donuts. A disc bulge is when the disc bulges out beyond the normal margin. A herniated disc is when the center nucleus or jelly breaks through the outer wall. Pain can come from the disc itself and/or cause pain, numbness tingling and weakness down the leg if it presses on a nerve root. Most of the time discs will shrink or recede with time. Proper stretching and strength training with the help of a physical therapist can restore normal function.
Chronic Pain
Pain lasting even more than a few days can be unbearable. Pain lasting for weeks and months can effect people mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Often times the source of pain can be related to what is called soft tissue dysfunction. This means that muscles are either too tight, too weak or deconditioned; there can be muscle imbalances causing extra stress on the body. Nerves can become hypersensitive to pain. Physical therapy can have a significant impact on correcting many conditions related to chronic pain.
Surgery
There are times when surgery is the answer. Common surgical procedures include discectomy, laminectomy and fusion. Physical therapy after surgery can restore strength, flexibility and overall function.