My lower back hurts... Can I just strengthen my core to alleviate my symptoms?
Although strengthening your core is most definitely something you should do to help with low back pain, we find that it doesn’t always completely relieve peoples symptoms. Many times we find that individuals with low back pain are very tight throughout their pelvis. Now, your pelvis should have a “wibble wobble” when you walk, which provides shock absorption, balance, and strength. If you do not have mobility through your pelvis, then you lose the ability to absorb shock, and you could lose strength in your hip musculature. If your pelvis cannot absorb shock, then somewhere else in your body will pick up the slack (your spine) and that is why you get back pain. Depending on where and how your body compensates, you could get low, middle or upper back pain due to this dysfunction. It could even lead to headaches!
Now, if you increase stabilization on an immobile joint by doing core exercises, you are not treating the problem, you are increasing stability on a joint that is not moving. What you need to do is improve the mobility of the pelvis, and make sure it is moving properly and symmetrically. Once that goal is achieved, then you want to start strengthening your core. How do you get your pelvis moving properly you ask? You come in and see us! We use specific manual therapy techniques to restore mobility, and then give you exercises to do at home to maintain the mobility you get while you are in the clinic.
We are a community-based, family-oriented physical therapy clinic that will provide excellent service in a friendly environment. Our therapists will utilize a full-body approach using manual therapy techniques, exercise, and various modalities to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients.