Tag Archive

Tag Archives for " lower back pain "

How To Relieve Lower Back Pain And Sciatica While Sitting OR Driving In King Of Prussia, PA

Many people with lower back pain or sciatica have pain driving or sitting for too long. In this case, it's helpful to understand why you might be feeling what you're feeling. Watch this video below to learn why most people have back pain when sitting or driving, what 10 second microstretch you could be doing to completely eliminate your pain (and allow you to stand up without being hunched over), and simple DIY changes you can make today to feel immediate lower back pain and sciatica relief.  Click the video below to watch...

If you have lower back pain only, start to tweak or modify your sitting position- to see if you can change your lower back pain or leg pain.You could do this first by either slouching or sitting up super tall (rocking pelvis forward so you create an extreme arch in your lower back). You should then ask yourself- do things feel same, better or worse. If slouching makes things feel better- move your seat one inch closer and keep doing that. If slouching makes you feel worse- then try sitting up super tall... and see what that does... IF this helps- do more of this- consider adding a lower back support (small towel roll) behind your lower back while driving. You could also try sitting on a wedge, or tilting the front of your seat down. "Bucket seats" in many cars will cause your knees to be positioned slightly higher than your hips- which often causes your pelvis to rock backwards- resulting in you slouching.  Sitting on a wedge or tilting the front of the seat slightly down will help to lessen this.   What you'll often find is that changing the position of your spine will change either your back or leg symptoms. If this is the case- GREAT... you've found a switch.  

As we know- if something is REPRODUCIBLE it is likely RE-DUCIBLE...​

If you primarily have leg pain while you sit (but especially as you drive- because of how your legs may be extended to push on the gas/break...) then you may benefit from doing a couple things. First, move your seat one to two inches closer, or sit on a soft surface (you may find that the surface is a main issue... as sitting may be causing compression/too much pressure on the sensitive structures caused by nerve irritation...In either scenario- the idea is to tweak what bothers you- to see if you can change symptoms or pain... ideally you find a position that gives you relief... so that your pain and problem can start to calm down AND so that you can stop aggravating it every time you need to sit or drive.

Also, consider that movement is your medicine.  You should understand that sitting and driving puts you most often in a bent or "flexed" forward position.  Many times the spine and nerves can become sensitive to this position and need more of the opposite... and upright or "extended" position.

To apply this concept- try doing 10 standing backbends (I call this a microstretch) before, during, and immediately after driving or sitting for an extended period of time.  While sitting- use a small towel roll shoved behind your lower back (at the level of the belt line) to keep you up tall​.  Every hour- be sure to stand up and take your medicine (10 backbends).  This will likely help reduce the stiffness you feel when going from a sitting to standing position.  Be sure to end the routine with 10 more backbends after you've gotten up.

Hope this helps.​

If you're located in the Collegeville, Royersford, Limerick, Phoenixville, or King Of Prussia area and are struggling with lower back pain or sciatica- but can't seem to find relief... call 484-552-3767 now to speak with a Back Pain & Sciatica Specialist.

The Secret Surgeons Hope You Never Find Out About

The Real Truth Behind Why You’re In Pain (It’s Not What You’ve Been Told)

Did You Know?

Pain is an experience and output created by the Brain.

Consider one person who goes to the doctor with back pain and is told by a surgeon that most back pain heals, and that the best treatment for back pain is actually not surgery- it’s exercise. Now, consider another person who sees a surgeon and is told that their MRI shows they’ve got the worst back he or she (surgeon) has ever seen. And are told that the only way they won’t be crippled is to have back surgery. Who do you think will be better in the long run? Who is more likely to be in pain 1 year from now? I can tell you from personal experience, and from what research tells us, that the person who’s been led to believe that they cannot heal- will not heal.

Everyone feels pain- but not everyone will stay in pain. Some people who injure themselves go on to recover nicely- and return to living life painfree. Others end up suffering- and limit their lives due to pain that just won’t go away. What’s the difference?

Consider that the amount of tissue damage has no correlation to the amount of pain you’ll feel.

Don’t believe me… here is the headline of an article recently published in the Journal Of Bone And Joint Surgery…

Even the surgeons admit it!

Take, for example, a time when you noticed a bruise but have no idea how it got there. Or the stories of people in extreme conditions who were shot, or impaled- and managed to survive these conditions. Or, what about the man who cut his arm off to escape being trapped between two boulders in the middle of the woods! OR, ever taken a warm shower after being in the sun all day- feels like it’s burning you- but as you know- IT”S NOT… it’s simply hypersensitive receptors on your skin… causing you to think that the warm water is actually very hot.

