What are the Different Types of Back Pain Rehabilitation?

A back pain rehabilitation program is almost always tailored to the individual's specific needs. A back pain rehabilitation program for an individual who has just gone through surgery, for example, will be vastly different than an individual who has strained a muscle. Just about all forms of rehabilitation, however, will include a regular regimen of stretching and strength training exercises to ensure the muscles and joints in the back return to normal functioning. Some back pain rehabilitation treatments may include alternative methods, such as yoga or acupuncture, to alleviate pain and restore normal function to the back.

After a surgery or severe injury, a period of rest is necessary to allow the body to heal. Once that healing period is well underway, a patient may start undergoing back pain rehabilitation that includes physical therapy combined with medication. Medication can help alleviate some of the back pain while the muscles or joints recover from the injury. Physical therapy is a guided session of physical activity aimed at restoring mobility and strength to injured areas of the body. A physical therapy session will be guided by a certified physical therapist who is familiar with effective exercises and activities that will help the patient recover quickly. These therapy sessions can be quite intense depending on the severity of the injury, and the patient should expect to feel sore and tired after a session.

For less severe injuries, back pain rehabilitation may include nothing more than rest. Muscle strains can be treated with rest and icing, though more moderate to severe strains will require a stretching routine as well as regular exercise to strengthen the muscles and promote mobility. If the strain occurred during a specific physical activity, one may have to participate in exercises designed specifically for that activity to regain the level of fitness he or she had before the injury.

Other back pain rehabilitation methods may include assessing the cause of the back pain — in some cases, back pain is caused by poor posture, so posture correction may be necessary to fully treat the pain. People who sit for long periods of time at work or at home may need to change daily routines in order to address the problem, and lifestyle changes may be necessary. As a complement to such rehabilitation, one might consider participating in yoga, which stretches the muscles in the body and makes them more limber. Acupuncture, massage therapy, and visits to a chiropractor may also help alleviate the pain or keep it from recurring.