How Can Physical Therapy Help for Arthritis in My Back?
Physical therapy helps restore function and ease pain caused by osteoarthritis affecting the back.
What happens with osteoarthritic changes in the back is that the person experiences painful spasms known as "muscle guarding." This increased firing of the nerves is a reflex that occurs because the synovial joints in the back (called facet joints) have damage in the cartilage that lines the joints.
Soft tissue work done by a physical therapist can help to reduce this so-called muscle guarding, restore proper fluid movement in the area, and reduce the load on the joint. The therapist works to restore proper movement between the two vertebrae at the facet joints.
Once the spasms are reduced, the physical therapist will introduce exercises to address muscle weakness and poor motor patterns, training the muscles to take the vertebrae through the newly restored proper movement. Poor posture and abnormal alignment of the back will also usually be addressed, to normalize the absorption of stress on the back.
Whether the arthritis is in the back, hands, knees, or elsewhere, the type of training a physical therapist has can make a difference in outcome. It's helpful to seek someone who specializes in manual physical therapy, which is hands-on bodywork.
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