You see- pain is an experience. It is more than just tissue damage- infact, that has very little to do with it. Consider that being told you have a slipped disc, and being shown pictures of a slipped disc actually make you feel more back pain! Basically, your brain is always attempting to answer the question- “How dangerous is this input?” And, the answer is largely influenced by many factors- including actual tissue damage, stress, what we’re told, x-ray and MRI results, and sleep quality. We now know that someone who has an MRI and knows the results of those tests feels more pain than someone who knows nothing at all!

Watch this video below. It explains the complexity of pain- and answers the question- What is Pain?

So, the takehome… don’t let x-rays and MRI’s disable you. Understand that pain is a complex thing that doesn’t mean your broken- it’s simply your body’s alarm system telling you something isn’t quite right… And sometimes, your alarm system keeps going off even when your tissue is completely healed… making you feel pain when there is actually no damage or problem.

Keep your head up! There’s hope.

Call 484 552 3767 to speak to a specialist physical therapist who can help guide you on the road to recovery.

Physical Therapy For Herniated Discs- The First Step Towards Natural Relief

Herniated Disc Treatment: Step One- A self question and answer quiz to help you get in touch with what’s going on and help you determine if you have the symptoms of a herniated disc… Knowing what could have caused your back pain, when it started and what makes it better/worse as well as where you’re feeling things- are all super important questions to know and understand.

Once we know the answers to these questions we can start to to get to the root cause of your back pain and begin treatment for you herniated disc and begin specific exercises to get you relief from your lower back pain.

Click the video below to learn how to start healing your own back..

If you live in the Philadelphia or King Of Prussia area- and are looking to get to the root cause of your pain naturally, over drugs, injections, or surgery…

Call 484 552 3767 to learn about our lower back pain treatment program.

Will My Herniated Disc Heal?

A common question people ask me (on a near daily basis) is- Can my herniated disc heal… or will I need surgery? The answer is a quick YES (meaning yes it can heal.. and NO you likely will not need surgery). This is great news- your body has an amazing ability to send specialized healing cells to the area that’s injured to help the tissue heal.

Truth is, your back is no different than a papercut… both get injured and both can heal. Now, I get it- having back pain is mysterious- most of the time we have no clue what brought it on… and even when we do- WE CAN’T SEE A THING! This can be scary… and leave us wondering what could be going on down there. In many cases- people get images to try and “figure out” what the issue is… Unfortunately- that rarely works… Why? Well, it’s been shown that there is little to no correlation between what is found on the image and what causes your pain. Who’s to say what was found on your x-ray or MRI wasn’t there 10 years ago… and you never knew about it until someone went searching for a problem.

Send your cell phone into the lab to be “swabbed” for germs… do you think they’ll find any? OF COURSE… same goes for your back. Now, do you go around worrying about all those germs… probably not. Your back is no different.

Most people can’t handle the truth (but I tell them anyways) that in many cases of lower back pain- we have no idea what the root cause it… meaning- we don’t know what’s going on.

Crazy, but true. So, if you’ve been told you have a herniated disc- take it with a grain of salt… and know that IF it actually is the source of your back pain- chances are high that it will heal up just fine within 3-6 months.

If you’re looking for quick relief- call us at 484 552 3767.

Read This Before Getting Back Surgery OR An MRI- Royersford, Limerick, Phoenixville, Collegeville, PA

Did you know that the biggest predictor of whether or not you’ll have lower back surgery is your ZIP CODE? AND people who have an MRI are more likely to have spine surgery. Even more fishy… if the surgeon who recommends the MRI owns the MRI machine, well- the likelihood of spinal surgery increases 34%. – (Lurie, Birkmeyer et al. 2003).

If you live in the Limerick, Royersford, Phoenixville, or Collegeville area… you’re aware that surgery centers (Rothman) are popping up everywhere. And you guessed it… the more surgeons in your area… the more likely you are to have back surgery- NOT COOL… and straight up wrong if you ask me.

With spinal surgery, especially spinal fusions, on the rise… I can’t help but ask myself- What’s going on? Why not PT 1st…

And, I’d be okay with more spine surgery… if research supported that it was the best thing for people with back pain…

Unfortunately, commercials and many surgeons are still recommending fusions despite growing evidence that suggests spinal fusion is NO BETTER THAN conservative treatment (physical therapy).

