Over the last 14 years of my clinical practice many options have come and gone for treatment of low back pain. However there are still some tried and true options (some new and some old) that show great assistance to reduce the back pain that is limiting your day to day activity. Does any of the listed circumstance strike a nerve with you or someone you know?
• Does your low back hurt when you transition from sitting to standing?
• Does your low back prevent you from sitting for a movie or a long car drive?
• Have you had to say “No” to spending time with grand-kids due to the pain in your low back?
• Did you lift something heavy or awkward and have never felt the same in your back?
• Do you fear losing your independence and miss your active lifestyle?
If you answered YES to any of the above mentioned, then please try any of these simple low back pain easing strategies (LOVE) that have helped thousands of my patients:
Heat:
Heat is the most common modality for the treatment of chronic soft tissue aches and pains. Heat is a simple strategy to increase circulation to the surface level of the skin, increasing circulation allows for stressed or tightened tissue to have more access to nutrients, oxygen, decrease viscosity and flush out trapped metabolic waste that has not been able to passively flush out. Ideal time frame 10-15 minutes of heat. Caution with moist heat applications due to water conducting heat at a more efficient way than dry heat applications.
Topical analgesic:
There are a HUGE variety of topical creams, lotions and saves out on the market. Choosing the best one is hard enough when there are 10 to choose from in the store aisle. Every brand is going to tell you that theirs is BETTER than the rest, that’s MARKETING! The key is to try a few out and see which one your body reacts to best. Don’t go for the most expensive one and read the active ingredients in the ones you are going to try, you’ll find that they use pretty much the same 3-4 ingredients. Key: if you have skin sensitivity, try on an area away from hands and face. Then see how your skin reacts.
Kinesthetic tape:
Over the last decade the world of kinesthetic taping has been flooded with all sorts of brands, and specialty niches. The raw evidence shows that there are three properties for kinesthetic taping: 1) Pain mitigation. 2) Decompression and assistance recovery. 3) Neuromuscular awareness.
These three apply to all Kinesthetic tapes, next it comes to which one fits into your budget, how you like the feel, and how durable it is for what you invested in. My personal favorite is Rock Tape©, have been using it for 2 years and continue to have positive reports from my patients.
Flexibility:
Extensibility and mobility are two very different things, but the combination of both are what allow you to be ‘FLEXIBLE.’ Investing in yourself for 5-10 mins a day to improve your extensibility in your legs, back, neck, arms will then translate to your general mobility and endurance, which then makes your body more flexible.
Start small, start with only 20 second holds at a medium intensity and then progress to 30-40-60 second increments. Always stretch both sides, don’t feel that just because you stretch the side that hurts, the other side of your body doesn’t need it.
Vibration:
Significant research is going forward on the powerful benefits of vibration on our body. Now our body is under continuous vibration, due to its crystallin organic make up and atomic particles always moving within us, but whole-body vibration and focal vibration have been a new inclusion to self-intervention as of late. Maybe you have heard of vibration platforms, or self-hand-held devices that can promote localized vibration or percussion, either way, the effect is the same; INCREASED CIRCULATION. That is the end results. It’s not “foo foo” or magic, it’s a way of confusing your sensory organs embedded in your connective tissue and increase the blood flow to the surface.
Different people like different intensities. There is ongoing research to show the “optimal level,” but in the end, DO WHAT FEELS GOOD. If the vibration is to vigorous in which you cannot relax with it, then lighten up or apply it at a slower speed.
If in doubt of your low back pain and would like to speak with a specialist in low back pain, Sacro-Iliac pain, and Hip pain, then don’t hesitate to call Rendon Physical Therapy and request a FREE consult at 909-796-0012 or visit our website www.rendonpt.org for more info. Have a blessed and balanced day.