Discomfort and pain are part of the healing process when it comes to physical therapy. It is normal to feel pain after physical therapy, as long as the pain is good and is resolved with simple actions such as resting, applying ice or light stretching. A study published in the Journal of Advanced in Medicine by the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, assessed whether early physical therapy (manipulation and exercise) was more effective than a consultation in which the patient simply received information about rest, activity and standard care options. Yoga seemed to be more effective in the short term, and walking seems to be more effective in the medium term, in relieving low back pain.
Exercise therapy can improve function and reduce work disability in chronic and subacute low back pain. Pilates, like physical therapy and trunk stabilization exercises, can only work when the ligaments in the spine can withstand exercise activity and provide resistance for muscles to strengthen. The ability to help you minimize or completely stop prescription pain medications, including opioids, is another important justification for choosing post-surgical physical therapy. Patients will tell us their story about treatment, success, remission, new pain, and sometimes worse pain, they will return to therapy or to the chiropractor.
Your body will begin to heal and the pain will continue to decrease as you put time and effort into therapy. This may include deep stretches and exercises that exceed the limits of your comfort, but they should never be painful. If you feel anything else, especially sharp pain after or during a physical therapy session, you should address it immediately. Without these muscular forces, such large loads would cause alterations in the lumbar spine and would probably cause spinal instability and severe pain.
