Whether you’ve just injured your back, have had back pain for years, or started having back pain a few months ago and it just won’t go away on its own, we all have the same question:
Where do I go now?
Here is what people suffering from back pain NORMALLY do (read all the way to the end to find out what these people SHOULD have done).
A quick Google search will probably send you to a website for a spinal or orthopedic surgeon.
Surgery?
That seems a little sudden.
You probably don’t think you need surgery (and you’re probably right).
So, you go see your primary care physician.
This is actually a good first step!
These practitioners can help guide you toward the proper specialist for you back problem.
But (and it’s a big but), this is where the disconnect happens.
Most of the time, you are directed to an orthopedic or spinal specialist.
Which is also very appropriate!
These practitioners can request some imaging for your back to see what is going on in there.
The problem?
Many of these specialist won’t be able to see you for several weeks, if not months.
In the meantime, your PCP will probably prescribe a painkiller or muscle relaxer, which may help the pain for a little bit but these can have some serious side effects.
In the meantime, you try massage therapy, chiropractors, and acupuncture.
You may get an injection from the ortho specialist, depending on what they think your problem is.
These all help a little bit, for a little while, but the pain continues (and may even be worsening).
By the time you get the results of the MRI or other imaging, you are still in pain and have tried almost everything to get long lasting relief.
Sometimes, the results show significant abnormalities.
Other times, there is not much to be said about the health of your back.
At this point, a good practitioner will recommend Physical Therapy for a few weeks.
And it helps!
Your therapist gave you the knowledge and tools you needed to restore and maintain the health of your lower back, so you can get back to your active life without back pain.
Here’s the problem though: you could have gone STRAIGHT TO A PT, and gotten back pain relief months, even years, before you would have going the traditional route.
If you have been dealing with back pain that is keeping you from living an active, healthy lifestyle, trust a PT to perform a proper evaluation of your symptoms and movement and guide you towards long-lasting back pain relief!
In the meantime, feel free to download our Free Report on Ending Back Pain, so you can get some back pain relief today!