Is Back Pain Interfering With Your Everyday Life?

Here’s How One of Our Patients Got Back to the Things He Loved the Most

The chances are very good that you’ll experience back pain at some point in your life. You might lift a piece of furniture that’s a little too heavy for you. You might develop pain from prolonged sitting. Or you might just notice a “random” back pain that likely stems from repetitive or awkward movements.

No matter the source of your back pain, physical therapy with Achieve Physical Therapy can help you find relief. We know that when you’re in the throes of debilitating pain, pinpointing the underlying cause is probably the least of your concerns. But to our team of experts, understanding the cause is the first step in helping you get the treatment you need.

To illustrate this, let’s look at a story from our files. Daniel developed back pain that was dramatically impacting his day-to-day life. It kept him on the couch during the day and wide awake at night–but our therapists helped him find lasting relief.

Mary Lynn M, DPT, ATC

Mary earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Quinnipiac University, where she also earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine. With this background, Mary has gained a lot of experience working with high school and collegiate athletes in a wide variety of sports, both on the sidelines and in the clinic. She strives to provide individualized treatments tailored to each patient’s specific needs and goals, while also creating meaningful relationships.

Outside of work, Mary enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, exploring local Rail Trails on her bike, and watching Boston sports.

Enough’s Enough: Daniel Visits a Physical Therapist

Eventually, Daniel’s girlfriend told him he needed to seek treatment. She suggested he try a physical therapist, as she’d had a good experience with physical therapy after her own back injury.

At the PT clinic, Daniel shared his symptoms and noted that the pain had started while he was doing yard work. His therapist also guided him through several movement screens, testing Daniel’s range of motion and strength.

By the end of the appointment, Daniel’s therapist had determined that Daniel likely had an issue with his lumbar discs (the cushions found between vertebrae) from digging out the tree root; he’d twisted his body while lifting a heavy clump of dirt, damaging his discs.

However, part of the reason Daniel suffered the injury was because the muscles in his back and core were weakened due to his sedentary job. Without strong core muscles to support his spine, he was more susceptible to an injury, particularly when performing manual labor without any conditioning or warmup.

A Personalized Treatment Approach

Daniel’s physical therapist didn’t want to just mask Daniel’s symptoms. He wanted to resolve the underlying injury and help Daniel prevent future injuries. To accomplish this, he created a customized treatment plan that walked Daniel through the following steps:

1. Relieve acute pain: Manual therapy techniques like back mobilization and soft tissue manipulation offered an all-natural alternative to pain medication.
2. Restore mobility and build strength: A therapeutic exercise program helps address the underlying muscular weakness that set Daniel up for an injury in the first place. By building up the strength in his back and core, Daniel was able to provide more stability and support to his spine.
3. Address lifestyle factors: Another factor in Daniel’s injury was his sedentary job. His physical therapist offered suggestions to help offset the prolonged sitting involved in computer programming, including taking stretching breaks every 30 minutes and investing in a standing desk.
4. Prevent another injury: Finally, the therapist showed Daniel how to use proper technique when working in the yard and suggested some warm-up methods the next time Daniel needed to perform strenuous movements.