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Back pain that causes a person to seek medical help will occur in one quarter of our population. Back pain is often without obvious cause and seems to come back just as mysteriously.

Millions of Americans restrict their physical activity because of back pain and feel controlled by their pain.

Causes of Back Pain:
Back problems are rarely the result of a single event such as a trauma. While trauma does indeed occur, by and far most of the spinal problems occur as a result of:

• Poor, posture, particularly while sitting
• Declining physical fitness (muscle strength and endurance)
• Cumulative risks such as repetitive and faulty lifting, bending or twisting

Nearly 90% of those who have back pain can expect to have another episode of pain at some point in the future. The reason for this is that often times the cause of the episode was not addressed during the treatment. People usually stop seeking help when the pain goes away, but unless the causes of the back pain are addressed, recurrence is predictable.

Manual Therapy:
Hands-on approaches to free up restrictions in the soft tissue or the spinal joints, are common treatments for correcting postural and spinal alignment. This includes mobilization, manipulation, massage, and releases. Proper mechanical alignment must then be reinforced by exercise and movement training.

Physical Modalities:
Treatments including traction, heat, cold, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation are used for their physiological effect on the acute causes of headache pain. Sometimes these modalities are used to get through the initial painful time and are replaced by more mechanical approaches when the focus shifts to correction of the cause and prevention of recurring episodes.

Postural Education and Exercise:
We have all been taught that proper posture is important, but oftentimes we do not practice it. Sometimes we simply cannot because we have developed patterns of movement or posture to which our body adapts.

We start with self-awareness training. Sometimes called proprioception training, we help you to know your body and how you move. We then help you to train safe movement patterns and correct position patterns.

Home exercise programs are developed and you are coached in exercises for muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination. OSI therapists are choosy about the type of exercise and, in particular, how it is done. Programs are advanced as you master easier exercises.

General cardiovascular fitness activities are also included in a back care program as are body mechanics and functional job training. Many therapists incorporate yoga and Pilates exercises as well.

What results can you expect?
In most cases you should expect to realize a decrease in pain and an improvement in your ability to move. You should have a self management program, including proper posture, exercises, and body mechanics that you can perform at home. In most cases, patients with spine problems are seen 4-6 visits. However, our therapists manage each patient's case specific to their needs.