Try these two passive therapy methods for lower back pain

Lower back pain is the nemesis of many. That familiar ache can limit time spent working, relaxing and enjoying life. It can lead to irritability and a whole host of other health problems. And yet, it’s surprisingly common.

The World Health Organization estimates that in the United States, 149 million days of work are lost every year due to lower back pain. Back pain is the leading cause of inactivity and loss of work, and it appears in up to 80% of people at some time in their lives.

If you’re experiencing this type of pain, you know how important it is to find relief. Fortunately, a qualified physical therapist can help you find effective lower back pain treatment. One of the most effective tools that a physical therapist can use is passive therapy methods, and two of these can be particularly beneficial for lower back pain. 

The two passive therapy techniques that can help treat your lower back pain

When you’re suffering from lower back pain, it can be debilitating and makes it so you can’t be as active as you would like. One type of therapy that your physical therapist can use to treat lower back pain doesn’t require that you be active. This is known as passive physical therapy.

This therapy category gets its name from the fact that passive techniques are done to a patient by the physical therapist. For instance, your physical therapist will lift your lower leg with their hands if they need to mobilize your knee joint. There are two passive therapy methods that can help reduce lower back pain: 

1. Manual therapy — This category of therapy focuses on reducing tension and stiffness in joints or soft tissue. It often involves the physical therapist applying therapeutic pressure to the affected area with their hands. Manual therapy methods can be very helpful for patients with lower back pain. One medical study on manual therapy reveals that it helped reduce local back pain by 22%. The same study also reports that manual therapy led to a 35% decrease in radiating back pain. 

2. Dry needling — Reducing tension in back muscles is often crucial to decreasing lower back pain. Tense muscles can pull the lower spine out of alignment, which can be the source of your pain. Dry needling involves the physical therapist using thin needles to break up areas of tension in muscles. Medical researchers report that dry needling helped one group of lower back pain sufferers reduce their pain scores by more than eight points. 

SSOR offers many treatment options for lower back pain

Want to learn more about lower back pain treatment options that physical therapists can offer? Our team of therapy specialists at SSOR is ready to help you find the most effective possible treatment for your pain. We offer complimentary screenings to pinpoint the source of your lower back pain. Our physical therapists are also adept at constructing personalized therapy plans intended to reduce your pain and prevent it from returning. 

Is your back pain keeping you stuck at home? That’s OK! We offer virtual therapy and at-home care appointments that can help you get the therapy you need without leaving your home. Even better, you can start therapy with us if you haven’t yet gotten a doctor’s referral for physical therapy. 

Contact us today for more information about how we can help back pain sufferers or to schedule your complimentary screening.