As part of non-operative care, your physician may prescribe a program of physical therapy or exercises. The purpose of such treatments is usually to assist you in restoring muscle tone and muscle strength. The muscular supports of the spine are crucial to maintaining good function and stability of the back. With aging, injury or underlying spinal problem it is very common for the back musculature to become weakened, with diminished tone and easy fatigability. In fact, poor muscle condition can be a significant source of disability and pain itself.
Physical Therapy
The principle to most physical therapy approaches in spinal conditions is twofold: pain modality treatment (as described above) and structured guided strengthening programs for restoring good muscle function. There are many different types of exercise programs and particular focus on isometric strengthening appears to be quite beneficial for many patients. Isometric exercises involve activities that stimulate contraction of a muscle (working the muscle) while maintaining the length of that muscle (ie. no significant motion across the span of the muscle). Vigorous movements or extremes of motion are often avoided in physical therapy approaches to spinal care.
Exercise
Most patients that see benefit with a physical therapy program are advised to maintain some form of regular exercise on a long-term basis. Even patients with mild or intermittent back pain and no severe underlying problem can receive benefits with regular exercise. A number of studies have shown that regular aerobic activity reduces the chance of developing repeated back injuries. Clear advantages of one type of sport over another have not been shown and it therefore may be most important to find some activity that is enjoyable and easy to maintain on a regular schedule (ex. swimming, fast walking, running…).
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