Water therapy for back pain

This article is the first of three articles, and talks generally about back pain.

You can read about lower back pain and its treatment with water here.

You can read about upper back pain and its treatment with water here.

Back pain is one of the most common complaints when adults visit their family doctor. 85% of the population will experience lower back pain over the years.

There are many possible causes of back pain:

· Trauma (as a result of injury or fall)

· Herniated bulging disc

Degenerative changes in the spine (as a result of osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis)

· Excessive strain on the back related to lifestyle habits (as a result of occupational factors, poor posture, prolonged sitting)

As a result of back pain, a person tends to avoid certain movements and physical activity in general, which may worsen the back pain. In most cases, the doctor will start treatment with painkillers, and if these do not help, will resort to additional interventions. Some back pain, especially those that arise from neurological causes (the vertebrae press on nerves, resulting in pain), can be treated with a surgical approach.

Hydrotherapy is intended for people who want to treat back pain using conservative (non-surgical) methods.

It is important to emphasize that hydrotherapic work in the pool does not correct any degenerative changes in the spine or herniated discs. It is also important to emphasize that a recent trauma to the back requires medical examination before entering the water.

So what can we expect from hydrotherapic work in the pool?

Water therapy for back pain includes a combination of conversation, active work, and passive work.

Staying in the warm water relieves pain, and allows a person to try movements that they would avoid on land, for fear of pain. The mere act of using and activating muscles that were clenched over a period helps in rehabilitation, as it circulates blood and oxygen to the injured area.

In the conversation phase, I will ask you what conventional western medicine has said. Together we will find out what makes the pain worse, and what helps ameliorate it. For example, we will examine sleeping positions, what physical activity the patient engages in and how often, whether your work requires prolonged sitting, and together we will suggest possible changes in your day-to-day habits if that is necessary.

We will work on correct posture and a correct walking pattern, to minimize damage to the back. The conversation may also touch on the causes of mental stress, if the patient chooses to do so.

In active work, we will focus on strengthening muscles and improving range of motion. Core muscles like the back muscles, shoulder blades, and abdominal muscles help maintain body posture, and strengthening them helps the skeleton bear the weight of the body, thereby reducing the causes for back pain. Improving range of motion and flexibility of the back muscles, abdominal muscles, and shoulder blades allows for the execution of movements necessary for daily functioning without reaching the range of pain. It can be assumed that the patient will also receive "homework" exercises.

The passive work is based on clinical Watsu. The patient floats on the water, held by the therapist. When it comes to back pain, the clinical work is based on stretching the spine in order to create "space" between the vertebrae, and on rotations of the torso and limbs. "Space" between the vertebrae reduces the pressure exerted on the nerves that exit the spine, and thefore relieves pain. The rotations improve the range of motion, and release the muscles that we worked on in the active part of the treatment. In addition, the passive work allows for relaxation, which reduces muscular and mental tension, and allows for greater mental well-being.

In conclusion, hydrotherapy work in water consists of conversation, active activity, and passive activity. I like to refer to passive activity as paracetamol, because 80% of patients report significant pain relief for the 24 hours following treatment. And I refer to active activity as a vaccine, because it allows you to prevent or ward off the next time your back hurts. The therapist helps and enables, but healing only happens thanks to the patient, who manages to become stronger, more flexible, and change lifestyle habits.