Patient Education

What’s going on?

Your spine is made up of your bones (vertebrae) and cushioning discs (intervertebral discs). Research shows that these tissues can heal.
These structures protect your cord and nerves. Sometimes when your back is injured, it may cause you to feel pain in your leg. These changes in your back can often cause your back to be shifted to the side. Typically motions related to bending or sitting are aggravating and should be avoided temporarily.
The research shows that this kind of back pain can be treated very effectively, so don’t be worried.
With proper physical therapy, these problems can be treated to return you to a pain-free life.

How long will it take?

Most people with lower back pain that recently occurred will recover in six weeks but this can vary depending on the severity of the injury...rest assured the back can heal!

How will we treat your condition at IHSM?

At IHSM, a doctor of physical therapy will perform a detailed physical examination of how to move and all the structures that could be contributing to your pain; including the nerves, joints, and muscles in your back and legs.
Your treatment may include direction-specific exercises, mechanical traction, or manual stretches to help reduce the pain in your leg and back.
Modalities such as acupuncture, or electrical stimulation may also be used to control the pain in your low back.
With treatment, your leg pain should lessen and the pain should be located more towards the spine. Some times the pain in your back may become stronger, but as long as the leg pain is diminishing, you are on the right track. If at any point the leg pain gets worse or starts traveling farther down the leg, stop the exercises and speak with your clinician at IHSM about it.
Your physical therapist will also review the proper body mechanics for sitting, lifting, and moving to protect your back.

What can you do to help yourself?

Pay attention to your posture: Avoid flexed postures for now (sit up straight).
Make sure you are not leaning to one side more than another.
During the painful phase, spend time lying on your stomach, if lying on your stomach is too difficult, place a pillow under your hips until you can tolerate lying flat on your stomach.
For now, keep your spine in a neutral position (maintain the natural curve in your low back) during all activities, especially getting in and out of your car or going from sitting to standing. As your tissues heal, you can slowly return to normal movements, especially with minor tips for optimal movement from your physical therapist.
Utilize the abdominal bracing technique that your physical therapist explained in all transitional movements temporarily to provide extra support in the early phases of healing. You may decrease emphasis on abdominal bracing as you learn new movement strategies from your therapist that will help prevent a recurrence.

Instructions:

You can do the first 4 exercises to begin. You can continue with the rest of the exercises as the pain decreases.

About IHSM

Integrative Health and Sports Medicine, LLC is a one-stop health and wellness center. Our mission is to restore our patients to a healthy, pain-free, and productive life. By combining orthopedic physical therapy techniques, sports medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, we can treat conditions and achieve results in cases that have not responded well to modern Western medicine.

We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please email us at info@ihsm.org to schedule a consultation and let us help you on your journey to optimal health.

HEP: Low Back Pain (Herniated Disc)