Course Description:

Spinal pain is one of the most common diagnoses among patients referred to physical therapy and other healthcare related professions in the United States. Unless you are in a specialty clinic that does not treat spinal pain, you will likely see many patients with some form of spinal pain diagnosis. There are many schools of thought in the research community regarding the recurrence of back pain. 1 considers the multifidus muscle atrophy that occurs with lumbar pain and continues even after the patient is initially symptom-free, leading to chronic low back pain. Another school of thought is that it is the quality of the movement within the paraspinals, multifidus included, as well as abdominal motor control that leads to recurrence of back pain. The American College of Physicians recommends utilizing non-invasive and non-pharmacological methods such as exercise, spinal manipulation, or heat therapy as treatment approaches for acute or chronic low back pain prior to using medication. In this course, you will learn how to safely, effectively, and efficiently perform neutral lumbar spine stabilization to help with paraspinal strengthening and motor control for patients with various lumbar spine dysfunctions. A thorough guide of anatomical structures, lumbar spine evaluation, treatment methods, contraindications as well as proper exercise techniques and positioning with pictures, is included to enhance carry over. Various resources are provided to help you review the guide quickly. After all, the safe treatment of patients is the foremost consideration of all responsible clinicians!