Back Care And Rehabilitation

When patients experience back pain, many believe that exercise will aggravate their symptoms and make their condition worse. The purpose of rehabilitation is to relieve neck and lower back pain, therefore promoting optimal function and ease of movement. There are many different types of treatments where the type of treatment is dependent on the structures that are causing pain and the severity of the condition.

Conservative treatment:

Conservative treatment involves strengthening, stretching and re-educating the musculature in your body to support the spine. Often back and neck pain is improved with exercise treatment, and surgery is only advised if conservative treatment is not successful, or the condition is severe.

Post-Operative treatment:

If spinal surgery such as spinal fusion, laminectomy or discectomy is performed, post-operative treatment is essential. A study performed by Tarnanen et al (2012) indicated that disability after lumbar fusion surgery is high, and in some patients, symptoms remain unless exercise rehabilitation is performed. Surgeries today are less invasive, however anatomical structures are still comprised and normal wound healing, pain, muscular weakness, fatigue and imbalances can occur. This effect of surgery may predispose you to further injury.

Depending on the condition, Biokinetic rehabilitation aims to re-establish correct muscular activation patterns, strengthen what is weak and stretch what is tight. Education about ergonomics and spinal health is also incorporated into the program and is vital to get you back to a healthy pain free life.