With a majority of the adult population suffering from back Pain at some point in their lives, chances are good you might be looking for relief right now. There are a variety of different treatments for this common condition, and Physical Therapy is one of them. But does it help? Here’s your guide to physical therapy for lower back pain, including lower back pain exercises to try and those to avoid.

Does physical therapy for lower back pain really help? 

When it comes to lower back pain, most doctors start with a “less is more” approach. The goal is to keep treatment as conservative as possible to relieve your pain. And physical therapy, which is a non-invasive approach to managing pain, really works.

Study after study has confirmed that physical therapy for lower back pain is associated with lower rates of disability. As a first line treatment for lower back pain, physical therapy for lower back pain is also associated with:

• Lower out-of-pocket costs for treatment
• Fewer opioid prescriptions
• Lower rate of imaging
• Fewer emergency room visits

When combined with psychosocial approaches to pain, physical therapy for lower back pain results in a better quality of life and a better chance of recovery than more invasive treatments.

Physical therapy for lower back pain works — here’s how.

Major physical therapy for lower back pain techniques

The goals for physical therapy are simple:

1. Strengthening
2. Stretching
3. Breaking up scar tissue
4. Increasing range of motion

Your physical therapist will design physical therapy exercises for lower back pain that are tailored to the cause of your pain. For example, if you have tightness and pain in your lower back due to scars from a previous surgery, your exercises will focus on that first.

Even with a specific focus, the overall goal is going to be restoring a healthy body to heal and prevent further injury. Your physical therapist will adjust and change your exercises as you progress.

What types of lower back pain is physical therapy best for?

The vast majority of lower back pain responds well to physical therapy. This includes pain related to muscle strain and injury as well as pain as a result of a specific condition (e.g. spinal stenosis or a bulging disc).

If you are in the acute phases of injury, it’s usually best to rest for a few days before beginning any type of exercise. This gives pain and inflammation some time to subside. Always talk to your doctor before beginning any type of exercise after an acute injury.

It’s also good to hold off if you have a condition that could be made worse by physical therapy. This might include any spinal condition that involves rapid degeneration, including spinal tumors, herniated discs, or systemic disease that could be made worse.

12 best physical therapy exercises for lower back pain 

If you are thinking about trying physical therapy for lower back pain, talk to your doctor or therapist first. They can help you get started with specific exercises for you.

Physical therapy exercise for lower back pain typically consists of both stretching and strengthening routines. These also help to restore range of motion when completed regularly. They can be done throughout the day and are especially helpful if your day involves long periods of inactivity.

Some of these may feel better than others — let your body’s reaction guide you. Move slowly, mindfully, and with your breath. You should feel a stretching sensation but no sharp or stabbing pain.

Try these seven stretches to stretch out a tight lower back.

1. Cat-cow

Come to all fours. Inhale, arching your back, dropping your belly towards the ground, and lifting your gaze to the sky (cow). Exhale, tucking your tailbone and arching your back (cat). Repeat five to ten times, following your breath.

2. Seated cat-cow

Cat-cow can be done in a chair for a nice break at work. Sit on a firm chair with your feet on the floor directly below your knees. Place your hands on your knees. Inhale, tilting your hips forward and arching your back, opening your heart forward. Exhale and round your back, touching your chin to your chest. Move slowly through this exercise five to ten times.

3. Bridge pose

Lie on your back with arms at your sides, your knees bent, feet hip’s width apart and a handprint’s distance from your hips. Inhale, pressing into your feet into the floor and lifting your hips to the sky. Your shoulders stay on the ground. Exhale and slowly roll down one vertebra at a time until your hips touch the ground. Repeat five to ten times.

4. Knees to chest

Lie on your back and inhale deeply. On an exhale, press your navel to your spine and engage your core to bring your knees into your chest. Keep your shoulders relaxed on the ground. Breathe deeply and relax into the stretch for five to ten breaths.

5. Reclined figure four

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet hip’s width apart and a handprint’s distance from your hips. Bring your right ankle to your left knee, relaxing your right leg and allowing the right knee to move away from you.

If you’d like to deepen the stretch, pick up your left foot and thread your hands around the back of your left hamstring. Keep your shoulders on the ground and continue to gently press your right knee away. Take five to ten breaths before lowering and switching to the other side.

6. Seated figure four

Sit on a firm chair with your feet on the floor directly below your knees. Bring your right knee to rest on your left ankle. Allow your right knee to relax towards the floor. You can apply gentle pressure, but not too much; if you’d like to have more stretch, lean forward slightly. Hold for five to ten breaths, then switch.

7. Hamstring stretches

Tight hamstrings often cause lower back pain. They can be stretched gently in a variety of ways, depending on your existing flexibility.

