How Are Core Strength and Lower Back Pain Related
A strong core can actually relieve symptoms of back pain! Here’s how.
If you’ve experienced back pain, you understand the symptoms, from stiffness to achiness and everything in between. Back pain is a common issue that affects millions of people each year, and many choose to cope with symptoms rather than rely on treatment.
Physical therapy is an effective way to resolve back pain while teaching you how to manage symptoms on your own. You’ll learn how building a strong core is your best defense against back pain during your treatment.
Whether you experience back pain occasionally or on a daily basis, symptoms could be caused by a weak core (i.e., abdominal, back, hip and pelvis muscles). Your core provides a significant amount of support for the spine, so if abdominal muscles are weak, other spinal structures will suffer.
If back pain has become a problem for you, our experienced physical therapists at Integrity Rehab can help! Our care plans focus on strengthening exercises, manual therapy, and patient education, each of which helps our patients succeed in recovery.
To schedule an appointment, call our office today!
Core strength is key in preventing back pain
It may come as a surprise that the stronger your core is, the less likely you are to experience back pain. Core strengthening isn’t just for muscle toning. Strong core muscles can reduce and prevent back pain by making you less likely to sustain an injury.
Because the core and the spine depend on each other, strong core muscles help with balance, coordination, and posture, preventing potentially damaging strains. Your core lies at the center of your body, impacting your spine’s curvature and stability. All of the functions of your core and back muscles play a vital role in preventing back pain.
What causes back pain?
Back pain is a very general area that can sometimes be a bit complex. Back pain is often caused by an injury to a muscle or ligament but can also be a symptom of an underlying condition such as osteoarthritis or a bulging disc.
Certain lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise and poor posture can also affect back pain. Regardless of the cause, our physical therapists can help you overcome symptoms and achieve a pain-free life.
Possible causes for back pain include:
- Muscle strains
- Bulging and Herniated disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Pregnancy or postpartum
- Sacroiliitis (a condition that affects one or both sacroiliac joints and causes intense pain)
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
- Spondylolisthesis (spinal disorder caused by bone shifting)
- Poor posture
What you should know about exercising to strengthen your core
While home or gym core exercises carry their own benefits, your physical therapist will be the best person to recommend exercises that will help prevent back pain. Exercises and techniques that will be included in your treatment program will depend on your individual health factors, current conditions, and the location and severity of your back pain.
Our physical therapists at Integrity Rehab will design a treatment program that will not only improve core strength, but work to maintain muscle balance and reduce back pain.
Treatments & what to expect
There are several ways in which our physical therapists will help strengthen your core and reduce back pain. Typical treatments include:
- Exercises to build strength
- Stretches to improve mobility and build strength
- Manual therapy techniques including soft tissue work and joint mobilizations to help alleviate pain and restore mobility
- At-home exercises to keep up with physical therapy
- Lifestyle changes and guidance to aid in recovery
Movement is often the best medicine for recovery. Our physical therapists are experts when it comes to treating back pain and related conditions. Through individual, hands-on therapy and other rehabilitation techniques, we can help you regain your strength and achieve a pain-free life!
Contact us today to schedule an evaluation with a physical therapists today!