Here’s Why You Should See a Physical Therapist First if You Experience Lower Back Pain
- Referring patients with acute LBP for physical therapy may be a good idea. Initiating the treatment immediately (within 3 business days) could result in lower healthcare utilization and LBP-related expenses. (Reference)
- Patients with LBP who visited primary care were referred to advanced imaging and additional management. These patients were more likely to be billed for healthcare and had higher charges than those who received physical therapy. (Reference)
- Patients who received PT earlier after experiencing acute low back pain had a lower chance of using subsequent medical services. (Reference)
- A lower risk of receiving subsequent medical care was found in early physical therapy after a new primary care consultation than with delayed physical therapy. (Reference)
Physical Therapists Treat Most Back Pain Conditions
Read our article that goes into more detail about how we help.
If You Experience Back Pain, Here’s What You Can Do Immediately
Read our article for more details about what you can do right away if you have lower back pain.
Some Thoughts on Preventing Lower Back Pain
You can read our article to learn more about how you can reduce your chances of suffering from lower back pain.
Here are some tips to maintain a healthy blood pressure
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you feel the need to lose weight, talk to your doctor.
- Get active. Move for at least 30 minutes every day.
- Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet should include whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and low levels of saturated fat and added sugars.
- Reduce salt intake. Americans consume more sodium (found as salt) than they should. Most salt is found in processed foods (such as soups and baked goods).
- If you must, drink alcohol moderately. Women should not have more than one drink per day, while men should limit their intake to no more than two drinks per day.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Get a good night of sleep. If you have been told that you snore, or that you experience a sudden stop in your breathing while you sleep, consult your doctor. This could be a sign of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be treated and a good night of sleep can reduce blood pressure.
- Follow the instructions for taking prescribed medications. You should still follow the lifestyle changes outlined above if you require drugs to lower your blood pressure.
Exercise of the Month – This One can Help Keep the Lower Back Relaxed
- Place your arms and elbows on the side of your stomach.
- Keep your knees together
- Slowly move your legs to one side while keeping your shoulder blades on the surface.
- Return to the midline
- Repeat this 5 times on each side
- It should not be painful
- Before you do this exercise or any other, consult your doctor.