The Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy found patients who chose to directly access physical therapy spent less on health care expenditures.
You may be shocked to find out that 80% of the population will suffer from back pain at some point in their life. The majority of these people never seek help to resolve their aches and pains. A small percentage that act has no idea what health care professional is best suited to meet their needs.
The people that reach out to their family doctor are told to rest, stretch more, possibly even prescribed pills to temporarily manage the pain. While these modalities can provide relief, many of these patients are prone to flare-ups that far exceed the first initial onset of back pain. This is due in large to the fact that their therapist never addressed the real source of their pain.
It may come as a shock to know that most medical doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners cannot adequately diagnose, let alone prescribe, the correct course of care to treat your pain. There are several reasons that cause back pain (joint dysfunction, muscle strains, nerve entrapments, and disc herniation). If you don’t seek a qualified physician with experience in diagnosing and treating the underlying cause; you may never get the care needed to resolve the true problem.
If you’re willing to set aside just 5-10 minutes a day you could say BYE BYE to your back pain. Below, I have listed 2 exercises. If they are performed as prescribed, you can begin to experience relief within 1-2 weeks. You don’t need painkillers, injections or any more wasted trips to see the General Practitioner.
Brettzel Stretch: This stretch is great after a long day behind the desk. Getting better mobility in the hips and mid-back help alleviate low back tension. Many people are told to increase core strength when they have low back pain. This is definitely an import piece when putting Humpty Dumpty back together but it is still only a piece of treating the true cause.
Cat Camel: Many people will do mobility exercises before beginning a workout. So, why not, mobilize the spine while you’re at it. You have 33 bones that make up the human spine. Many people with back pain have a difficult time with ‘Postural Awareness’. Clinically, we call this proprioception an understanding of where the body is in space. The more control and awareness you have of your spine the less likely you are to injure yourself.
Exercise Frequency:
- Brettzel Stretch: (3x a day 3-5reps)
- Cat Camel: (3-5x a day 2-3 reps)