Physical therapists are licensed professionals who work with patients to restore and maintain proper body functioning after an injury, surgery, or other limitation to physical functioning. A therapist determines, then treats, the cause of low back pain and other forms of body stress. He or she then works with the patient to relieve stress, increase mobility, and decrease pain, in order to improve body functioning as much as possible.

Rehabilitative therapy often involves exercise training to strengthen and stretch muscles, along with improving posture, balance, and endurance. While manipulation of the body is commonly used, a therapist is familiar with many treatment modalities, such as heat, cold, mechanical, and electrical stimulation, with an eye toward reducing pain and increasing functioning.

Stretching maintains a full range of motion and muscle flexibility. Strengthening improves muscle function. A recent innovation in physical therapy is a concept called core strengthening. A focus on core strengthening and stability teaches a patient to focus on the muscles of the back and pelvis in order to build a strong foundation of physical support for bone and muscle health that prevents injury and corrects chronic behavior such as slouching and otherwise overtaxing muscle groups.

Focusing on Low Back Pain in Physical Therapy

Your low back, also known as the lumbar region, bears most of your bodily stress and strain. Lumbar pain often results from back muscles and ligaments that experience strain during heavy lifting, improper lifting, or following any awkward, sudden motion. Muscle spasms sometimes cause lumbar pain as well. There may well be accumulated stress accumulated over time, with one specific event that unleashes the pain. Often, however, there is no obvious cause.

For a low back injury, it is wise to seek low back pain physical therapy as soon as possible, in order to minimize the length and extent of your pain. Immediate physical therapy can also provide you with valuable advice on preventing further aggravation to the pain, or a repetition of the cause of your injury.

Forms of low back pain physical therapy treatment may include, among others:

- stretching and strengthening exercises, often demonstrated and practiced during a physical therapy session;
- exercises to improve range of motion and restore normal movement;
- mobilization of stiff joints;
- soft tissue release for tight muscles.

Your physical therapist can give you advice on likely causes of your low back pain, and how to minimize this pain, or keep it from happening again. Advice may include:

- core strengthening exercises;
- how to properly lift heavy objects, babies, and so forth;
- ergonomics — how to properly position your chair and workstation to support your low back health and avoid syndromes such as repetitive stress injury

Since a physical impairment such as lumbar pain can stem from a variety of sources, physical therapy treatment is highly individualized. An initial assessment, or intake appointment, will gather information on any history leading up to your current condition. Therefore, prior to your initial appointment, any notes you can bring to the appointment may be useful in helping your case. The physical therapist will guide the conversation, but good notes will help to jog your memory. Medical history information is important, too, so you can help your therapist treat your low back pain by ensuring that he or she has access to such records as well.