Active Spine Program

Primary Assessment

Your care planning process begins with a detailed history and physical exam. Your medical team will pay careful attention to your current activity level, and your social habits like smoking, use of alcohol, and diet. We always consider your pain level during the examination, modifying the exam to ensure that you are comfortable.

During the assessment, the therapist will check your range of motion, strength and flexibility. We will ask you to move into different positions to determine which ones aggravate your pain. This movement test will help us assess your general level of conditioning as well, providing a baseline that we will use to begin your therapy.

We also may take measurements of your aerobic capacity and body composition. These tests are painless and easy to administer, and they give the therapist some objective data to track your progress.

Your Care Plan

Using all of the information gathered during the testing, your therapists will set up a personalized program for you.

We will use a progressive exercise program, increasing the level of exercise as you gain strength and reduce pain. You will learn safe ways to strengthen the muscles around your spine, improve your aerobic fitness, and avoid stressing your spine during everyday activities.

In order to fully rehabilitate the spine, our physical therapists may suggest active therapies, or exercise programs, that include a combination of:

• Stretching: Low back pain is associated with tight hamstring muscles. People who suffer from lower back pain should stretch their hamstring muscles once or twice a day for 30-45 seconds at a time. The hamstring muscle may be stretched in several different ways, from most difficult to least difficult. 
  Learn more about hamstring stretching.
• Strengthening: To strengthen back muscles, the two most commonly prescribed exercises are McKenzie or lumbar stabilization exercises. Patients should do 15-20 minutes of exercising, every other day. Learn more about strengthening exercises.
• Low-impact aerobic conditioning: Low impact aerobics (such as walking, bicycling, or swimming) should be done for 30-40 minutes three times a week, on alternate days from the strengthening exercises. Learn more about aerobic exercise.

On average, we see patients for 5 or 6 visits. During each visit, we teach you the tools you need to reduce pain and increase your mobility on your own, either at home or at your gym or health club. We pay close attention to proper form in executing each exercise, to be sure that you achieve the results you seek. 

Group Class

If you prefer the additional motivation and supervision of ongoing, regular visits, we can offer you the opportunity to join our group exercise class. In the class you will learn a series of routines designed to motivate you and help you maintain continuous progress.

The classes, which are taught by an experience physical therapist or athletic trainer, are fun and energetic. They focus on maintaining the principles learned in physical therapy, as well as on general health and weight loss.

The Level 1 class is for those who are new to exercise and are looking to maintain their spine and general health. For those who want more physical challenge, the Level 2 class focuses on sport/athletic performance.