How To Treat Your Own Back

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How To Treat Your Own Back Erin Olsen, PT,
OCS Board Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist
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Back Facts

• 80 of the adult population will have low back
  pain at some time.
• 90 of the time low back pain is recurrent.
• The peak age of incidence of low back pain is 30
  to 50 years old.
• 80 of the time neck and back pain will improve
  without treatment in 8-12 weeks.
• Dont get stuck on a diagnosis, because studies
  show that patients are twice as likely to get
  better if they dont have a specific diagnosis.
• One study showed that 1 of the time the
  patients diagnosis per an MRI was the actual
  cause of their back pain.
• 90 of the population has bulging discs, which
  are synonymous with degenerative discs, and are
  not a problem.
• On the average, human beings flex 3000 to 5000
  times a day.
• There is a 300 increase in intradiscal pressure
  the first 3 hours of the day.

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Precautions

• If you have developed low back pain for the first
  time, you should consult a health care
  practitioner, such as your family doctor, a
  specialist physical therapist, or a chiropractor.
• You should also seek care if you have
• Constant pain or numbness down your leg into
  your foot.
• Weakness of your leg muscles (your leg gives out
  on you).
• You dont feel well, in conjunction with your
  back pain.
• You have developed bladder problems following a
  severe episode of back pain.

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Components of self treatment of back and neck pain

• Correct Posture
• Correct Body Mechanics
• Correct Exercises

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Use Correct Posture!

• Most common cause of low back pain is poor
  posture.
• Find your correct standing posture by squeezing
  your
• buttocks, pulling your pits to your hips,
  and
• tucking in your chin.
• Find your correct sitting posture using the
• slouch-overcorrect technique. Do 10
  repetitions,
• 3 times a day, and at any time you experience
  pain.
• Maintain correct seated posture using a lumbar
  roll.
• Take frequent standing breaks top bend backward
• 5-6 repetitions, every hour if you have low
  back pain.

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Use Correct Posture (cont.)

• If you have pain while sleeping, try using
  pillows
• for support and a roll around your waist.

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Correct standing and sitting postures.
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Use Correct Body Mechanics!

• Avoid twisting your body when moving an object

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Use Correct Body Mechanics!

• Lift with your legs keeping your back straight,
  standing as close as possible to the object to be
  lifted

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Low Back Extension Exercises

• Prone, or lying on your stomach on the floor or
  bed, is the best position in which to do
  extension exercises. If you have no place to lie
  down (ie you are out shopping), then do the
  exercise standing.

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Low Back Flexion Exercises

• Bring your knees to your chest slowly, then lower
  your feet back down to the ground. Do 10
  repetitions pulling your knees a little further
  towards your chest with each repetition.
• If you are under the age of 65, try back
  extension exercises first. If this aggravates
  your condition, then do a trial of flexion
  exercises.

Pelvic Tilts
Pelvic Tilts
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Chin tucks

• If you are having neck pain or headaches, try
  tucking your chin back as far as it will go,
  keeping your eyes parallel to the floor.
• Do 10 repetitions slowly, without holding the
  stretch, every 2 hours if you are having neck
  pain.

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Erin Olsen, PT, OCS
1830 Blue Bonnet Place in Encinitas

• Please call me if
• you have any
• questions, or if you
• would like to
• schedule an
• appointment.
• Tel [phone]