Has anyone had PT for low back pain and did it help?

Yeah when you have knots in a muscle group, you know it. I'm glad you found a resolution. PTs are worth their weight in platinum.

I was surprised at the diagnosis from the MRI - tight lower back muscles? I'm not even sure I know how a radiologist sees that, but apparently that was true because the stretching I described fixed the cramping.

Good for you for working with a PT. I have a personal trainer at the gym, I see him for 45 minutes twice a week. I've had plenty of ailments and surgeries since starting to work with him, and he always has ways to work with or around a problem area.

And he has shown me so many different ways to perform an exercise to benefit a particular part of my body. I would never figure out these things myself. They are a bit on the expensive side, but it's some of the best money my wife and I spend. And it's for the good of our health, which has no price.

I have had PT several times over the decades for lumbar pain and probably wouldn't have had to repeat it had I kept up my exercise routine. It requires a lifetime commitment to the exercises but have always helped with reducing pain. Get a new therapist if you can't your current one to concentrate on your lumbar region.

I'm going to have to try your chair stretch! Thanks for explaining it!

You're very welcome. I was surprised to learn that a tight lower back could trigger bursts of sciatica-pinched pain. So anyway you can stretch your lower back safely might relieve some of this pressure on the sciatic nerve.

I can’t find the chair stretch described. Would someone mind resharing it? That reminded me that tight hamstrings can also cause low back pain/tightness. Gee, maybe I should try it some time 😂. as was said, I can go to PT, but it is a lifelong program to keep things going, for me.

Like Joe, I have a trainer, twice a week. Very knowledgable and helps so much with core and knows a work-around for what seems like any ache or pain. It is pricy, but as long as I can afford to do it, I will.

I had PT for chronic back pain. Didn't really help. I have had the for 3 years. MRIs of thoracic and lumbar. 3 back surgeons all say back bone looks great. Have no idea why I have back pain. Have had acupuncture, spinal Decompression, epidural, and ablation. Nothing has helped. My Oncologist is keeping an eye on my Myeloma and I wonder if this is cause of back pain. Surgeons don't even think of this or ask about it.

Yes and it did not help.

Yes. Somewhat. Helped with muscle spasms. But it not one and done. Esp the scraping tool was helpful. I always walked better leaving. I also see a chiropractor every other week. She esp helps my kegs be the same length which helps my back.

Hi, I’m sorry about your back pain. I’ve done PT for low back pain and it has helped enormously. I have arthritis of the SI joint and my back pain was constant. I had pt many years ago and most days, I have no back pain. I continue to be active. There are even a couple pt exercises I do before I get out of bed. I do yoga, walk and exercise at the gym a few times a week. I’d say don’t give up on PT or find another therapist if yours isn’t helping. Best wishes to you!

I’ve done it for 30 years, lol! To be honest, some of that needs to be done to be documented for the insurance company that you’ve moved through that phase and then onto something else. I recommend the most important thing is to have a qualified orthopedic surgeon who you work with Who will tell you when you need surgery and when you should be referred for PT or other pain management. I also want to recommend that you look into MFR myofascial tissue release and I’m sure that will help part of your problem! (If you get the right MFR therapist) I tried several before I found a really good one. And I can tell you that all the grueling pain I go through when he massages the lower lumbar cervical spine, which is impacted by my scoliosis (I’ve already had surgery in my lumbar at L3 L4, L5.) however, the areas around it are weakening, and the scoliosis is Now Causing muscles to be weakened in the surrounding areas. The deep myofascial tissue release is amazing. Planting Inc regularly I go twice a month and I pay out of my own pocket because I found a great guy. I always feel like I need back surgery again but after I get up off the table, I have a new life for a couple weeks. It’s really hard as we age to keep those para spinal muscle muscles strong (the little muscles that come off the spine); especially where you have had surgery or fusion (hardware that holds your bones apart keeping them straight) and areas around where your scoliosis is. The MFR I will be doing for the rest of my life. It stays off the next spine surgeries which will remedy the increasing scoliosis as my back degenerates. I hope you can advocate for yourself or have someone who can help you. Sometimes it can be very defeating, but I have really great days interspersed with the crappy ones and I just keep in mind what I still need to accomplish for the rest of my life and that gets me through. Good luck.