Say no to orthopedic surgery and try physical therapy first
By Dr. Adam Cramer, PT, DPT; MyoFit Clinic
Between 60 and 80% of people currently living in the United States will experience chronic back pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, it is one of the most common occupational disorders in the country.
At MyoFit Clinic, we have great success in helping clients find relief from their chronic pain, gradually improve strength and mobility from exercise, and resume their normal level of activity again.
Strength and Mobility Programs
When physical therapy is coupled with specially prescribed motor control exercises, we have observed significant success in treating patients with chronic low back pain.
The focus of these special exercises is to improve the neuromuscular control of those body segments involved in movement of the spine in order to improve stability and strength.
In essence, while chronic back pain is not usually a “quick fix,” the condition can often be treated effectively with a combination of different physical therapies. Physical therapy aims to correct the debilitating dysfunction versus only treating the symptoms.
Dry Needling
At MyoFit Clinic, we have also brought relief to many sufferers of chronic back pain by using an advanced treatment procedure known as intramuscular stimulation or dry needling.
This unique procedure is designed to target muscle function to improve tissue healing and muscle restoration and is especially effective if your back pain is linked to an underlying injury.
If you are recommended to have dry needling, you can expect to be treated with thin solid filament dry needles that will deactivate and desensitize trigger points within the muscle itself. These trigger points are known to contribute to pain, poor muscle function, low blood circulation and reduced flexibility.
Manual Therapy
Chronic lower back pain can also be relieved substantially with hands-on manual therapy. Manual therapy includes myofascial release, massage, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, stretching and range-of-motion exercises.
Avoiding Orthopedic Surgery
Surgery is a surgeon’s specialty. That’s what they are trained to do. Sure, they will offer costly imaging, ineffective injections and tell you to “rest and see how it feels.” The problem with this common conservative approach is that it actually does nothing to help correct the underlying issue that’s contributing to your symptoms when you need it the most. After four weeks of “letting it rest,” it’s worse.
Even if they offer to refer you to their own physical therapy office, these physical therapists only treat post-operative patients and are not equipped to help you avoid surgery. So, when your symptoms are worse after four weeks, of course the only option left is surgery.
An independent doctor of physical therapy’s only focus is helping people avoid surgery, providing focused care and taking the time to do it right.
At MyoFit Clinic, we teach patients how to effectively control their symptoms and return to normal, symptom-free mobility.
Physical therapy is not something that can be done on your own or by any other health/medical practitioner. You need the critical and trained eye of a licensed doctor of physical therapy in order to assess and determine appropriate diagnosis, limitations and treatments for your pain. No referral is needed in Ohio for physical therapy, so you can skip seeing a physician or orthopedic surgeon. Call MyoFit today for an initial consultation so you can keep moving forward pain free while successfully avoiding orthopedic surgery.
Dr. Adam M. Cramer, PT, DPT, is a licensed physical therapist, pain specialist and founder of MyoFit Clinic in Middlefield, Chardon & Ashtabula, Ohio, and offers all of the above treatments at all clinics. Call MyoFit at 440-286-1007 to schedule a consultation or visit MyoFitClinic.com for more information.