Physical Therapy: Easing Lower Back Pain

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• Research: Treating Back Pain Early Could Save Discomfort, Money

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  Back pain affects 80 percent of the average population and knowing how to deal with it will be useful, according to two University of Wisconsin physical therapists.

  Fortunately for most people, back pain will subside in two to three days, said Lori Thein Brody, physical therapist and athletic trainer with the UW Sports Medicine and Spine Center.

  Some, however, will need professional health care services. Recent research from the University of Utah–Salt Lake City suggests that if action for back pain is taken early closer to the onset of the pain, recovery can occur faster.

  “There’s a lot of research out there showing that the sooner you get into physical therapy, the quicker you get better and the less health care dollars are spent on treating low back pain,” said Jill Thein-Nissenbaum, associate professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

  That could mean money saved on medications, physical therapy visits, doctors’ visits, imaging and loss of work time.

  What happens when back pain isn’t addressed is it becomes harder to figure out what originally caused the pain in the first place. People begin to change how they move, which can affect other parts of the body.

  “Sometimes we find a leg length difference. We don’t know if it’s somehow adapted from how you’ve changed how you move and you’ve created this or if it was underlying causative,” Thein Brody said.

  When people come in early after experiencing back pain, Thein Brody said that she generally starts her patients with an education and teaches them general core strengthening exercises, mobility exercises for the hips, and how to sleep so as not to aggravate the back further.

  “So, the earlier you come in the cleaner your exam is and the better able we are to direct you,” Thein Brody said.