How you can treat your lower back pain in Hastings, MI

Lower back pain is the most common type of back pain. It comes in many forms, ranging from spinal pain to muscle and ligament pain. In all forms, the pain can make it difficult for you to stand, sit, bend over, twist or use your back for any other physical activities.

Regardless of whether your lower back pain is related to a spine issue or a soft tissue condition, a physical therapist can help. At Advent Physical Therapy in Hastings, Michigan, our physical therapists are experienced in treating a variety of lower back conditions.

Treating lower back pain with physical therapy

Minor soreness in the lower back is a normal part of life, and you can recover after a few days of rest and home treatment. However, for back pain that persists or is more intense than usual, you may need to visit a physical therapist for treatment that may include:

• Stretches — Stiffness and tension in the muscles and ligaments in your lower back contribute to pain. Muscles and ligaments in this condition provide inadequate support for your back, which increases pressure on your spine. Stretching to keep these muscles and ligaments flexible helps reduce pressure and pain.
• Exercises — Exercising the muscles in your back and abdomen improves support for the spine, which helps reduce pressure and pain in the muscles and in the spine.
• Improving your posture — Poor posture, especially when sitting, increases pressure on your lower back. This can cause chronic lower back pain. Physical therapists can guide you to better posture to help treat and prevent lower back pain. 

Why physical therapy?

Medications, injections and surgery are also options for treating lower back pain, so you may be thinking, why not try those? Well, medications and injections often cause undesirable side effects and do little more than treat the symptoms of the pain and not the actual source of the pain. Surgery may produce better long-term results than medication, but it has high risks and can involve a long and painful recovery.

Physical therapy can help you recover from pain while avoiding the consequences of these other treatments.