Spinal fusions were originally performed to help those with severe scoliosis, fractures, and a condition where the spine is unstable (fusing the bones helps make it stable again)… they were not designed to help people with general back pain.

The only true reasons for back surgery are for problems where your nerves are being compromised… losing function- if you notice severe leg weakness or numbness in your leg that is getting worse, or loss of bowel or bladder function. In these cases, back surgery may be used to restore health of the nerve.

Here’s a video I created that chats about when you need back surgery…

I’m consistently amazed by the number of people who have general lower back pain that are recommended to have injections or even surgery as the first step in relieving their back pain or sciatica. Makes no sense.

So why do people continue to get spine surgery and whose fault is it anyway? 3 reasons that I can think of…

1- People think it will be a “quick fix” to their pain.
2- People/society continues to have a “fix me” vs “fix myself” mindset.
3- Healthcare providers not advocating for or educating their patients as they should (lack of time, insurance constraints, MONEY?!)

The takehome? If you’ve got lower back pain- stay active, be informed about your options, and remember- surgeons do surgery!

If you live in the Limerick, Royersford, Phoenixville, Collegeville, Valley Forge, King of Prussia, or Philadelphia area call 484 552 3767 to resolve your back pain naturally.

1. Institute of Report from the Committee on Advancing Pain Research., 2011)
2. Surgical predictors: Lurie JD, Birkmeyer NJ, Weinstein JN. Rates of advanced spinal imaging and spine surgery. Spine. Mar 15 2003;28(6):616-620.
3. Mannion AF, Brox JI, Fairbank JC. Consensus at last! Long-term results of all randomized controlled trials show that fusion is no better than non-operative care in improving pain and disability in chronic low back pain. Spine. 2016;16:588-50

Lower Back Pain Treatment Testimonial- Royersford, PA

If you’re in Royersford, PA and are looking for natural back pain treatment- call 484 552 3767… you’ll be glad you did ;-)…

Meet Lizzie…

Lizzy suffered with back pain for about 12 years… and she tried almost everything. Images of her spine showed “nothing was wrong” with her, and acupuncture, chiropractic, reiki, yoga, and massage were only temporary fixes… the pain always came back and she always went back to treatment, searching for a “fix.”

I explained to Lizzie that we could likely help her, with SNIPER PT… that is super focused treatment tailored just to her. Not a “shotgun approach” to giving her 15 exercises and just hoping and praying that found relief.

You see, as a specialist physical therapist, I have been trained to find THE root cause of your issue, and attack it with just a couple VERY SPECIFIC exercises (1-3… max)-  this way, when you feel relief- you know exactly what to do to continue healing yourself… what a powerful thing…

So, I started off by telling Lizzie that we would teach her to heal herself… so if she ever does feel something in the future- she can correct it (on her own) immediately… without having to rely on someone else to put her back in line- or fix her.

To her surprise (remember, she had seen many people before with little relief… and was a tad bit skeptical that we could actually do something for her) she was painfree of back pain in 4 visits… 12 years of back pain gone in 4 visits.

Pretty sweet!

She was so pleased with her treatment- she agreed to create a video for you… to share her experience and try to let others know about specialized physical therapy… at Physical Therapy & Johnson in Royersford, PA.

Here’s what she had to say about her experience.

“I struggled with lower back pain for 12 years. Doctors have x-rayed me and told me everything looks fine. I’ve tried Chiropractic, acupuncture, Reiki, yoga and massage to varying degrees of relief but nothing corrected the problem. A friend recently recommended Dr. Charlie. He listened to what I described and together we investigated what was going on. We worked out a series of exercises and simple adjustments to my daily life and within weeks I finally had relief. I am so very grateful to have found a healthcare practitioner who truly paid attention to me and was committed to figuring out what was going on.”
-Lizzie

Watch the video below to meet Lizzie and hear her story…

Also, I want to let you in on a secret…  most people with back pain (who’ve had it for as long as Lizzie and have tried everything) think that back pain treatment needs to be complicated in order to get results…

Honestly, this is exactly why most back pain treatment fails…

Treatment that is complicated… with lots of fancy techniques and many exercises can backfire…  causing confusion for both the healthcare practioner and YOU the person with back pain… because there are just too many variables.  And at the end of the day, you have no idea what’s working and what’s not…  make sense?!

Secondly, most back pain treatment causes you to rely on someone or something else… versus taking ownership of things and getting in the game… working together with someone else to help yourself relieve your back pain.  While this isn’t the easy road… it brings you to the ultimate solution… one where you have the knowledge, understanding, and tools to heal yourself (versus spending money on someone else to “fix you.”)