• Simple forward fold: Sit on the floor with knees bent deeply, then hinge at the hips until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Breathe and relax for up to two minutes.
• One-leg forward fold: Sit on the floor with right leg extended. Bend your left knee and place your left foot on the inside of your right thigh. Keeping the knee of the right leg bent as much as you need to, fold your body forward over the right leg. Breathe and relax for up to two minutes, then switch sides.
• Downward facing dog at the wall: Stand facing a wall. Place your hands on the wall and begin to walk them down the wall, walking your feet back as you go, eventually making an L-shape with your body. Bend your knees as much as you need to, and gently lift your navel to your spine. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and stretch the crown of your head towards the wall. Breathe here for one minute.

Strengthening exercises focus on not only building up the muscles of the back but also the muscles in the core. These help stabilize the spine.

For more support and stability, try these strengthening moves next.

8. Plank

Come into a push-up position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders. Let your upper back round slightly as you press away from the ground. Reach your heels back behind you and keep your back level — don’t let your lower back sag. Press your navel to your spine and keep your neck long and level. Start with 15 seconds at a time, working up to three minutes or more.

If this is too much to start, bring your knees to the ground.

9. Side plank

Start on your right side with your hips and legs stacked and extended. Come up to your right elbow, with the lower arm flat on the ground in front of you. Reach your tailbone towards your heels and engage your navel slightly. On an inhale, press into your right arm and lift your hips and knee up from the mat. Your left arm can rest on your left side, or you can reach towards the sky.

Keep your breath steady — start with a 15-second hold, aiming for two minutes or more. Switch sides and repeat.

10. Bird dog

Start on all fours. On an inhale, extend your left arm forward while extending and lifting your right leg back. On the exhale, return to all fours. Repeat on the other side, for a total of five to ten times on each side.

For deeper core exercise, bring opposite elbow to knee on an exhale, completing the full set on one side before moving to the other side.

11. Deep core crunches

In this exercise, it’s crucial to keep your navel pressing towards your spine to protect your lower back.

Lie on your back with feet hip’s width apart and a handprint’s distance from your hips. Bend your elbows and interlace your hands behind your head. Keep your elbows wide and your neck relaxed. Inhale, and on the exhale lift your torso straight up, as if a string is pulling you from the center of your chest to the ceiling. This movement will be very slight — you are working the deepest abdominal muscles you have.

Another way to do this is to tuck your feet under a heavy object and hold onto a yoga block or a book in front of your chest. On an exhale, press your navel to your spine and reach the book up to the sky (not forward, as in a full crunch).

Start with five of these, aiming for proper form.

12. Wall sits

Place your back against a wall and walk your feet away from the wall until you are in a seated position. Engage your lower belly so that your lower back is closer to the wall, reaching your tailbone towards your knees. Hold for 30 seconds to start, working your way up to as long as you can.

Lower back pain exercises to avoid

One of the main exercises to avoid, especially in the acute phases of injury, is an unsupported, standing forward fold. This type of fold places enormous pressure on your lower back and can make your pain worse. There are forward folds that are appropriate, but simply dangling at the waist is usually not advised.

Likewise, full sit-ups or double-leg crunches are not advised in the earliest treatment of lower back pain, as they can place too much strain on the lower back.

Other lower back pain treatments that can help

Back pain is a complex condition that deserves a comprehensive treatment approach. Here are six treatments you can add in addition to physical therapy for lower back pain.

1. Comfort measures

Comfort measures such as hot and cold therapy can provide relief during the acute phases of lower back pain. They can also offer relief if you are feeling sore after a particularly challenging physical therapy session.

2. Braces

Back braces offer support at every phase of your healing. Your doctor or physical therapist can help you find the best back brace for you.

3. Massage

Massage for lower back pain can loosen tight muscles and increase circulation in the back, which is a great way to speed healing to injured tissue. Plus, massage helps you to relax and relieve stress.

4. Exercise

Exercise is a first-line treatment for lower back pain. Because some lower back pain is caused by weakness in the muscles of the body, it’s crucial to get back into shape to prevent further injury. Stretching and strengthening the lower back and the core is key to a strong back.

But not all exercise is created equal! Talk to your doctor about what is most effective for rehabbing an injury or getting back into shape. They might suggest low-impact exercise like swimming, biking, or walking. Yoga is also a great tool for lower back pain — it addresses both the physical and mental aspects of pain.

5. Injections

For inflammation and pain that prevents you from beginning physical therapy, injections can help. An anesthetic and a corticosteroid are injected into the area around the pain-signaling nerves. This can temporarily decrease pain and swelling so that you can begin other therapies.

In some cases, injections can be diagnostic and lead to a recommendation for radiofrequency ablation. Talk to your doctor to see if you are a candidate for this minimally invasive procedure.

6. Surgery

When conservative treatments are not successful, surgery might be necessary. The type of surgery depends on the cause of your lower back pain. And if you do have surgery, chances are good part of your recovery will include physical therapy.

Find help for lower back pain 

If you are hurting and have never tried physical therapy for lower back pain, it’s time to stop suffering. A pain specialist can help design an individualized treatment plan to help you get your life back.

Find a pain specialist in Arizona or Texas by clicking the button below or look for one in your area by using the tips here: https://paindoctor.com/pain-management-doctors/.