Back on Track: Part 2 - Fighting Fit Physiotherapy Nerang Gold Coast

Now that we have a foundational understanding of disc herniations from part 1, let's move onto what to actually do about it.

This is the most important part for back pain and disc injuries.

Being informed is very important, but be mindful, creating a bad or nasty picture in the mind of what is occurring at the disc level can create poor prognosis.

When you present to physiotherapy at Fighting Fit with back pain and suspected a disc protrusion, here is what happens:

Before we begin physiotherapy treatment, a comprehensive assessment of back pain and disc herniation is a must.

It is vital we go though a thorough subjective examination starting with lots of questions about the history on what caused your back injury, what the pain is like, how long it has been going on for and how things have progressed over this time.

What are the onset of symptoms? does it change throughout the day or radiate to other areas of the body?

It is important to understand exactly what aggravates and eases the symptoms as well.

You may or may not have had scans, like MRI’s, X-rays, or CT scans. You can those to your consult, but if you haven’t don’t stress, we will tell you if it they’re necessary.

It is also important to know what past treatment you have had if this isn’t the first episode of back pain, so be honest, what have you found has helped and what didn’t? This will give us a sense of direction.

Lastly, know what are your goals? what do you want and expect from physiotherapy management?

Tell us and we will make it happen with you.

Once we unpick everything in the subjective examination, our Fighting Fit physiotherapists do a thorough physical examination including:

Palpation – what sore, what’s not. What tissue is injured and what tissue needs attention
Range of motion testing – what is restricted, tight, stiff, painful, not moving well. How is pain affecting your movement?
Strength – where does your weakness lie during pain, but also through the rest of the area and body to dive deep into what we need to do once pain is gone to really build your back stronger then pre-injury
Neurological function – power, reflexes, sensation are all important to understand what level is affected and what our direction for treatment will be.
Specific outcome measures – we need to test and quantify your back pain from both a physical and psychological stand point. How is back pain affecting your mood, confidence etc.

Once we have questioned and tested, it is our job as expert Physiotherapists to use our brains and clinical reasoning to assess the pain, the spinal level of the disc lesion and develop a plan to address all the things we find and match them to what specific treatment technique will work best for you.

As we move on to physiotherapy treatment, our physio’s who love back pain, will decide a treatment modality that will improve either in session or over time, but also relates to what your treatment goals are.

Treatment should be individualised to each person, because no two people are the same, so no two treatment plans will be the same.

Physio treatment for back pain and disc bulges primarily will often consist of:

Pain Relief: Using varying techniques to reduce pain and facilitate the restoration of movement and improve function is priority number one.
Improvement in Range of Motion: Restoring movement and flexibility in all ranges of motion that are required to move through life pain free again.
Strengthening: Enhancing the strength of core, back, and hip muscles and rest of the body to help with stability around the spine and build a tolerance back up to normal everyday tasks or sport.
Functional Training & conditioning: Movements and exercises that relate to activities that are done in everyday life. This can be lifting, reaching, sitting and standing, walking, running, and other activities that are specific to what a person does in their life. We will re-condition your body back up to where you were and beyond.
Education: Through out our sessions, what we say and how we educate you to give you clarity in what, why and how to become pain free and return to your normal everyday life will happen at every single physio consult.

Now let’s dive into some physiotherapy techniques for a disc herniation

1. Pain Management

Modalities and pain relief: Use of heat, cold, NSAIDs, oral steroids, nerve root or epidural injections can help alleviate pain. We will work with your GP and specialist to decide what is best for you and your presentation.

Manual Therapy: Techniques such as mobilization and manipulation will provide short term relief pain and improve mobility. Using these techniques will assist in both improving pain and function in your lumbar spine, but once pain has eased, remember there is still work to be done!

2. Exercise Therapy

Flexibility & Mobility Exercises: Gentle stretching,movement and mobility of the spine and surrounding will ease pain, reduce stiffness and begin to prepare you body for returning to normal.
Strengthening Exercises: Focusing on core, back, hip and other areas taht require strengthening post injury. We chose the right exercises to build strength and support around the spine to prevent future flareup, recurrence and other injuries to the back or body.
Aerobic activity Conditioning: Low-impact aerobic exercises, such as walking, cycling, or swimming will aid healing and help reduce the impact pain and injury has on your overall fitness without exacerbating symptoms.

3. Posture and Body Mechanics Training

Education on Ergonomics: Teaching posture and body mechanics during daily activities to reduce stress and strain on the spine. This can be positioning while sleeping, in the car, standing or sitting for long periods, lifting or carrying, sitting to standing. There are many ways we can tweak your movement to ease your back pain.
Functional Training: Guiding patients in safe lifting techniques, gym exercises and movement patterns. Getting you back to full function and beyond is the fighting fit way!

4. Self-Management Strategies

Home Exercise Programs: Providing patients with a tailored home exercise plan to maintain progress and recording pain levels independently. We can also use home equipment or even hydrotherapy to help strengthen our muscles.
Pain Management Techniques: Teaching relaxation and breathing exercises to help manage pain. When flare up occurs, physiotherapists also need to adjust and provide education on reducing aggravating movements.

