Low back pain

Description

• Low back pain is a very common and treatable condition with conservative measures. Approximately 80% of the population worldwide will have low back pain. During your initial evaluation at Comprehensive Sports Care, your physical therapist will identify the cause of your pain and develop a plan of care to help decrease your pain and improve mobility.

Symptoms

• Pain in low back
• Sciatic pain down back/ side of legs
• Numbness or tingling in legs
• Difficulty transitioning from standing to sitting
• Difficulty sitting, standing, or walking for long or short periods of time
• Difficulty carrying objects

Common Pathologies:

• Spinal Stenosis

  Narrowing of the openings in the spine causes increased pressure on the nerves in the spinal canal. This can cause pain that radiates down one or both legs depending on where the entrapment is. At Comprehensive Sports Care we will use a combination of modalities and specifically tailored core strengthening program to decrease the inflammation in the spine and improve your core strength and stability to improve movement and prevent future injury.

  

• Bulging/ Herniated Disc

  Bulging and herniated discs are caused from increased pressure placed on the discs. Your posture plays a big part in the amount of pressure placed on the disc. Disc injuries can be caused from repetitive bending and twisting or prolonged sitting. Physical therapy can help reduce inflammation around the herniation, reduce the bulge, improve core strength and endurance, and teach proper posture and lifting techniques to decrease chance of the bulge or herniation worsening or returning in the future

  

• Degenerative Disc Disease

  Degenerative disc disease is common, especially as individuals age and the discs become less viscous and inflammation forms around the disc. Commonly affected areas are the low back and neck resulting in pain in leg or buttock, arm or shoulder. Physical therapy can significantly reduce symptoms and restore core strength and endurance to improve mobility.

• Sacroilliac Dysfunction

  Sacroilliac dysfunction or SI dysfunction, is when there is a dysfunction in the joint of where the pelvis meets the spine. It is a common condition in active patient populations. It arises when there is a muscle imbalance in the low back and pelvic musculature causing the SI joint to become displaced. This misalignment can be excruciating and resemble symptoms of sciatica from the hip musculature going into spasm and compressing the sciatic nerve. This is very treatable with physical therapy to decrease the inflammation and restore proper muscle balance in the hip and low back.