Back Pain

Pain-relieving medication has its place in reducing back pain but doesn’t offer a long-term solution. If you want to alleviate back pain and regain mobility, the Holsman Physical Therapy team provides comprehensive treatments. The practice has 17 locations throughout New Jersey and New York City where their team uses proven techniques to resolve back pain, including laser therapy, dry needling, and extensive exercise and manual therapy programs. Take the first steps toward recovery from back pain by calling the Holsman Physical Therapy office nearest you or booking an appointment online today.

What might be causing my back pain?

Back pain might result from an acute injury sustained during sports or other physical activities. You could also injure your back during an auto accident or develop back pain after a fall. Poor posture, twisting your back, and lifting using the wrong technique are common causes of acute back pain.

Chronic back pain is likely to result from conditions that develop as you age, such as:

• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Degenerative disc disease 
• Herniated discs

Conditions like these alter the alignment of your spine and often put pressure on the nerves as they exit your spinal cord. This problem, known as radiculopathy, frequently leads to back pain and other nerve-related symptoms like tingling, prickling, and numbness in the extremities.

Abnormal spinal curvature, as seen with scoliosis, can also cause back pain.

What should I do if I have back pain?

Resting your back gives the injured tissues time to heal, but you shouldn’t stop moving altogether. Instead, modify your activities to remain mobile without aggravating the injury.

You’re likely to reach for painkillers when you have back pain. Anti-inflammatories help reduce tissue swelling, but while medication eases the immediate symptoms, it can’t heal the damaged tissues.

The foundational approach of any back pain treatment plan is physical therapy. For most patients, a personalized care program designed by the experts at Holsman Physical Therapy offers an effective solution to pain reduction, healing, and improved mobility.

How does physical therapy help with back pain?

Holsman Physical Therapy’s experienced practitioners are experts in manual therapy techniques to address spinal misalignment that could be the underlying reason for your back pain. The team also uses a range of other proven treatments to address back pain, such as:

• Ultrasound
• Electric muscle stimulation
• Interferential current
• Laser therapy
• Dry needling
• Back braces 
• Cryotherapy or cold therapy
• Heat therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
• Whirlpool hydrotherapy
• Active range of motion (AROM) exercises
• Gait or walking training
• Isometrics (muscle contraction without joint movement)
• Isotonics (muscle contraction with resistance)
• Posture training
• Stretching/flexibility exercises
• Spinal decompression (traction)

The team assesses your progress throughout rehabilitation and adjusts your treatment plan to optimize your recovery.

To experience unrestrained movement and a significant reduction in back pain, call Holsman Physical Therapy or schedule a consultation online today. The practice has locations in Lyndhurst, Fair Lawn, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, Bloomfield, Maplewood, Newark, South Orange, Clifton, Paterson, Kearney, Jersey City, and Rahway, New Jersey, and the Crotona and Van Nest neighborhoods in the Bronx and the Cypress Hills neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.