Lower Back

Low Back Pain:
Low back pain can be caused by many different factors. Muscle strains and lumbar spasms are the most common causes of low back pain. Other causes may include bulged/ruptured/herniated discs, joint sprains, degeneration, or stress fractures. Many of these conditions are described on this website. The patient needs to be thoroughly assessed and the cause of the pain determined before an individualized treatment approach can be developed. Once the cause is determined...

Treatment includes:
Education about the condition and how to avoid making it worse.

Therapeutic modalities to improve circulation and/or reduce inflammation and pain such as ultrasound, laser, interferential current, electrical muscle stimulation, acupuncture.

Exercises to stretch or strengthen the appropriate muscles or stabilize the joint.

Manual therapy to improve the movement in the area.

Degenerative Disc Disease:
Degenerative Disc Disease is a common part of aging. It is a gradual deterioration of the disc or cushion between the vertebrae. This causes a narrowing of the space between vertebrae causing low back pain from increased compression on other pain sensitive structures such as the facet joints and nerves which can sometimes cause leg symptoms. This condition is not the same as a herniated disc and the exercise protocol is completely different (flexion instead of extension).

Treatment includes:
Education about the condition and how to avoid making it worse.

Therapeutic modalities to improve circulation and/or reduce inflammation and pain such as ultrasound, laser, interferential current, electrical muscle stimulation, acupuncture.

Exercises to stretch or strengthen the appropriate muscles or stabilize the joint.

Manual therapy to improve the movement in the area.

Disc Injury:
The disc is a cartilage cushion that rests between the bones (vertebral bodies) of the spine. A disc bulge is a word commonly used to describe a slight out pouching of the disc. More extensive injury (herniation) may cause the disc to push out against the spinal nerves and cause pain or numbness into the legs. This is sometimes referred to as "sciatica" .

Treatment includes:
Education about the condition and how to avoid making it worse (sitting, bending forward, compression, twisting, vibration).

Therapeutic modalities to improve circulation and/or reduce inflammation and pain such as ultrasound, laser, interferential current, electrical muscle stimulation, acupuncture.

Exercises to stretch or strengthen the appropriate muscles and decrease the pressure on the disc (McKenzie protocol).

Manual therapy techniques such as traction to reduce the pressure on the nerve and improve the movement in the area.

Facet Joint Sprain:
This is a sprain of the ligaments that support the vertebrae in the spine. This is often caused by a forceful traumatic movement forcing the body into an extended and rotated position or a forceful flexion rotation (i.e. a motor vehicle accident, sports trauma, slip and fall). Like other joint sprains, the joint will initially be inflamed followed by the healing and remodeling of the ligaments.

Treatment includes:
Education about the condition and how to avoid making it worse.

Therapeutic modalities to improve circulation and/or reduce inflammation and pain such as ultrasound, laser, interferential current, electrical muscle stimulation, acupuncture.

Exercises to stretch or strengthen the appropriate muscles.

Manual therapy to improve the movement in the area.