Two exercises we suggest before and after trigger point dry needling for low back pain include QL stretches and glute bridges.
We often hear people complain that their back is hurting. Friends, family, co-workers, almost everyone in the metropolitan Washington, DC area has encountered back pain at some point. Whether it’s from inactivity and sitting at our desks, bad posture, aging or degenerative changes, low back pain can stop you from enjoying life the way you should.
Tigger Point Dry Needling is a helpful tool for low back pain
We have also found that dry needling really helps with getting my back feeling better and hitting the reset button. Dry needling is a specialized tool that your Rose physical therapist can use to get down into the trigger points of the muscle and causes a twitch of the muscle which can release tension, improve range of motion, and reduce pain. Dry needling at Rose Physical Therapy is fast and the results can come quickly, usually within a couple of days.
Exercises are important after dry needling, in conjunction with Trigger Point Dry Needling
After dry needling, we still need exercises to ensure that our muscles stay loose and do not develop more trigger point problems. At Rose, we sometimes use two simple stretches that help our clients keep loose and pain free after a dry needling session.
QL Stretch in Doorway: Finding a doorframe and keeping your feet together, reach your arms up overhead and grab onto the doorframe, you should feel this stretch in your low back region. The QL muscle runs from your last rib to the top of your iliac crest or hip bone in the back.
Bridges: Laying on your back, contract your core by bringing your belly button toward your spine this will help tighten your natural back brace which are your abdominals. Then make sure you are breathing and not bearing down. Then use your glutes to bring your hips up toward the ceiling and back down.
When to see a physical therapist for low back pain?
While lower back pain is extremely common, it is not something you have to live with every day. Improving hip flexibility and core stability as well as lengthening the back muscles by stretching can help reduce the symptoms of lower back pain. However, if your back pain is chronic, it is time to make an appointment at Rose Physical Therapy Group.
Rose Physical Therapy is here in Washington, DC to help!
If you have lower back pain that has prompted you to read through this blog entry, it's probably time to give us a call to setup an appointment right away, or schedule through our website. Either our office in downtown Washington, DC between Dupont Circle and Farragut Square, or at our office in Navy Yard and Capitol Riverfront, just a few blocks from Capitol Hill has the best area physical thearpists who are capable of getting you on the track to recovery. One-on-one appointments at Rose are about one hour duration with a physical therapist, never a technician. Rose physical therapists are the best trained in the region. And Rose Physical Therapy in Washington, DC accepts most private health insurance so that the best physical therapy is also affordable for you based on your insurance plan.