Low Back Injury Statistics: According to the World Health Organization: Low back pain is a very common health problem worldwide and a major cause of disability – affecting performance at work and general well-being. Low back pain affects people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and is a very frequent reason for medical consultations. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that low back pain is among the top 10 diseases and injuries that account for the highest number of Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide.
Surgical approach: Is to perform a discectomy (surgically removing the bulge that is pressing on the spinal nerve). Surgery should be the absolute last option for this condition as it can respond very well to non invasive Physical Therapy approaches
The challenge: Discs have a hard time healing because there is such a poor blood supply to the area. Discs get their nutrition via a process called imbibition (similar to osmosis). Cutting out the bulge is like cutting out a snag on a sweater: it weakens the area more…increasing its likelihood of further failure.
The Physical Therapy approach: After disc njury it’s imperative to get to a Physical Therapy program quickly. We have direct acces and our Doctors of Physical Therapy can see you quickly. The goal is to do physical therapy until you get back to your previous normal level of activity. Most patients rehabilitation of their backs can be as quick as four weeks but can take up to six to eight weeks, however, the level of injury will dictate the time it takes to rehabilitate. Physical therapy focuses on decreasing the pain and muscle guarding and educating the patient on self care and prevention of future back injury. The next step is regaining full range of motion, which helps relieve low back pain, and then finally the strengthening phase of your low back musculature and all of the surrounding musculatures of your core, hip, and lower extremities.
**Spine is our specialty and we implement the latest science and technology with a hands on approach to ensure you get better fast.**