I’ve had terrible back pain and I used to lie down much of the day for relief. I visited a physical therapist and he told me to exercise instead of being a couch potato. I started going to physical therapy on a regular basis. My doctor agrees with my program. The pain is getting much better with exercise. I work closely with my physical therapist so I don’t do anything that could harm my back. I started walking on a treadmill when I’m at home.
Alexis Tingan, MD, a physician at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine says: “Whether you’re in physical therapy or not, you should try aerobic activity. Exercises like jogging, walking, using the stationary bike—are all light aerobic activities that have been shown to decrease back pain. We’ve actually been doing some studies on this here at Penn, and we’ve seen promising results.”
Dr. Tingan says that the overarching theme is to not do any exercise that is painful. Physical therapy should be relieving pain, not causing more. It should not be causing any harm. One of the most popular methods physical therapists use is the McKenzie method. It assesses how pain affects a patient when one moves in certain ways, like flexing forward or extending backward. It tests which movements worsen or improve the back or neck pain.
Always check with your doctor first to get an O.K. for physical therapy. Insurance companies usually require a recommendation from your doctor and monitor improvement.