Physical therapy ranks among the top treatment choices of their readers with back pain, according to a new Consumer Reports survey of more than 14,000 Americans who experience the condition. The report also recommends manual therapy (spinal manipulation) and exercise for low back pain. Physical therapists perform both of these types of treatments regularly. In fact, many of the studies supporting spinal manipulation and exercise for low back pain have been published by physical therapists.

More and more studies are showing that physical therapy is a great first choice treatment for low back pain.  Here are just a few:

1. Physical Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease (common cause of low back pain)
2. Physical Therapy Exercises For Low Back Pain
3. Predicting patients that will benefit from spinal manipulation by a physical therapist

If you are interested in highly effective low back pain treatment contact Belmar Physical Therapy at (303) 274-2404.

This is a question I get asked a lot at various social gatherings.  A recent study supports our philosophy regarding exercises for low back pain.  This study concluded that “Motor Control Exercises” reduce persistent low back pain.

What Are “Motor Control Exercises” for Low Back Pain?

First a little anatomy:

The lumbar spine has 2 major muscle groups. The deepest of these 2 groups is the “Inner Unit”.  

The Inner Unit (Transversus Abdominus and Multifidus)

This group of muscles consists of the Transversus Abdominus and the Multifidus.  These muscles attach to each vertebrae in the ow back and are responsible for controlling movement of these vertebra.  The second group of muscles called the “outer unit”  consists of the bigger more powerful muscles that go from the rib cage to the pelvis.  These muscles are responsible for moving the entire spine.

Studies have shown that during normal movement the “inner unit” contracts first to stabilize each vertebrae then the “outer unit” contracts to move the entire spine.  These same studies have shown us that when a person with low back pain moves the “inner unit” does not contract until after the movement starts to occur.  This late contraction results in uncontrolled movement and low back pain.

OK… Enough anatomy!  What Are Motor Control Exercises?

“Motor Control Exercises” restore the normal contraction pattern by first learning how to isolate the “inner unit”.  Next, the patient is taught to contract these muscles in different postures, then later in more challenging activities.  This type of program requires a skilled physical therapist with the ability to identify the problem muscles then work closely with the patient to teach them how to get the muscles working properly again.

The therapists at Belmar Physical Therapy are trained in this specific skill. If you live in the Lakewood, CO area and would like help alleviating persistent low back pain give us a call at (303) 274-2404.

Jason Cherry, PT educates a patient on how to activate the "Inner Unit".

The patient is then taught to activate the "Inner Unit" in different postures.

Finally, the patient is taught how to contract the "Inner Unit" during functional movements.

Belmar PT treats low back pain

In order to cut costs many physical therapy clinics who treat low back pain are utilizing non-professional staff such as physical therapy assistants and aides to perform treatments.  We believe that this reduces the quality of care and leads to poorer outcomes.

A recent study of over 100 clinics that treated over 16,000 patients with low back pain supports our belief.  This study found that the patients who received treatment by a licensed physical therapist had the best results (largest amount of pain reduction with fewer visits).  Patients seen in clinics where the care was delivered by a physical therapist assistant had worse outcomes with more visits and less pain relief!  Our health care dollars do not grow on trees thus he results of this study confirm that the appropriate choice to reduce your back pain and cut health care costs is to choose a clinic that does not utilize aides or assistants for treatment.

If you live in the Lakewood or Denver metro area, contact Belmar Physical Therapy to discuss how one-on-one treatment with one of our physical therapists can help you manage your low back pain.

You can read the entire article on the …Treatment of Patients With Low Back Pain… here.