Why Physical Therapy Fails with Low Back Pain

Low back pain is something that millions of people experience on a daily basis. Many consider low back pain an unfortunate part of life and opt not to pursue any type of treatment. But others try numerous unproven therapies and modalities to stop the pain. Unfortunately, physical therapy has shown little progress towards controlling the back pain epidemic. Studies show that the majority of unspecific low back pain cases will return to normal within six weeks WITHOUT any treatment. Coincidentally, many conventional PTs see patients two times a week for about six weeks.

Does that mean you should just sit at home in pain and wait for your issue to go away? The doctors at One80 Physical Therapy® would say, “No.” Not only would that be way too long to put up with pain, it wouldn’t stop it from coming back in the future, wouldn’t educate you on the root cause of the pain and wouldn’t diagnose any underlying pathology.

Let’s look at how physical therapy often fails when treating low back pain:

• Stretching and flexibility exercises – Stretching tight muscle may give some temporary relief, but it actually compounds low back issues.
• Teaching patients proper lifting, walking, and carrying form – Human biomechanics is not something that can be taught verbally. The body needs to be re-educated from a neurological level in order to move effectively.
• Corrective or “safe” exercise programs – Exercise alone does not correct dysfunction. Add to that the fact that most back pain patient’s symptoms stem from hip, knee and/or foot issues, back exercises are usually a waste of time.
• Spinal manipulation – “Popping” or “adjusting” the lumbar spine has shown to be ineffective in clinical studies and is based on pseudoscience.
• Massage – Muscles need to contract in order to function normally, making them relax makes them unable to stabilize and protect the lumbar spine.
• Covering symptoms with electrical stimulation, decompression, needling, ice/heart, cupping and foam rolling – These may give short-term relief, but do not address the cause of the pain. Once again, just a bunch of pseudoscience.

Unlike conventional PT, the patent-pending One80 System® works by blending physiology, total body evaluation, manual therapy, functional exercises and then educates patients on how those principles apply to their situation. Our evaluation and treatment processes are built on science and provide immediate and lasting results. Rather than focusing on the painful area, the lumbar spine, in this case, we evaluate the entire body to determine the root cause of symptoms. Then, our doctors use manual therapy techniques to re-establish normal physiological function. That is followed up with reinforcement exercises that are specific to each patient.

If you are experiencing low back pain and would like to learn how One80 Physical Therapy® can help you get back in the game of life, call (970) 593-9300 today for a FREE CONSULTATION. Let us show you why One80 is the opposite of everything you’ve tried before.