Low back pain can be caused by a number of issues. When your low back is weak or you have arthritis in your spine, you can experience low back pain. As you try to walk with the pain, your body will begin to use compensatory strategies. Over time, you will strain other areas of your body as you try to protect the area of your spine that is injured. Your doctor may tell you that you need surgery to correct the problem. While this could be the case, you can try physical therapy first to see if you can improve any of your symptoms.

Physical Therapy to Strengthen Core Muscles

When you have pain in your lower back, one of the problems is likely weak core and stomach muscles. Through physical therapy, you will learn ways to improve your overall core strength and be taught specific exercises to target weak stomach muscles. As you progress in your therapy, stronger muscles will help keep your lower back in proper alignment.

Improve Mobility Through Stretching and Exercise

Everything you do in physical therapy should be to your own tolerance and should not inflict additional pain on your body. As you work slowly in therapy, the range of motion in your low back should improve. With the help of your therapist, you will be able to increase your mobility in your lower back. While you may have arthritis in your low back that you can't change, you can still make improvements to your strength and mobility in therapy. If you still need to have surgery, you will have the strength you need to recover more quickly after the surgery.

Neuromuscular Rehabilitation and Your Lower Back

If you have been in pain for a long time, it will take some work to teach your muscles how to perform everyday tasks. Neuromuscular rehabilitation teaches you to use your muscles in the right order. Poor muscle firing can lead to pain, and people who are using compensatory strategies often discover that their muscles don't fire correctly. Pay attention to the exercises your physical therapist provides and perform your home exercise program as directed.

Remember that physical therapy is not a race and you should only perform activities to your own pain tolerance. When you are able to strengthen your core muscles and improve muscle activation patterns, you are more likely to recover from the pain you are in through physical therapy.

If you are interested in physical therapy for lower back pain, consider physical therapists like Hands-On Physical Therapy.

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