Question: I am an 88-year-old man with arthritis in my lower back that has recently flared up. My doctor wants me to have physical therapy, but how can this help me?
Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Lower back arthritis can be significantly relieved with good physical therapy. Most often this is caused by many factors or even degenerative disc disease with co-existing arthritic changes. In any event, physical therapy can help you maintain motion and ease discomfort, minimizing your medication needs also.
Our backs actually heal faster when motion is maintained, and circulation, and muscle tone is preserved. Physical therapy is appropriate for degenerative condition flare-ups, as well as much safer than relying on procedures, blocks, and multiple medications.
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