What is spine physical therapy?
Spine Physical Therapy is an approach that focuses on proper alignment of the different regions of the spine which are the neck (cervical), the upper back and mid back (thoracic), and the low back (lumbar) through various techniques such as joint mobilizations, soft tissue mobilizations, and gentle spinal corrections. Spine Physical Therapy at our Nashville, TN location is effective at restoring motion and provides lasting acute and chronic pain relief.
The proper alignment of the spine is crucial for good health in a person’s body since each segment of the spine (vertebrae) has nerves that originate and branch out from each side of the spine to control every structure in our body. The nerves can become compressed and problematic if they are out of alignment or if there is too much pressure on the disc space where the nerves originate. If there is too much tension, compression, and/or pressure in the spine, it could lead to decreased functioning of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and/ or circulatory system and cause decreased function, weakness, numbness, tingling, burning, and/or pain.
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How does spine physical therapy differ from chiropractic?
Many of our patients ask us what we think of Chiropractors. Our philosophy differs from chiropractic significantly in that we are treating the spine with a completely different approach. Our first approach is to assess for abnormal tension or pressure in the soft tissue and connective tissue (fascia) that surround each and every vertebrae in the spine. Think of how when jello is poured into a mold and how it will fill up the space exactly to the shape of the mold. This is analogous to how the soft tissue surrounds every nook and cranny of each vertebrae similar to how jello fills up a jello mold. We also carefully consider the nerve that comes out of the vertebrae and how much pressure or tension the soft tissue or fascia may be on the nerve that exits out of the spine. Our spine physical therapy approach is to make sure that we release all the soft tissue, fascia, and nerves first before considering the alignment of the vertebrae, which is a bone. Chiropractors often think of treating the bone first and look to see if there is a misalignment of it, without considering all the soft tissue and fascia that surround it on all sides. In other words, many Chiropractors are adjusting a misaligned vertebrae but not considering that there is an abnromal “jello mold” of soft tissue and fascia surrounding it and without releasing them, most likely the vertebrae will settle back into the misaligned position.
Why is it important to treat the spine?
One of the key approaches to treating misaligned spinal segments through spine physical therapy is to focus on all the soft tissue that surrounds each spinal segment as well as treating the nerve(s) that come out of the spine at each level. Each level of the spine connects to a region of the body through nerves that make everything function such as organs, circulatory vessels, muscles and bones. Without nerves, nothing in our body would function!
Spine pain can manifest in the body for various reasons including acute stress and strain from physical and emotional trauma, postural imbalances, or from repetitive strain on the body. The goal of Spine Physical Therapy in our Nashville, TN practice is to relieve these spine restrictions through spinal manual therapy by gently mobilizing the joints and soft tissue in order to normalize the tensions between the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.
However, a trained professional in Spine Physical Therapy in Nashville can provide spine pain relief by locating the problem spots with vertebrae(s) or nerves to restore optimum health.
How can I get started with treatment?
If you want to begin learning more about spinal manipulation and find out if it’s a good fit for your condition, you’ve come to the right place. By treating pain early with spinal manipulation, we can resolve the issue so it doesn’t progress
If you are in Nashville, TN and have been living with pain and you’re looking for relief contact Steve Kravitz Physical Therapy today.
Don’t live with the limits of your pain – improve your spine health with us today! Call our clinic today at (615) 840-3281 or click here to request an appointment.