Click here to watch my video and learn more about “Why Most Back Pain Treatment Fails.”

If you live in the Royersford, PA area, and have tried everything… but still have some fight in you and are looking for natural relief (and want to feel better like Lizzie) call 484 552 3767 today.

Happy Healing,

Dr. Charlie, PT, DPT, OCS

Herniated Disc Back Pain Treatment Testimonial- Royersford, PA

As a physical therapist, one of the things I enjoy is helping people get back to normal.  Meet Mark- Mark began having back pain from a herniated disc several months before coming to my office- we actually met at one of my free back pain workshops in Royersford, PA. While his back pain had begun to improve, he started to have pain in the back of his left leg.  His leg bothered him when he sat too long, and especially if he tried to touch his toes or run…  After 4 weeks and 2 visits he was 95% improved…

Here we are…

Here is what he had to say about his physical therapy experience in Royersford, PA.

My wife and I went to a free workshop that Dr. Charlie hosted and took him up on his offer to give us a free evaluation. I went because I couldn’t even sit in my car without chronic back pain. I was impressed that Dr. Charlie took the time (about an hour session each) needed not only to understand but also to educate me on why my back was malfunctioning. Three sessions later I am pain free! His excellence with heart definitely earns my five stars. Thanks for caring, Dr. Charlie!

Mark had a condition (herniated disc resulting in scarring down of the nerve) that caused the sciatic nerve in the back of his leg to become very limited in motion- causing tightness and pain in the back of his leg when sitting, bending over, or stretching his leg. It was originally caused by a herniated disc in his lower back that occurred after a long car ride (lots of sitting and slouching).  While his back pain was much improved by the time he saw me- the healing of his disc caused his nerve to scar down- leaving it with less motion and feelings of tension in the back of his leg.

Through some gentle stretching and exercises for his sciatic nerve and lower back- he’s now able to run, sit, and touch his toes- PAINFREE.

If you’ve got lower back pain or leg pain (sciatica) and you live in Royersford, Limerick, Phoenixville, Collegeville, King of Prussia, or Philadelphia- call 484 552 3767 to get to the root cause, and to start feeling better today.

 

The Real Cause Of Lower Back Pain- Physical Therapy Royersford, PA

One of the most common questions I get when people with lower back pain come to see me for physical therapy is “So what’s causing my lower back pain?”

Watch this video to learn the REAL cause of lower back pain…

And the truth is- all lower back pain (or any pain for that matter) is created by the BRAIN.  Meaning- pain is an experience created by the brain to protect you from some perceived threat or danger.  In other words, a problem in the back isn’t really the cause of your lower back pain… it’s just that the signals from the back are being sent to the brain- where the brain is processing them to be painful. Now, don’t think for a second that I’m trying to tell you that you’re lower back pain isn’t real.. or that “it’s all in your head”- NOT TRUE…

Get this… Pain is normal.

Pain is an experience created by the brain to protect you from threatening situations and injury.

Even if no problems exist in your body, nerves, or immune system…you may still feel pain if the brain thinks you are in danger.

Simply put, without your brain, you feel no pain.

Think of your brain and the pain you experience as your alarm system…

In everyday life, you have a “normal” threshold for pain – as your nerves buzz around happily waiting to react to whatever your body feels.

So your alarm system is set and ready to go. Your nerves are just buzzing along waiting to be stimulated…

If you hit your finger with a hammer, it hurts like heck, but eventually after several hours/days, it calms down to where it was before.

Now, imagine you’ve had lower back pain for a long time…it’s likely that your alarm system has become extra sensitive leaving you with little room for you to do things before your alarm systems goes off.

When we are not in pain and life is grand, it takes a lot for your alarm system to go off — just like a car’s alarm when you have to break the windows in order to set the alarm off.

Now, when your body’s been in pain for some time, the alarm system becomes extra sensitive — Instead of having to break and bash the windows before the alarm goes off, a leaf blower goes by and your alarm goes berserk!

Simply put… your body’s alarm system becomes sensitive and leaves little room to move and do things without feeling lower back pain.

Important Point: Pain does not equal damage or injury…it is simply an experience created by the brain when it thinks your body is in danger.

Imagine you get a paper cut…

Wouldn’t you be worried if the pain stuck around for months?

Sure you would, because normally the pain goes away in minutes to hours.

Then what makes your back any different?

