Break the Cycle of Low Back Pain
Back pain is, unfortunately, one of the most common injuries I treat as a performance physical therapist. All too often, I hear, “I have had this pain for months” or even “years.” Even worse than living with pain for years is not doing the activities you love because of the pain. I could go on for hours telling you about how many people have been told to “stop doing ________ because you have back pain.”
Sure, limiting or modifying activity when an injury occurs is sometimes necessary, but it is always my goal as a performance physical therapist to keep my patients in the gym and continuing to progress towards their goals. Pain associated with the low back can be a vicious cycle. Let’s talk about the pain cycle and how to break it.
Here’s what a typical pain cycle can look like with a low back injury:
Injury —>
Rest/medication —>
Fear and avoidance of exercise/activity —>
Resume activity without proper progressions —>
Repeat cycle.
How to break the cycle:
There are a few ways to break the cycle of pain and reinjury. The first option, which I have noticed is becoming more common, is to prevent injury in the first place. Preventing injury typically revolves around being involved in a strength and mobility program that is progressed appropriately over time. Our bodies crave and need change, so completing the same exercises for months on end does not necessarily prevent injury. Having progressive changes in your strength program is a must!
A second option is, when you are injured, to seek treatment from a physical therapist sooner rather than later. When we can address a new injury quickly, we can decrease pain, improve function, and get you on your way back to activities you enjoy sooner. When the pain cycle is not interrupted, muscle tissue can continue to become more painful, and our nervous systems become more sensitive as well, not in a good way.
Some ways to break the pain cycle with performance physical therapy:
By committing to see a performance physical therapist, we will help break your pain cycle. Some techniques we use to help with this include “manual therapy” aka the hands-on stuff. This may include sports massage, dry needling, active release technique, among others. Other aspects of treatment typically include strengthening and/or a mobility program. These programs absolutely need to be tailored to each individual. It is important to find a therapist who will listen to your unique needs and find what works best for you.
Are you ready to break your pain cycle? Schedule your free consultation call today to see how we can help you feel the best you can be! Click here.
