Low Back Pain

Case Description: Patient is a 39 year old female who presented to physical therapy with a 7 year history of severe right sided low back pain.  She had sought relief from relief from chiropractic care, massage therapists, and over the counter medications in the past with no relief.  Her main goal was to be able to work and enjoy playing with her daughter without worrying about her low back pain. 

Objective Measures: Patient had severe pelvic asymmetries and noted muscle imbalances in addition to a fear of movement (thought it would make her pain worse). Patient was treated for 12 sessions over a 2 month period. Treatment consisted of patient specific core/hip stabilization, stretching, and lifting mechanics to address her impairments.  She was also provided with individualized exercises to maintain/improve upon her status at discharge. 

Outcomes/Summary: Her VAS for pain in her low back improved from 4-10/10 to 0-1/10 and her Oswestry Disability Scale for LBP score improved from 20% impairment to 0% impairment.  Patient demonstrated improvements in posture, lumbopelvic control, hip girdle strength, and even ability to safely lift up to 40 lbs without aggravating her low back.  

Patient Comments at Discharge: “Really started to think I would be in constant pain. So pleased with the results…Gave me the tools to put an end to 7 years of pain that I had endured thinking there was nothing that could be done. Thank you!”

Sincerely,

Luke Vander Zouwen, DPT
Full Potential Physical Therapy