Most people live with lower back pain for years…yet this simply couldn’t be caused by a simple injury to your lower back muscles or disc.

Why?

All tissues in your body heal, including the muscles, ligaments, discs and nerves in your lower back within about 3-6 months.

When pain lasts longer than 3-6 months or becomes chronic and lasts for years, it doesn’t mean that something is wrong with your back or your back didn’t heal properly, it simply means that your alarm system is sensitive…and for some reason, your brain still senses danger.

Think about when you get a bruise and are not aware of it…

As long as your brain doesn’t sense danger, you won’t feel pain.

Another Point: You’re not crazy…pain is very real.

BUT remember, pain is an experience…

We’ve all heard about the crazy stories of people who are injured and feel absolutely no pain.

Picture the soldier injured in war who continues to run in order to save his life.

OR the man who had his arm trapped in between two rocks and cut his own arm off in order to escape the wilderness and survive. Yikes… but a true story.

On a more basic, less extreme level…think about the pain someone would feel if they hurt their back while running across a busy highway versus getting out of a chair.

I’d be willing to bet that the person running across the highway feels much less pain than the person who’s getting out of the chair.

So, situation can impact pain.

Other things that can change your pain experience include emotions, beliefs, sleep, your job, or your pain memories… just to mention a few.

Emotions: People who feel sad or worried often feel more pain. People who are happy and relaxed generally feel less pain.

Beliefs: Growing up, some people were taught to be afraid of pain or that pain is bad. Others were taught to “get up and brush it off.” Depending on your beliefs about pain you may feel more or less pain.

Sleep: People with good sleep habits generally feel less pain. I recommend 8 hours of sleep per night. Restful sleep has been shown to decrease the sensitivity of your alarm system.

Job: People who have stressful jobs and are unhappy with their careers often experience more pain compared to those who enjoy their work.

Memories: If your back was injured in a car accident…just thinking about driving could make your pain worse. Pain memories can be powerful.

Now, you should be asking yourself, “How do I calm my alarm system down?”

First things first, in order to calm your alarm system down, we need to review a few key points:

Point Number 1: Understand that pain does not equal harm.

Just because you feel pain doesn’t mean anything serious is wrong…it just means you’re alive and your alarm system is on high alert, that’s all! Your back heals itself in 3-6 months, but your alarm system might still be sensitive.

Point Number 2: Pain does not equal gain. Remember, even though pain is created by the brain, which can sometimes cause your alarm system to become extra sensitive…even when everything has healed, it is very real. And you should still listen to it.

Okay, now that you understand these two big points, here’s how you can begin decreasing the pain that you experience…

Respect pain and listen to it, but do not fear it.

Again, pain is normal…sometimes the brain gets a little confused and senses pain incorrectly.

Sometimes the brain senses pain incorrectly OR it thinks there is actually something dangerous when really everything is just fine.

Gentle movement and exercise helps relieve pain and release chemicals that soothe nerves and calm down your alarm system.

Choose a form of exercise you enjoy…walking, biking, or swimming are all great options.

Slowly increase the amount of time you exercise week by week. Exercise up until the point you start to experience your pain, then stop. If you stick with it, you should notice that you are able to do a bit more week by week with less pain.

Okay, so this is really going to make you think…

Recent research has clearly shown that there is little to no relationship between the issues found on an X-ray or MRI and the pain you feel in your lower back.

That is to say, just as many people with pain have bulging discs as those who have absolutely no pain at all.

The same goes for things like spinal stenosis.

Wrapping things up here…

  • Understanding your pain will be super helpful in getting back to normal and living a healthy, pain-free life.
  • Pain is normal and is caused by so much more than just injury… it is an experience that can be made better or worse by many things in life.
  • Even though pain is created by the brain, it is still very real, and is our body’s way of protecting us.
  • Sometimes our brain can become confused and cause us to feel pain even after our body is healed…in other words, our body’s alarm system becomes extra sensitive.
  • By understanding pain, changing the way you think about pain, and regularly exercising…you begin to reset your alarm system and your pain experience.

If you’ve given up hope- and have lower back pain in the Royersford, Collegeville, Phoenixville, King of Prussia, OR Philadelphia areas- call 484 552 3767 for specialized lower back pain treatment.

