Physical Therapy plays an important role not only in treating persistent or recurrent low back pain, but also in prevention and risk reduction of future occurrences. If you have experienced low back pain, you are not alone. Approximately one quarter of Americans report experiencing low back pain within the past 3 months at any given time. Low back pain often occurs due to overuse, strain or injury. This includes too much bending, twisting, lifting, and even too much sitting.
How Can You Prevent Low Back Pain?
Keep your back, stomach, and leg muscles strong and flexible. Maintain a regular fitness regimen – staying active can help prevent injuries!
Don’t slouch – keep good posture! Keeping your body in alignment allows it to be more efficient when you move.
Ask for help or use an assistive device to lift heavy objects. If you are lifting something heavy, keep the load close to your body.
If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.
We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.
A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:
You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping and cupping as needed
The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
You should wear loose clothes that make it easy to move. We also recommend sneakers. Workout clothes will work, but any comfortable clothing will work fine. Plan on giving your therapist access to your area of concern. The less your clothes restrict your movement and the more comfortable you are, the better. Shorts, yoga pants, or athletic/loose fitting pants and a tee shirt are all good options.
Great staff and facility. Improvement and relief evident by treatment received.
This is by far the best PT office I have been to.
Dottie
This is the best PT I have ever had anywhere, and I have gone to about 6 differenet places.
R. Hukil
Staff know there stuff, I will personally recommend to my doctor that he use your facility.
Steve
Scheduling is extremely patient friendly and everyone is outstanding.
Dennis
My thanks to you and Progressive Physical Therapy for the excellent care enabling me to get back to full activity. First and foremost are the competent caring personnel. Their knowledge, support, and encouragement are critical to the success of your program. Working with state of the art equipment, they are the basis of your outstanding operation. I also wish to acknowledge the excellence of the maintenance program, which is equivalent to having a personal trainer and access to all the necessary workout tools at reasonable cost.
Ronald Danzig, M.D.
It is a real team-playing environment in that everyone helps one another and as a patient it makes you feel like you won’t fall through the cracks because someone isn’t watching out for you. It is evident that no matter how the patients are assigned the first concern is the patient’s care.
Estella Pre’Jean
There is never a time that I am there where the atmosphere there is not positive and upbeat. It truly is a joy to come in.
Jon G. Mullins
1000 Steps gets me up and moving in ways that help my problem areas – the stiffness, slowness and balance issues from my Parkinsons disease, and the pain and limitations from my problem discs, hip and hamstring. The personalized, encouraging focus from the trainer/instructor helps me pace myself and work through my problem areas – all the while motivating me very effectively not only to continue through the whole hour, but to take walks in my neighborhood and to do key exercises at home, things I’ve resisted for so long.
D.S. Winnetka
I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your hard work and dedication in my treatment for my shoulder. I know I have seen you a few times for back issues but this time was completely different for me.I will ONLY come to Progressive because everyone there always treats me well and is friendly and happy. You are incredibly thorough and truly listen to your patients… and, believe it or not, I do listen to you and continue to do my exercises at home. Thank you for your time the last 2 months… I might not be 100% yet, but I’m getting there!
Sandy Smith
I was as good as I could be during the 2 week combination of cruising and traveling in Rome; balanced, steady. Used cane due to increased walking but proved travelable, as long as I modified my touring schedule and had Stu by my side. Wonderful, wonderful trip that proved so much to both of us. Very fortunate. Often had to climb big, strange flights of stairs to ladies’ rooms and always inspired by Tatiana’s practices with me. Also used some of our exercises on long plane rides to keep feet, legs from freezing or swelling; came very naturally to me. Anxious to return to at least 1x weekly, if not 2x.
Dena
I go to Progressive Physical Therapy once or twice a week for one hour of specialized movements and exercises that help me – as a senior with chronic and neurological conditions – to maintain my balance, my strength, my movement and independence. They call it “1000 Steps,” but it’s really just whatever helps me to keep moving. The expertise and caring concern that I have found at Progressive for various needs over the last dozen years have greatly augmented the medical care and alternative therapies I receive from other sources to keep me fit and confident.
Dena S.
My family and I have been patients for everything from knee and shoulder surgeries, car accident rehab, sports training, arthritis rehab, stretching, strengthening and vestibular and balance therapy. No matter your age, they are by far the very best physical therapy establishment around. The entire staff is extremely knowledgeable, efficient, kind, accommodating and very helpful. An added plus is that you can continue your P.T. program on your own after completion of your therapy and for a reasonable monthly fee.
Marlene M.
By accident I picked Progressive Physical Therapy. How lucky can I guy get! I had major foot surgery on my 60 year old foot at Kerlan-Jobe. I was not sure I would be able to go back to work again on cement floors 9 hours a day. Thank you to Shelly C. and the rest of the staff for directing, correcting and encouraging me. I’ll miss the experience. So after 20 visits later, it’s back to work I go.
Richard R.
I have been using the STAR 1 on 1 system for the past 5 weeks. So far I have lost a total of 22 lbs of weight. In addition, my chest has been reduced by 4 inches and my waist is 4-1/2 inches smaller. What I like most of this program is that I am losing weight the natural way, working out and eating well. Hanniel is a great motivator. I have exceeded my expectations and results thanks to his support and guidance. Each week I am capable of doing more in the workout and I lose more weight. Health wise I feel 100% better. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to lose weight the correct way.
Victor Quiroz
The STAR small group training program at Progressive Physical Therapy is a great program! In only two months I have lost 20lbs and inches in all the right places. The personal trainers, Nino and Lorena, are very motivating and great fun to workout with. The great benefit of working out with a small group is that you still get the one on one attention from a trainer but also the camaraderie of being with a group. The program incorporates physical training with nutritional guidance and this has made all the difference in my success.
I have been a part of Progressive Physical Therapy’s STAR Small Group Training program since January 6, 2014. We have been working out three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for an hour each session. In a two month period, I have lost 11 lbs. and over 10 inches in my waist and hips alone! Our trainers/ nutritionists, Nino and Lorena, are not only great to work with, but they are motivating and have a great sense of humor. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in not only losing weight, but reshaping and strengthening your body.
