People who have been experiencing lower back pain for more than two weeks, or who have frequent recurrences of back issues, should consider back pain exercises and physical therapy. Any pain management specialist, like Harvey Finkelstein M.D., will explain to you that the goal of the therapy is to reduce back pain and to increase functioning.
When approaching a physical therapist with your back pain issues, it’s important to know about passive and active physical therapies. Some physical therapists will offer passive physical therapy modalities. These include therapies that are done to the patient, rather than ones that the patient actively does for himself. These might include heat or ice packs, using a TENS unit, Iontophoresis and ultrasound.
In active physical therapy, in contrast, the therapist will include three main pieces. Patients will be given stretching exercises to alleviate back pain and to strengthen the back; they will be offered stretching exercises and they will be encouraged to participate in low-impact aerobic conditioning. The goal of all of these is to build strength, to stretch and strengthen the painful area and to alleviate current discomfort and pain.
Certainly, it’s important to meet with a physician before starting any of these therapies. A pain specialist like Harvey Finkelstein M.D. can make the difference in helping patients to diagnose their discomfort and to know how and where to seek out treatment.