 

 

 

Royersford, PA- Severe Back Pain Vanished In 5 Weeks…

Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a man named Harry from Collegeville, PA.  Harry is an awesome guy who enjoyed riding his motorcycle, taking care of his lawn, and doing things with his family. That was until his back and hip pain became so severe he could barely sleep, let alone enjoy being outdoors. In fact, on father’s day he had to “call it quits” because he couldn’t tolerate moving around.  He had expensive MRI’s, injections, and other treatments that weren’t giving him relief.  He had yet to try physical therapy and specialized back pain treatment… until one day he decided he had HAD ENOUGH…

After 5 visits of treatment to his lower back, including hands on manual therapy, specific back pain exercises, and back pain education- He just sent me a text… “Charlie, motorcycle trip went without incident…”  Pretty Cool- NO PAIN!  Harry’s back to living life without the constant thought of lower back pain… and he’s way more in control of his back pain- so that he can keep it from coming back.

Meet Harry- at my physical therapy clinic in Royersford, PA… where we specialize in treating lower back pain… (see the other happy campers on the wall behind him)

Here’s what Harry had to say about his physical therapy experience… Right here in Royersford, PA

“I encountered hip pain so severe I could not walk, sleep or stand due to spinal stenosis, arthritis and degenerative disc disease. I sought relief from medical doctors, but they failed to give any solution after prescribing  tests, medications, x-rays, and MRI’s. Dr. Charlie guided me within five weeks to where I am no longer in constant pain, and I am able to resume normal activities.

Condition Remedy Outcome
Severe Left Hip Pain Stretches and strength exercises. Able to resume everyday activities within 3 visits.
Pain prohibited sleep due to discomfort Understand the contributing factors to pain and use knowledge tools to reduce pain. Able to get comfortable lying in bed after three visits. I now know how to reduce or eliminate the pain through stretches.
Unable to sit in car or chair Use of proper seat adjustment and back supports to reduce pain. Able to drive and sit without discomfort within three weeks.
Walking short distances, unable to go far. Use exercise and stretches to relieve pain After three office visits, I can walk without restrictions.

 

Dr. Charlie took the time to listen and understand my pain issues and develop a remedy plan specific to my needs. I highly recommend Dr. Charlie and his PT skills above seeking relief through medical professionals.  PT is much quicker, less expensive, less stressful.”

-Harry Chamberlain

If you have back pain and are looking for back pain treatment and specialized physical therapy treatment in Royersford, Collegeville, Phoenixville, Limerick, King of Prussia, OR Philadelphia, PA- call 484 552 3767 or email charliejohnsondpt@gmail.com.

Happy Healing,

Dr. Charlie Johnson, PT

 

Causes Of Lower Back Pain And Leg Pain- Royersford, Collegeville, Limerick PA

While there are many causes of lower back pain and/or leg pain, there are two causes that are MOST common. In most cases, leg pain is caused by pressure on a nerve or the discs in the lower back. Physical therapy treatment is aimed at relieving pressure on one or both of these structures.

Watch the short video below to learn more…

Click Here To Learn About Two Causes Of Lower Back And Leg Pain

There are two types of leg pain… REFERRED and RADIATING. leg pain… OR BOTH.

Referred pain is just as it sounds… pain referred or signals sent from one place to another. So, in the spine- the structures like the joints and discs in the back can send pain signals to parts of the body (other than just the back) into the buttock and down the leg. Depending on which structure is irritated will determine where you feel your symptoms… Referred pain is “non specific” and LARGER in coverage than radiating pain. It is often described as deep and achy and hard to pin point exactly…

On the other hand- Radiating pain is often involves irritation or compression of the nerve in the back… often termed as sciatica. Radiating pain takes a more specific path- and is often described as electric, shooting, or burning… you might even feel numbness or tingling.

And because a herniated DISC is the number one cause of SCIATICA many people have BOTH types of pain…

Think of the Sciatic nerve like a garden hose… Now, imagine you’re outside watering your plants when all the sudden the flow of water stops…  What do you do?  You check for a KINK!  When you find the kink and undo it, the water starts flowing again.  Now, nerves carry information such as FEELING and MOVEMENT… meaning depending on where they travel- they allow you to feel things touching you, and they “plug into” muscles- allowing your muscles to move and fire.  When there is a KINK (or compression) on the nerve, you may notice that you develop numbness or tingling, OR even weakness in the leg.  Any great physical therapist is trained to find the KINK and relieve the pressure on the nerve so that you feel normal again.

I know- complicated right? Well, if you’re in the Royersford, Limerick, Collegeville, Trappe, Phoenixville, King of Prussia, or Philadelphia, PA area- and have questions about back pain treatment or need specialized physical therapy- call 484 552 3767 or email charliejohnsondpt@gmail.com