Back pain is one of the most common reasons that people go and see the doctor. Everyone will experience back pain at one time or another, and for a lot of people it becomes an ongoing problem that they need to see a physiotherapist for.  So what type of physiotherapy will you need?

There are different types of physiotherapy to target lower back pain.  Acupuncture now quite a popular way to help relieve back pain. Acupuncture works by you lying face down on what looks like a massage table, and the doctor inserts needles in your back.  Although this sounds painful, it’s only a small tingling feeling, and can relieve pain for months.

Massage is also a good therapy for back pain.  However make sure to go to someone who is well trained, otherwise they can injure you more than they can relieve pain.

Methods such as these are called passive therapies, because they are done to you rather than you taking action.  Other good passive therapies are applying heat and using ice packs.

Non-passive therapies are usually better to help relieve lower back pain in the long term.  Probably the best non-passive therapy a physiotherapist will suggest is back exercises.  As long as you keep religiously doing these exercises you will strengthen you back and thus relieve and even get rid of your back pain altogether.

It is highly recommended that you get your back exercise routine designed and supervised by a physiotherapist.  You can still do your exercises at home, but a physiotherapist is trained to know what exercises work best for your type of back pain, and can help you monitor what is working and what isn’t.

Most of the exercises done for lowr back pain help to stretch or strengthen the back muscles.  These muscles help to protect the back and spine, thus reducing back pain.

One of these exercises is to lie down and move as if swimming. Another one is to lie down on your back and bring your knees to your chest, then down again.  Also you should keep active by twisting from your hip from side to side, and taking some short walks.

Acupunture and massage are great ways to relieve lower back pain immediately.  However if you want long term back pain relief you should really consider back exercises. The best idea is to combine passive therapies to get rid of your pain now, and do back exercises to keep the pain away in the future.