Back Pain
Back pain, including lower back pain, is one of the most common reasons people see a physical therapist, and most of it is mechanical: a strained muscle, an irritated disc or a stiff joint. Our physical therapists find what is loading your spine badly and build a plan around it. Heights Physical Therapy treats back pain for people in Gunnison, Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley.
What is behind your low back pain
A pulled muscle, a bulging disc and a stiff joint can feel the same on day one. They are not treated the same way.
Muscle strain and back spasms
If you pulled a muscle in your back hauling firewood, lifting a bike onto the rack or shoveling the driveway, the muscles around it often tighten into a spasm to protect the area.
Herniated and bulging discs
A disc is the cushion between the bones of your spine. When it bulges or herniates it can irritate a nerve and cause pain, numbness or tingling that travels into the leg.
Degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis
Discs wear with age, and narrowing around the nerves can make standing or walking for long stretches uncomfortable. We work on mobility, strength and the way you move, even when the wear itself stays.
SI joint pain
Pain low on one side, near the base of the spine, can come from the sacroiliac joint rather than a disc. We test the joint and the hips as well as the spine.
New back pain, long-lasting back pain, and why bed rest is not the plan
Acute back pain is new and short-term. Chronic back pain hangs around for months. Back pain from sitting builds up on a long drive over Monarch or a day at a desk, while back pain when bending shows up when you reach for your boots or lift a pack. Which pattern you have tells us which movements to calm down and which to train.
Back pain may come and go, but it is worth treating early. Staying active in a comfortable range usually does more for a sore back than lying in bed, and we show you what that range looks like for you.
What a back pain evaluation covers
Your clinician builds the plan around how your back actually moves and what you need to get back to, whether that is a ski day or a full day on your feet.
- Your history: when it started, what you do at work and for play, and what makes it better or worse
- How your spine and hips move, where motion is stiff, and how you stand, sit and walk
- Strength and control of your core and hip muscles
- A custom plan with education and a home exercise program
How we treat back pain
Hands-on joint and soft tissue work
Manual therapy and spinal mobilization to ease stiffness and guarding in the spine and hips.
Exercises matched to your pattern
Directional preference exercises use the movement direction that calms your symptoms, followed by core stabilization to build the muscles that support the spine.
Lifting and posture training
We practice the lifts and positions that bother you, from picking up a toddler to loading a truck bed, so your back shares the work.
Recovery services and back supports
After hard days on your feet or in the saddle, our recovery options and gear may help your back feel better between visits.
Leg pain or numbness?
Pain that travels into the buttock and leg is covered on our sciatica page.
Pregnant and have back pain?
Back pain in pregnancy and after birth has its own needs. See prenatal and postpartum care, or call and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.
Other places back pain starts
Tight hips change how the spine moves, so we look at your hips too. Spinal arthritis is covered under arthritis, pain that has lasted a long time is on chronic pain, and if your back pain began on the job, read about work injuries.
See a doctor or go to the ER first if you have
- Loss of control of your bladder or bowels
- Numbness in your groin or inner thighs
- Fever along with back pain
- Back pain after a serious fall or accident
Call us and we will tell you what applies to your insurance, and whether you need anything from your doctor, before your first visit.
Back pain questions, answered
Is lower back pain the same as a herniated disc?
Not always. Low back pain has many sources, including a strained muscle, stiff joints and a herniated disc. Your clinician examines how you move to tell them apart.
Does back pain from sitting mean I need a new chair?
Not necessarily. How long you stay in one position often matters as much as the chair. We look at how you sit and how often you change position, and we suggest changes that fit your day.
Ready to get your back moving again?
If back pain is slowing down your work or your weekends, call Heights Physical Therapy and we will find a time to look at it. We see people from Gunnison, Crested Butte and across the Gunnison Valley.
We see patients in Gunnison, Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley, Colorado.