Physical Therapy: Advice on Back Pain from the Specialist
Lacey If you are experiencing back pain, there is a good chance that one of the underlying causes is a muscular imbalance. Muscle activation treatment can help correct these imbalances and alleviate your back pain. In most situations, these are prescribed as physical therapy by a doctor. If you are from the San Jose Area, our demographics tend to lead towards the holistic side and comprehensive approach to fixing our bodies.
Some common causes of muscular imbalances that can lead to back pain include:
1) Tight muscles: Muscles can become tight from overuse or from being in a shortened position for too long. This can cause the muscles to pull on the bones and joints, leading to pain and stiffness.
2) Weak muscles: If a muscle is weak, it cannot properly support the bones and joints. This can lead to joint instability and an increased risk of injury.
3) Poor posture: Poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances as well as joint instability. When you slump or hunch over, the muscles on the front of your body become tight and the muscles on the back of your body become weak. This can lead to pain and discomfort in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Physical Therapy Has Limitations
If you are experiencing back pain, it is important to visit a physical therapist who specializes in muscle activation treatment. A physical therapist will assess your individual situation and create a customized treatment plan that will help correct any muscle imbalances and alleviate your pain. Muscle activation does all these things in addition to finding the root cause of the pain and addressing that first. Some treatments that may be included in your plan include:
1) Manual therapy: This involves hands-on techniques such as massage, mobilization, and stretching which can help improve range of motion and reduce muscle tension.
2) Exercise therapy: Exercises designed specifically for correcting muscular imbalances can help restore strength and flexibility to weak muscles and stretch tight muscles.
3) Postural correction: Tips for improving your posture can help reduce the strain on your muscles and joints, leading to less pain and discomfort.
Back Pain Treatments with MAT
Muscle Activation Treatment (MAT) is a physical therapy approach that can help correct these imbalances and help reduce or eliminate your back pain.
The goal of MAT is to restore the Normal Muscle Tone (NMT) in the muscles that are causing your back pain. NMT is the muscle’s natural resting length. When a muscle is out of balance, it will be in a state of excessive tone or hypertonicity. This means that the muscle is constantly contracted, which can lead to pain and discomfort.
The first step in correcting muscular imbalances is to identify which muscles are responsible for your back pain. This is done with a series of tests and measurements called Muscle Activation Testing (MAT). Once the muscles responsible for your back pain have been identified, specific exercises will be prescribed to restore NMT and reduce your back pain.
If you are experiencing back pain, I encourage you to seek out a MAT specialist to help you correct the underlying causes and reduce your pain.