Spine Treatment Program

Pain in any area of your spine is considered back pain. The spine consists of a column of bones or vertebrae held together by muscles, tendons and ligaments separated by shock absorbing disks. Physical therapy care is beneficial for many different conditions, not just back pain. However, many patients initially visit seeking relief from back pain. It is reported 31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time.

Back pain is caused by a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. When you sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks and irritate joints, these all can lead to back pain. Sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, as well as simple movements like bending over to pick up a child. Other factors to consider are arthritis, poor posture, obesity and psychological stress, which can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots or bone loss. A knowledgeable therapist will rule out these findings before a treatment plan is put into place.

There has been a lot of research conducted on back pain. These findings are helpful in understanding the magnitude of back pain in our daily lives. The leading cause of disability worldwide is low back pain according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work, and the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. One half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. Experts estimate that as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives. Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic, meaning they are not caused by serious conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain.