Rehab for the lower back pain or sciatica patient should include natural, safe therapies such as chiropractic care, spinal decompression, muscle massage, low back stretches, and lower back strengthening exercises. Along with that, ice, heat, electrical muscle stimulation, endurance exercises, balance/proprioceptive exercises, nutitional advice, and support or postural improving products should be utilized.
At often times with the initial chiropractic care we use muscle therapies such as trigger point massage, heat or ice, and tens. We also will give recommendations on support belts or low back and/or neck pillows or cushions to use.
After the initial chiropractic care or spinal decompression for acute back pain or sciatic pain, we often start with some simple low back stretches and exercises. This helps rehabilitate the back quicker and gets you back to your usual daily routine.
Initially using ice on the low back helps alleviate pain and decreases inflammation. When pain is less often, or to loosen up the back before physical activities, heat can be recommended.
The most common muscles I find patients need to stretch are the low back, glut muscles, hamstrings, and the calves. Stretching the low back and leg muscles helps increase flexibility, balance, musculature from one side of the body to the other, and gives pain relief.
Muscle massage or electrical muscle stimulation helps retore blood flow, decrease inflammation, and break up muscle knots (in other words- trigger points) to balance out the lower body and speed recovery as well.
Most often, once we heal the back significantly, we want to strengthen the core to help prevent future injury. Your core region is the mid-section of your body. If you put a hula hoop around your waist, this is your core. Start with walking, which actually helps build lower back muscle endurance and helps strengthen the core. Gradually work up to light back extensions and planks.
Building proprioception or the proprioceptive muscle is also key to healing and rehabilitating the back. These are smaller muscles that we don’t always think about but help with balance. Doing some light cardio with combined movements, standing on one foot or using a balance board helps with this.
For more information you can email us HERE.
CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression
Additional Reading Resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment