You’ve got back pain. Whether it’s the lower, middle, or upper back it’s a major inconvenience that can disrupt the smallest of movements. It can keep you from work, sports, and all sorts of activities. It can make sitting down for a cup of coffee a serious chore. You can’t take it for another day much less a week, month, or longer and are ready to do something about it. But you’re wondering; Who should I see for back pain? For optimal effectiveness a team effort may be required. Let’s review.
Who You Need to See When Suffering from Chronic Back Pain
A Chiropractor
A chiropractor is generally the first line of offense and defensive for back pain treatment, recovery, and future prevention. These trained professionals specialize in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal issues through spinal adjustments, with back pain topping the charts of conditions that patients see them for. Harvard Health indicates that after six weeks of treatment, those assigned to receive chiropractic care for back pain reported the following:
- less pain intensity
- less disability and more improvement in function
- needed less pain medicine
A Physiotherapist
A physiotherapist is a trained professional who helps restore movement and function for patients who have been affected by injury or disability. While they address a variety of musculoskeletal concerns, back pain is one of the most common. Early intervention is especially important when it comes to seeing a physiotherapist for back pain. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that early physical therapy is associated with less health care resource use (trips to the doctor) for people with back pain.
A Registered Massage Therapist
A registered massage therapist (RMT) in BC is a regulated health professional with primary care provider status. They are governed and certified by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia (CMTBC), and are employed to help people with a number of musculoskeletal issues, namely back pain. The National Library of Medicine reports that in a case study of massage therapy for back pain, that improvement was noted in 90% of measurements of self-reported pain and activities of daily living. The most dramatic differences were improvements in ability to walk, changing degrees of pain, and being able to decrease pain medication.
A TCM Acupuncturist
A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncturist is someone who has been trained in the practice of puncturing the skin with needles at certain anatomical points in the body to relieve specific symptoms associated with many conditions, back pain included. Healthline states that when applied by a qualified and trained professional in a safe environment, that it could be better for lower and upper back pain than a number of pain medications.
A Laser Treatment Specialist
A laser treatment specialist is a professional who can help significantly reduce back pain by stimulating nerve regeneration, relaxing muscles, and reducing inflammation with medical grade laser. Medical News Today reports that a systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that both low level and high level laser therapy can be effective in reducing the severity of pain and improving function in people with nonspecific chronic back pain.
Don’t have time nor the financial resources to see all of the above separately? You don’t need to! If you reside in the Greater Vancouver BC area you’ll be pleased to know that Absolute PhysioCare has each of the above on staff at our FULL SERVICE physiotherapy clinic. During your initial assessment (book here) we will determine the cause of your chronic back pain and will prescribe an effective treatment plan that may or may not involve each of the above specialists. You will be provided with the most cost efficient course of action. Ultimately, you will find peace of mind that when it comes to your question of “Who should I see for back pain?” the answer is simple – Absolute PhysioCare. Click the link below to schedule your appointment: