Physical therapy is provided to different types of patients. Such as ones who have suffered an injury, be it due to sports or accidents. Or even those suffering from muscle or joint conditions. Whatever the reason might be, physical therapy is ideal for enhancing movement and mobility. Reducing pain, and increasing flexibility in patients. Besides that, physical therapy is also used to treat Spondylosis.
This article is going to tell you everything you must know about Spondylosis before you go out to find physical therapy near you in Dallas. But first, let’s talk about what Spondylosis really is.
What is Spondylosis?
Spondylolisthesis is a common condition in which a person suffers from a forward slip of one vertebra over the other. Spondylosis is also commonly referred to as slipped vertebra, just as the meaning suggests. Therefore, if this occurs, this can result in a crack or stress fracture on both sides of the vertebra, which is then called spondylolisthesis.
Physical therapy is provided to different types of patients. Such as ones who have suffered an injury, be it due to sports or accidents. It is ideal for enhancing movement, reducing pain, and increasing flexibility in patients.
Spondylosis most commonly occurs in the neck and lower back, as these spinal areas are most at risk of suffering from excess stress. However, it is also noted that Spondylosis is also experienced in those patients who are mostly inactive, and as a result, stiffness can occur, or other sensations such as tingling or numbness. Patients over the age of 40 are most at risk of Spondylosis, as studies have shown that almost 80% of patients were above 40 years old.
Therefore, with spondylosis, patients have a hard time with mobility. As their spinal joints don’t move the same way they used to before. Thus, this can result in pain and discomfort when moving. Hence, this is when a doctor may recommend physical therapy in order to treat Spondylosis. To help maintain and also enhance bodily functions, manage pain, and also strengthen your spinal muscles in order for them to support the spine better. Moreover, physical therapy will also help increase nerve compression in the patient’s spine.
How physical therapy will help treat Spondylosis?
Physical therapists first examine the patient and then develop and design a physical therapy plan to help treat symptoms of Spondylosis by targeting a specific group of muscles.
Thus, first, a physical examination will be taken by a physical therapist. Which may include watching you move around and be asked to do simple exercises. Therefore, by such movements, the physical therapist will analyze and assess the patient’s spine flexibility, as well as their core strength and endurance. Moreover, they may also test whether there are changes in the symptoms by applying pressure in certain areas to see if they are painful.
All this information and analysis will help them to determine the root cause of the pain, the severity of the condition, and finally. The ultimate treatment plan in order to resolve all the symptoms. This way, a completely individualized and customized plan is designed. Which will include various techniques and methods to help treat Spondylosis.
Here are numerous techniques and methods used by therapists in physical therapy:
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massages are the most commonly used technique in physical therapy by therapists. The aim of deep tissue massages is to target muscle spasms and muscle tension that might have occurred due to sprains or stress.
Such massages help provide relief to tight muscles, and also help manage and alleviate pain. Physical therapy will make use of small and slow strokes with the help of their fingers. The pressure of their fingers will help relieve and manage tension in the muscles from even the deepest layers of tissues and muscles. Therefore, with the help of this direct pressure and friction, tension will be released.
Hot and Cold Modalities
In this passive therapy, modalities are used, such as cold and hot objects. However, your physical therapist will determine which one of the two modalities will work best, considering your condition.
Therefore, by using heat application and ice packs, the pain will be reduced and mobility and function will also increase. If we talk about a heating pad, heat applied to part of the body will help circulate and transport more blood to the targeted area. Therefore, more oxygen and other important nutrients will be transported to that area. This way, harmful waste byproducts that are created by muscle spasms in the body will easily be removed, and will also increase the healing time and alleviate pain.
Cold therapy, on the other hand, slows circulation which greatly helps to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms. This also helps to alleviate pain. The physical therapist will make use of ice packs, or other cold modalities. In most cases, cryotherapy is also used with the help of a spray called fluoromethane, which helps cool the tissues.
Electrical Stimulation
Electrical stimulation is also widely used in physical therapy as it is a very helpful technique to treat Spondylosis. Safe intensities of electric current are used to help reduce muscle spasms and also increase a person’s body of endorphins.
Endorphins are natural pain killers of our bodies that greatly help alleviate pain and quicken the healing process. This helps enhance the rehabilitation of muscles and also helps to increase the range of motion for tense muscles or tendons in our bodies. Besides that, electrical stimulation also helps to eliminate inflammation, by relaxing and healing the muscles.
Exercise
As far as active treatments for Spondylosis are concerned. A physical therapist will make use of various exercises in order to help treat its symptoms.
Such exercises will greatly help to increase mobility, flexibility, and core stability, and also increase the range of motion. Therefore, joints will easily move without any pain or discomfort. Such exercises also help manage pain, and will also prevent injuries from occurring in the near future. As strengthening exercises greatly help strengthen muscles.
Also, with strengthening exercises, a patient’s bones will become much stronger. This is because strength training greatly increases bone density, and significantly reduces the risk of fractures.