5. Progression and Monitoring

Regular follow ups: Follow ups are crucial for re-assessment both to monitor progress and adapt the treatment plan as and when needed. No plan is perfect, and set backs do occur. We will be right beside you to support and guide you through every hiccup, because it will happen.
Goals: Setting goals collaboratively with you, focusing on functional improvements and return to activities and well be very specific in how we will achieve them. Goals will also change as you move through care, what you once thought impossible with back pain will become possible with the right treatment approach.

6. Education

Educating you about your condition is vital.

Key points include:

Understanding the nature of: Disc herniations and expected time frames for recovery following injury and pain.
Physiotherapy outcomes: Which depend on the patient participating in treatment and doing their homework. This includes self treatment techniques, regular exercise and improving healthy lifestyle habits to aid in healing and future health status.
Activity modification and re-training: We will never say don’t do that again, we will teach you and step you through all the things you will need to do to be able to do it again without pain or fear of recurrence.

Conclusion

The physiotherapy management of a disc herniation involves an individualized and comprehensive approach, combining pain relief, manual therapy, exercise therapy, education, and ongoing follow up to tailor and approach to back pain that suits your goals.

If you need help with back pain from a disc bulge, reach out, we are here to help!

Dean Phelps

Dean is a registered Gold Coast Physiotherapist with undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Human Movement and Exercise Science. His background has developed his vision for Fighting Fit Physiotherapy to focus on optimal health and peak physical performance for every single patient. Utilising his many qualifications, in depth knowledge of the body and passion for exercise he can provide a holistic approach to your treatment and exercise prescription to get the best outcome.

Brenda Samosa

05:52 07 Nov 24

I had a really bad shoulder and had been seeing a different physio for 3 months (from a different place) I got told Tyson was good. After just a few sessions the movement was coming back. I’m 66 and was worried I would have to stop surfing. But with a lot of help from Tyson I’m back in the waves ( thank you so so much)

Cyana Ferguson

08:16 30 Oct 24

Steve Harris

22:33 15 Oct 24

Great team, all friendly, super helpful and first class clinical advice and a big shout out to my Physio Noah with my shoulder issue

Andrea Bell

05:33 19 Sep 24

These guys are the best in the biz 🎉

Ryan Brockett

04:20 18 Sep 24

Shout out to Max from fighting fit physio. He helped me out massively straight after shoulder surgery and back into work and sports in no time. Couldn’t recommend anyone better!

Scotty

08:31 31 Jul 24

Five star service from Max & the team!
Professional & very thorough, you know that patient outcomes are of the highest priority.
I highly recommend this business.

Riley Wilson

08:27 14 Jul 24

Be AWARE they’ll immediately try to commit you to multiple follow up sessions after your initial consultation. This happened to me and then I later found out that as it just so happens, they have a cancellation policy that says you have to pay 100% of the consultation fee for cancelling. They failed to tell me this when they were pushy in committing me to 6 sessions after my consult, so that was a really nice little surprise.

I was already uncomfortable with how pushy they were in having me commit to so many sessions, so when I heard about the policy I just cancelled all together. So, I can’t speak further to the quality of their service throughout therapy phase. FYI this was also a few months ago now, it’s possible (though unlikely) they may have changed the policy. Just ask the question.

Megan Shelley

06:51 03 May 24

Fighting Fit Physiotherapy is hands down the best physio I've encountered. Having tried multiple physios for various injuries, I always find myself coming back to them. Their expertise consistently exceeds expectations, helping me get back to my sport faster than I thought possible. Their personalized approach and attention to detail make all the difference. I could not recommend a better or more exceptional physio team!

Gina Matthews

08:41 24 Mar 23

Can't recommend this place high enough. I was in so much pain with my knee an had been for months through advise an exercises I'm now looking forward to returning to gym an back riding my horses in endurance thank you so much

Courtney Halse

01:36 29 Nov 22

Kyle was knowledgeable, personable and professional. He saw me through my second pregnancy and continued to work with me until 6 months post partum on issues with my back. Would recommend anyone to go and see him.

Also shout out to Georgia on the front desk. She makes you feel welcome and brings a sense of warmth to the place!

Alli Davenport

08:07 04 Nov 22

After hip replacement surgery in February I wanted toget back into weight training legs, I started with Mitch 18 weeks ago and after a lot of hard work and sweat I am able to safely train again, I cannot thank Mitch enough for his support,encouragement and knowledge. The staff are friendly and helpful and I always looked forward to my session's

Robert Parkinson

10:50 15 Aug 22

This is the second time I have been treated by the team at FFP.
As a health professional myself I have been impressed with the level of care I have received from all members of the team.
The personalised treatment and rehabilitation programs have produced excellent results and I have completed both programs pain free and feeling stronger than before my injuries.
During the program there was constant communication and follow up and they were very accommodating with my work schedule.
All in all it was a very holistic experience and I would highly recommend the service.

Kiri Canavan

07:30 08 Jun 22

Tyson was amazing! We came up with an 8 week plan at my first consultation with weekly check ins and updates to exercises. 8 weeks later, I am pain free and able to train harder than ever. Highly recommend and the staff are all fantastic and super accomodating!

Now that we have a foundational understanding of disc herniations from part 1, let's move onto what to actually do about it.

Conclusion

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The Secret to Beating Back Pain? Walk This Way!

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