PHYSIOTHERAPY: THE TREATMENT
Back pain frequently responds well to physiotherapy, the treatment by physical methods, as an alternative or adjunct to drugs or surgery. The methods include several different therapies, manipulative procedures, therapeutic movement or exercises, treatment with heat, cold and with electrical equipment. The aim is to help restore the function of the body and rehabilitate the patient: it also includes advice and instruction on posture and daily activities.
More than one method of treatment may be tried; each patient’s condition and progress is reassessed regularly, and the treatment altered accordingly. For example, a patient with very acute back pain may initially be given heat treatment and an instant support to wear. This may be followed after a couple of days by traction or gentle mobilisation, and possibly later by controlled manipulation, and the treatment usually includes a regimen of exercises and instruction on how to lift and move safely.
What a patient does when not having treatment plays an important role in recovery; the physiotherapist will, therefore, usually advise what he should do between treatments. Patients who hope and expect that the physiotherapist will work on them to get them better are not pleased to discover that they are, instead, expected to participate actively.
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