Contemporary methods of Treating Low Back Pain

Low back pain is common problem suffered by a high percentage of people. In fact most people will experience it to some degree at some time in their life. Of the many options available, I’m going to discuss some of the most contemporary methods of treatment. These techniques not only help reduce pain and promote healing but they can also help prevent future pain and injury.

Pain in the lower back is often due to problems with the joints of the spine and the surrounding soft tissues: muscles, tendons, and ligaments. One of the ways in which we treat soft tissue injury is with soft tissue mobilization. This simply means applying manual treatment to the soft tissues. One common type of treatment which is a movement based massage technique, is called Active Release. With this treatment the provider assesses the tone and texture of the soft tissues then applies tension to the affected area while the patient performs a specific movement. This is especially beneficial for chronic conditions where the buildup of scar tissue causes muscles to become shortened and tight. This tightness can put increased tension on the tendons and ligaments leading to pain and weakness. Active Release Technique helps to break up the scar tissue and lengthen tight muscles reducing the pain and tension.

There are also other techniques which are known as instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization. One of the most leading ones is called Graston. In this technique the provider lightly massages the affected area with a stainless steel instrument. The instrument allows the provider to feel where there is buildup of scar tissue in order to be more specific with the treatment. This technique helps to break up any scar tissue and facial adhesions that may be present due to injury and helps promote proper healing. Graston has been proven very effective in achieving faster healing times in both acute and chronic injuries.

A common finding in people with low back pain is muscle imbalance and weakness. This weakness can be caused by injury or by inactivity. When muscles are tighter and weaker than they should be, the mechanics of motion are changed. When this occurs we can become injured even when performing our everyday activities.  By performing a functional exam using guidelines prescribed by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, we can determine if any muscle weakness or imbalance exists and identify the specific muscles involved. This exam consists of having the patient perform specific movements that are common to many of our normal activities. Watching for abnormal movement patterns allows us to see which muscles aren’t functioning properly. We can then prescribe a program of corrective exercise to correct the problem. The program generally consists of stretches to relax and lengthen the tight muscles and resistance exercises to strengthen weak muscles. Following the prescribed exercise program helps to promote healing of the injury and also prevent future injuries.

No matter what the nature of your pain is, these techniques can help. They have been used successfully in treating everyone from the average to person to the elite athlete. With so many great options available no one needs to live with low back.