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Chronic Back Pain Management: 5 Benefits of Physical Therapy

Millions of Americans wake up every morning with chronic back pain that can make it hard to move. This can significantly impact your quality of life and overall mental and physical health. 

Pamela V. Ford, DC, at Serenity Chiropractic & Family Wellness Center in Carrollton, Texas, provides chiropractic care and physical therapy (PT) services to restore pain-free mobility without medications or invasive procedures.

Understanding physical therapy

PT helps your body rebuild the spine’s natural supportive systems of strong, flexible muscles and correct spinal alignment, offering a holistic approach to treating chronic back pain.

Here's how it works:

Assessment

Dr. Ford starts by thoroughly evaluating your symptoms and condition, which helps her identify the root cause of your back pain.

This assessment may involve analyzing your posture, movement patterns, muscle strength, and flexibility.

Building a treatment plan

While PT is personalized to meet your needs, Dr. Ford tailors treatments for chronic back pain around the basics:

Physical therapy sessions evolve as your pain decreases and your strength and flexibility improve, offering long-term, natural solutions for chronic back pain.

Five key benefits of physical therapy for chronic back pain

Benefits of PT for chronic back pain include: 

1. Pain relief without medication

Physical therapy provides natural pain relief methods that don't rely on medication. Through targeted exercises, manual therapy, and techniques like heat or cold application, Dr. Ford can help reduce pain by addressing the underlying causes of discomfort.

This approach minimizes the need for long-term use of painkillers (analgesics), which can have undesirable side effects on your physical and mental health, including liver and kidney damage, digestive issues, and dependency.

2. Improved mobility and flexibility

Chronic back pain often leads to stiffness and a decreased range of motion, making daily activities challenging.

Physical therapy focuses on stretching and strengthening exercises that enhance flexibility and mobility in the back. Patients can regain lost mobility by improving the strength and endurance of muscles supporting the spine, making it easier to perform everyday tasks.

During your PT sessions, Dr. Ford also provides instructions for home exercises that build on the benefits gained during your formal sessions. 

3. A customized treatment plan

One of the significant advantages of physical therapy is the individualized approach to treatment.

To create a personalized plan, Dr. Ford assesses your specific condition, lifestyle, and goals. This tailored approach ensures that the therapy addresses your unique needs, targeting the areas causing pain and helping you achieve better outcomes.

4. Prevention of future injury

Physical therapy treats existing back pain and plays a crucial role in preventing future injuries.

For instance, Dr. Ford's education regarding proper body mechanics and posture helps you avoid straining the back during daily activities.

Additionally, strengthening core muscles and improving spinal alignment through PT reduces your risk of reinjury, helping you maintain a healthier back for the long term.

5. Enhanced quality of life

Chronic back pain can significantly diminish your quality of life, affecting your ability to work, exercise, and enjoy leisure activities.

Physical therapy helps you return to normal activities more efficiently by reducing pain and improving physical function. Although hard to measure accurately, the mental health benefits of relief from chronic pain and increased independence are undeniable.

Call our office or request an appointment online to schedule an evaluation with Dr. Ford at Serenity Chiropractic & Family Wellness Center.

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