Experiencing Back Pain?

Almost everyone has back pain at some point in their life. Statistically, 80% of the population has back pain significant enough to miss time from work and seek medical attention. It has been said that our spine was not designed to be used in the upright position but rather to be used on all fours. After all, the natural or most rested position of the spine has a series of curves in it. In essence, the vertebrae in our back are like a stack of blocks that are not in a straight line but offset on each making it inherently unstable and subject to injury.

Back pain is NOT one problem but can be caused by several different types of disease processes, including regular wear and tear from years of use in daily life and recreation. Though acute back pain can be a result of injury as well. Back pain can be a very complex problem because virtually every structure in the back can be a source of pain. The good side of the story is that a lot of back pain can be avoided or corrected easily. At Lee Miller Rehab Associates, our therapists have a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the back and are uniquely qualified to use noninvasive treatments to locate, diagnose and eliminate back pain.

Choose Physical Therapy First – Did you know that in the State of Maryland, you do not need a physician referral to see a Physical Therapist to be covered by insurance?

Understanding the Anatomy of the Back is Key to Designing a Treatment Plan That Works

Some of the major structures of the spine are: 1) The discs that act as spacers between the bones. 2) The vertebrae are the bones and have very projections off of them which are the bumps you see when you look at your back. 3) The nerves that come off the spinal cord, come through holes created between the vertebrae. The nerves supply the electrical power to all the muscles of the body like the electrical cord to a motor and supply all the sensations that we feel like heat, cold, touch and pain. There are many ligaments that hold the spine together that can also be a source of pain.

The physical therapists at LMRA will listen to your history of back pain and do a comprehensive clinical evaluation of your back. We may also request X-rays or MRIs. With all of that information with will explain to you

• what we feel is the cause of your pain,
• develop a plan of care for you and
• give you an idea what the expected outcome will be and
• how long it will take to get you better.

Manual Therapy is Highly Successful

Some of the treatments may include a variety of different types of hands-on manual therapies to correct the alignment of the joints. We pride ourselves on our experienced physical therapists and the high level of expertise in the field of manual therapy. We also will prescribe a specific exercise routine, some of which will be monitored in the office and some exercises for you to do at home. We are big proponents of you taking back control of the movement of your body. Commonly, with back pain, we will do dry needling. We may also use modalities of heat, cold, electrical stimulation or traction. Most importantly, we will teach you the proper way to move and sit ergonomically to decrease the stress on the back to allow your back to heal and to prevent reinjury.

We may also recommend you for other special tests or specialist to supplement what we will do for you.