Suffering from low back pain? How strong is your core?
PT (Physiotherapist)
Hetal completed her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2010. She also earned a Masters degree in Physiotherapy from Coventry University, UK. She has worked in England as a clinical therapist and after moving to Canada she resumed her role as a clinical physiotherapist in Edmonton.
Do you suffer from low back pain? Do you know research suggests that more than 80% of people experience low back pain at some stage in their lives, out of which around 5% will develop chronic low back pain (i.e pain that lasts longer than 3 months.) Although there is a wide variety of physiotherapy treatments for low back pain, some patients can benefit with core exercises. When you come to our clinic, I will assess your spine and then determine if core exercises can benefit you or not. If yes, I will teach you a personalized set of core strengthening exercises along with other physiotherapy techniques to help fix the problem.
Where are your core muscles and how do they work?
Transverse abdominis (deep tummy muscle) and multifidus (helps in back extension) are the key core muscles to focus on amongst the other trunk muscles. Core exercises train the muscles of your abdomen, lower back and hips to work in harmony which leads to better spinal stability. So imagine core as a beautiful muscular corset that works as a unit to stabilize the body and spine. The function and co-ordination of the muscles that stabilize your lower back are often impaired in chronic low back pain. Retraining those muscles can really help.
I rely heavily on the best-evidence research in treating low back pain.
As part of my Master’s degree in the UK, I conducted a critical review to see the effects of core stabilisation in chronic low back pain patients. Basically, I screened and critically analyzed a number of high quality research studies to find out the effects of core stabilisation in low back pain. Summarizing the results, I found out that core exercises when added as an adjunct to other physiotherapy treatments seemed to improve pain and disability. Over my years in practice, this has helped me see positive results in patients suffering from low back pain.
Let us work together towards your goal!
I surely understand that chronic low back pain can be quite frustrating. It can affect your day to day life activities, sports and work. We can work as a team to help you fix your problem and achieve your desired goal. Core stabilisation can be one step towards your goal along with other treatment options like manual therapy, pain relieving modalities and education that I can offer you at your visit. So don’t let that pain stop you from enjoying life, and remember there are lots of things I can do to help you.
Tags: Back pain, core stability, exercises, low back pain, physiotherapy, spine
