Guide | Physical Therapy Guide to Low Back Pain | Choose PT
These symptoms might indicate a condition called "cauda equina syndrome," in which nerves at the end of the spinal cord that control bowel and bladder function are being squeezed.
For most cases of low back pain imaging tests, such as x-rays, CT scans and MRIs are not helpful for recovery. For example, in a recently published article comparing patients who received an MRI first vs physical therapy first for low back pain, the patients who received an MRI first spent on average $4,793 more (with similar outcomes in each group). If your physical therapist suspects that your low back pain might be caused by a serious health condition, the therapist will refer you to other health care professionals for further evaluation.
Manual therapy, including spinal manipulation, to improve the mobility of joints and soft tissues.
Specific strengthening and flexibility exercises.
Education about how you can take better care of your back.
Training for proper lifting, bending, and sitting; for doing chores both at work and in the home; and for proper sleeping positions.
Assistance in creating a safe and effective physical activity program to improve your overall health.
Use of ice or heat treatments or electrical stimulation to help relieve pain.
Learn more about recommended treatments for low back pain.
As experts in restoring and improving mobility and movement in people's lives, physical therapists play an important role not only in treating persistent or recurrent low back pain, but also in preventing it and reducing your risk of having it come back.
All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat people who have low back pain. You may want to consider:
A physical therapist who is experienced in treating people with orthopedic or musculoskeletal problems.
A physical therapist who is a board-certified clinical specialist, or who completed a residency or fellowship in orthopedic physical therapy. This therapist has advanced knowledge, experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.
When you contact a physical therapy clinic for an appointment, ask about the physical therapists' experience in helping people with low back pain.
The following articles provide some of the best scientific evidence related to physical therapy treatment of low back pain. The articles report recent research and give an overview of the standards of practice both in the United States and internationally. The article titles are linked either to a PubMed* abstract of the article or to free full text, so that you can read it or print out a copy to bring with you to your health care provider.
Childs JD, Fritz JM, Wu SS, et al. Implications of early and guideline adherent physical therapy for low back pain on utilization and costs [erratum in: BMC Health Serv Res. 2016;16:444]. BMC Health Serv Res. 2015;15:150. Free Article.
Clark S, Horton R. Low back pain: a major global challenge. Lancet. 2018;391(10137):2302. Accessed August 30, 2018.
Foster NE, Mullis R, Hill JC, et al. Effect of stratified care for low back pain in family practice (IMPaCT Back): a prospective population-based sequential comparison. Ann Fam Med. 2014;12:102–111. Free Article.
Delitto A, George S, Dillen LV, et al. Low back pain: clinical practice guidelines linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012;42:A1–A57. Free Article.
Deyo RA, Mirza SK, Martin BL. Back pain prevalence and visit rates: estimates from U.S. national surveys, 2002. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006; 31:2724–2727. Article Summary in PubMed.
Frogner BK, Harwood K, Andrilla CH, Schwartz M, Pines JM. Physical therapy as the first point of care to treat low back pain: an instrumental variables approach to estimate impact on opioid prescription, health care utilization, and costs. Health Serv Res. 2018 May 23 [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12984. Article Summary in PubMed.
Physical Therapy for What Moves You: Weightlifting
After years of lifting competitively, Amelia began experiencing chronic pain. With the help of physical therapy, Amelia learned how to reduce and manage