Full Disc-losure: What You Need To Know About Back Pain
Low back pain affects roughly 30% of the American population annually. Back pain is typically separated into discogenic pain (damage to the disc) and non-discogenic pain. However, many causes and other structures can be involved in low back pain. Identifying the root cause of discomfort can be a major step toward decreasing pain and improving function. Low back pain can have many causes:
Back Pain Quiz: Put Your Knowledge to the Test!
Back pain is one of the most common conditions that physical therapists treat. It can occur from a variety of reasons, and impact each person differently, but one thing is for sure – no one wants it. If left untreated, back pain can get in the way of daily activities such as work, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. How much do you know about back pain? Put your knowledge to the test with the following quiz!
Why You Should Choose PT First for Low Back Pain
Low back pain is a common disorder that affects 84% of adults at some point in their lives. The good news about this is that most back pain gets better without needing imaging (Xrays, MRIs). In most cases, imaging is an unnecessary intervention, particularly in the first six weeks, that costs a significant amount of money to patients. One study found no long-term difference between patients who underwent surgery and those who only did conservative management (therapy) for sciatica. Also, it was found that low back fusion surgery was not more effective than conservative management (therapy) when treating chronic low back pain in patients with lumbar spine pathologies and leads to greater long-term complications such as instability above and below the level of fusion.
How Much Do You Know About Back Pain?
Many people throughout their lives have encountered back pain. In fact, as many as two-thirds of adults will be affected by back pain at some point in their lives. Anyone that has had to deal with back pain knows how difficult it can be. However, back pain comes with difficulty in determining what treatment options are best, what will happen if I can’t work, and what can I do to make sure this back pain doesn’t happen again.
3 Ways to Manage Your Back Pain
The Athletico blog has many resources available to its readers about mitigating and finding relief for back pain. I intend to provide a few more ways to help manage back pain in this blog. This blog will give you a framework to help manage your symptoms and get some form of relief to allow you to live your life with less pain and give you a sense of self-efficacy to help manage your back pain symptoms.
Is Working from Home Causing You Pain?
At the height of the pandemic, physical and occupational therapists started seeing a record number of repetitive strain injuries resulting from working from home. Many were sent home to continue working but were not prepared to do so successfully.
How Core Strength Can Help with Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common and debilitating diagnoses that physical therapy can help improve. It is estimated that 60-70% of people throughout the world will suffer from low back pain at some point during their life. In the United States, it is estimated that 149 billion work days are lost every year from low back pain, costing workers and companies between $100-200 billion dollars each year. Lower back pain or pain in the lumbar spine can be from occupational postures such as sedentary desk work that may lead to poor posture, heavy labor job demands, and being overweight. Evidence shows that core strengthening through a physical therapy program will help alleviate pain.
What You Need to Know about Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Many people experience back pain and, as you may know, symptoms can vary. Sometimes back pain is sharp and located off to one side. Pain can also be isolated to the low back or travel into the buttock or down the leg. Oftentimes, pain occurs with certain positions or movements. Although the source of back pain can be located in the lumbar spine, it can also be related to a joint where the spine meets the pelvis, called the sacroiliac joint.
