Best Lower Back Pain Treatments & Therapies

Low Back Injuries and Treatment

If you think of the low back as representing one of two main pivot points in the body (the other being the upper back and shoulders), it is easy to understand how and why so many individuals suffer from pain in that part of the spine. Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for physician visits and time lost from work. In most cases, the causes are considered non-specific, which makes treating this very common condition challenging.

There is, however, some good news: many types of low back pain respond favorably to non-invasive treatments such as chiropractic adjustment, Class IV cold laser, electrotherapy (e.g. interferential), Graston Technique, extracorporeal shockwave treatments and physiotherapy. Much of what leads to back pain is movement based. The low back is part of a kinetic chain of movement starting in the feet, and it is not unusual for biomechanical problems with the feet, knees and hips to lead to back problems.

Lower back, pelvic and abdominal muscles also form a core that supports the upper body in movements ranging from spinal flexion and extension to pulling, pushing and lifting. Even if you are seated at the office in front of a computer, your low back plays a part in the way your hands and arms function.

Non-invasive treatments such as chiropractic adjustments, traction, spinal decompression, electrotherapy, Class IV cold laser, chiropractic adjustment and extracorporeal shockwave therapy can quickly and effectively improve your low back pain. Combining a variety of treatments and therapies provides the most effective and efficient results. Treatment focuses on:

• Decreasing Pain
• Increasing Spinal Joint Motion
• Improving Flexibility, Strength, & Endurance
• Enhancing Joint Stability
• Giving You The Tools To Prevent Future Injuries

Chiropractic adjustment uses forceful pressure on specific points in the spine for realignment and to create joint motion. This is not a one-size-fits-all therapy. Different chiropractic techniques Activator Technique, Thompson Drop Technique, Flexion Distraction, & Manual Adjustments. The goal is to find the combination of techniques which are not only effective but also comfortable for the patient. All of the adjustment types work, they just work differently on different people.

Click To Watch & Learn More on Different Types of Chiropractic Adjustments

Cold Laser Treatment

Class IV cold laser, also called low level light therapy or LLLT, takes advantage of an “optical window” that enables the laser’s wavelengths to penetrate below the skin and turn off inflammatory factors that contribute to pain. At the same time, different wavelengths and frequencies speed up the delivery of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to the injured area. Most often, back injuries involve a certain amount of soft tissue damage, particularly in the low back where a lot of muscles, tendons and ligaments attach. ATP is “fuel” for the muscles. By increasing the amount of ATP delivered to the area, healing can progress more quickly.

Shockwave Therapy Treatment

When low back pain becomes chronic, layers of fascia in the area can become tight, making the pain worse. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is based on a similar concept to lithotripsy used to break up kidney stones. However in this case, a percussive instrument is applied directly to the skin rather than having the shockwaves travel through water. Most patients do not find this treatment uncomfortable, and it can be very effective in relaxing areas of soft tissue that are contributing to pain. More on Shockwave Therapy.

When low back pain becomes chronic, layers of fascia in the area can become tight, making the pain worse. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is based on a similar concept to lithotripsy used to break up kidney stones. However in this case, a percussive instrument is applied directly to the skin rather than having the shockwaves travel through water. Most patients do not find this treatment uncomfortable, and it can be very effective in relaxing areas of soft tissue that are contributing to pain. More on Shockwave Therapy.

Graston Technique Treatment

Graston Technique utilizes tools to slide along the skin and break up fascial adhesions, and get rid of those “knots in muscle.” Muscles and tendons develop soft tissue injuries that do not properly heal, and lead to chronic pain. Chronic repetitive activities, sports, traumatic injuries are all causes of soft tissue pain.

Graston Technique & Shockwave Therapy are especially effective from chronic low back injuries that are exacerbated with increased activity. These are especially helpful for the people who says “the pain always starts here”.

Roller Table

Traction is especially effective for acute and chronic conditions. Intersegmental traction is often referred to as the “roller table.” Several large rollers comfortably rock the low back joints, increasing pain free spinal motion without pain. Individuals who have chronic pain or spinal degeneration (arthritis) find significant relief, and often say the “roller table is one of their favorite treatments.”

Lumbar Spinal Decompression therapy can also be utilized for patients with severe neural foraminal degeneration or spinal disc herniations. The treatment “pulls the joints apart” decreasing compression forces and increasing blood flow to the spinal discs. Sciatica coming from a disc compressing on the spinal cord or nerve root responds very well to this type of traction. The pulling forces are always comfortable to the patient and should feel like a good stretch. More on Sciatica Treatments.

Electrotherapy uses electric currents delivered through electrodes (sticky pads) applied to the skin to block the pain signals traveling up the spine to the brain. Adding a heating pack relaxes muscles surrounding the affected area to make this treatment event more effective. Unlike home TENS units, clinical versions of this technology can penetrate deeper below the skin’s surface, which is particularly important in treating the back, since the problem originates in the spine.

Specific stretches are given to relax tight and guarding muscles. Light range of motion exercises are shown the first day to decrease pain, and help you manage your condition at home. With improvement, core stability exercises are given to restore proper muscle control and decrease risk of future pain. Not everyone will get the same exercises, and we don’t hand out a single worksheet to all patients with low back pain. Individuals have different “weak spots” that need to be addressed on an individual basis. People will get a different series of exercises depending on their condition. The goal is the same, address your weakness and restore proper spinal stabilization to prevent future low back injuries.

In many cases, diagnosing movement dysfunction and addressing those problems with physiotherapy that corrects flexibility problems and muscle weakness can eventually resolve the back pain. For example, many individuals develop stiffness in the thoracic spine: 12 vertebrae in the middle of the spine between the shoulders and the low back. When this happens, it can put more stress on the sacroiliac joint in the low back.

If you have stiffness in the thoracic spine and decide to play a game of golf (which requires a lot of thoracic mobility) chances are good that you will wake up the next morning with low back pain. The sacroiliac joint is called a gliding joint: a deceptive term in that it leads one to believe that it is very mobile. In fact, the SI joint glides very little, and when forced to move robustly, the joint responds with an equally robust pain signal. Chronic SI injuries respond very well to a combination of soft tissue treatments and stabilization exercises.

Another common cause of low back pain is bad posture. Upper cross syndrome is a term used to describe a group of muscle imbalances that develop over time, particularly among individuals who work at computers as part of their jobs. Over time, the upper back muscles become short and tight while the middle back muscles become inhibited and weak. Typically, a person who rolls his or her shoulders forward will also sit in a slouched position, which over time leads to chronic low back pain.

In both of these scenarios, low back pain isn’t the result of pathology within the spine (e.g. spinal stenosis, herniated disc or nerve root compression). It is the result of muscle imbalances and dysfunctional movement, both of which are best addressed with targeted physical therapy. However a bigger priority for most patients is to treat the debilitating pain.

Other non-invasive treatments for back pain include massage and acupuncture. Because these treatments are non-systemic, patients don’t have to worry about interaction with any prescription medications they may be taking.

Tension can also contribute to low back pain, particularly when it becomes chronic. Diaphragmatic breathing is a relaxation technique that slows down the rate of breathing while at the same time increasing the volume of air a person takes in with each breath. Once a person masters this technique, he or she can use it to self-manage pain that occurs in the middle of the night, when access to a provider may not be possible.

If you are suffering from low back pain, we encourage you to contact our Chandler, Arizona office at (480) 812-1800. We can work with you on a customized plan that will quickly reduce the pain level, while at the same time addressing factors that contribute to chronic pain with targeted physiotherapy. We look forward to hearing from you soon.