Back Pain

February 9 2026

Do I need an MRI for low back pain? Copy

When Do I Need An MRI for Low Back Pain?

I had another patient tell me on the phone they are waiting to start physical therapy until they get an MRI, because “that way you’ll know what to treat.” I see the logic in this patient’s thinking. It makes sense. How could we possibly know what we are treating until we have an image of what is going on? In her mind, an MRI would provide that image to help guide my treatment so I can “fix” her condition.

What Does an X-Ray or MRI Image Show?

The reality is: X-ray and MRI imaging doesn’t tell the whole story. MRI images don’t tell us or any doctor “how” your low back pain started. MRI images don’t tell us “why” you have low back pain. When you get your MRI report back with statements like degenerative disc disease or degenerative joint disease, facet joint arthropathy, or spinal stenosis. You won’t know how commonly those conditions are found even in people without low back pain. In order to treat your condition, we need to know “how” and “why”.

Here is an article was written in 2011 about the new guidelines for primary care doctors regarding the management of low back pain. In the article, they talk about the high cost of getting the images and how they rarely help with managing low back pain. One of the more shocking admissions was how often getting an MRI for low back pain led to “unnecessary interventions” like injections and surgery.

This knowledge should give hope to low back pain sufferers frightened that surgery is going to be their only option. More and more evidence is demonstrating the best treatment for over 90% of all low back pain is exercise.

Check out how at Preferred Physical Therapy we can help you resolve your back pain: https://preferredptaz.com/back-pain/

When is it Time For an MRI?

To better help us (both providers and the public) understand how to triage low back pain cases that would need an MRI from those that don’t need an MRI, An article posted in 2006 divides low back pain into 2 categories.

1) Specific Low Back Pain – symptoms caused by specific tissue breakdowns such as herniated nuclei pulpusi, infection, osteoporisis, rheumatoid arthritis, fracture, or tumor. This constituted less than 10% of all cases in the US.
2) Non-Specific Low Back Pain – symptoms without a clear specific cause. This constituted more than 90% of all cases in the US.

It is a good time to get an MRI to rule out specific low back pain conditions. Providers must be able to decide based on the history and physical examination of the patient if there are any “Red Flag Conditions” that would suggest an MRI be the next appropriate next step.

These “Red Flag Conditions” are:

Non-mechanical pain (pain is not related to the time of day or type of activity)
Inclusion of Thoracic Spine Pain
Previous history of carcinoma, steroids, or HIV
Generally feeling “unwell”
Unexplained or unplanned weight loss
Widespread neurological symptoms
Structural spinal deformity
Younger than 20 and or older than 55 years of age

Another consideration for MRI imaging is the presence of nerve root problems. These symptoms include:

Pain down one leg more intense than pain in the low back
Pain radiating down to the foot or toes
Numbness or decreased sensation in one leg different than the other
Straight leg raise test causes more pain on one leg than the other
Pinching or compression on a single nerve root usually from a disc bulge, narrowing of the canal space where the nerve root exits or the presence of a tumor (very rare, only 0.3% of cases)

Neurological symptoms are considered “yellow flag” symptoms and are less likely to require an MRI when your low back pain improves or gets worse with specific movements

If I have Non-Specific Low Back Pain, What do I do Now?

The recommended course of treatment includes getting an assessment from a specialist who treats low back pain and can assess your unique movement habits, identify restrictions in your joints, and evaluate your core strength. This information is better at describing “why” and “how” you have low back pain. The assessment from a specialist provider will help turn “non-specific” low back pain into a specific treatment plan.

This next part gets a little tricky because it’s easier than ever to jump over to youtube and look for “exercises for low back pain”. While it’s possible many of those exercises will help and will be better than doing nothing. Don’t make the mistake several people make in thinking that just because your low back pain is labeled “non-specific” doesn’t mean the treatment should also be “non-specific”.

Doing “all the exercises” can make your pain worse, delay recovery, and waste a lot of time. If you’ve been suffering for a few months or if your episodes of low back pain are occurring more often and lasting longer… Would it be such a bad idea to have a specialist evaluate your low back pain?

Do you have chronic low back pain? Check out this at-home low back pain program. Click here

Conclusion

The short answer is we don’t need an MRI or an x-ray to know what is going on. There is no correlation between what is found in the MRI to what is causing your pain with 90% of the population who suffer from “non-specific” low back pain.

One reason low back pain sufferers feel compelled to get an MRI is the need to justify the amount of pain they are in based on the diagnosis. As if being told they have “non-specific” low back pain is the same as being told the pain they are feeling is “all in your head”. When you’re in pain, being told it’s all in your head is hurtful.

Also hurtful to many patients is coming back with the MRI report and seeing “mild” describing all the findings. Many are left frustrated and say to me, “how can it be mild when my back hurts so bad!” This is because there is no correlation between the findings of an MRI and the amount of back pain you have. The image reports on the condition of your spine which is highly subjective by the radiologist and highly predictable given your age and background.

An MRI shows you an image of your spine, joints, discs, and nerves and is only indicated for “specific low back pain” conditions such as cancer or severe nerve involvement are suspected.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 7 2026

Do I need an MRI for low back pain?

alvin Back Pain 0

When Do I Need An MRI for Low Back Pain?

What Does an X-Ray or MRI Image Show?

Check out how at Preferred Physical Therapy we can help you resolve your back pain: https://preferredptaz.com/back-pain/

When is it Time For an MRI?

1) Specific Low Back Pain – symptoms caused by specific tissue breakdowns such as herniated nuclei pulpusi, infection, osteoporisis, rheumatoid arthritis, fracture, or tumor. This constituted less than 10% of all cases in the US.
2) Non-Specific Low Back Pain – symptoms without a clear specific cause. This constituted more than 90% of all cases in the US.

These “Red Flag Conditions” are:

Non-mechanical pain (pain is not related to the time of day or type of activity)
Inclusion of Thoracic Spine Pain
Previous history of carcinoma, steroids, or HIV
Generally feeling “unwell”
Unexplained or unplanned weight loss
Widespread neurological symptoms
Structural spinal deformity
Younger than 20 and or older than 55 years of age

Another consideration for MRI imaging is the presence of nerve root problems. These symptoms include:

Pain down one leg more intense than pain in the low back
Pain radiating down to the foot or toes
Numbness or decreased sensation in one leg different than the other
Straight leg raise test causes more pain on one leg than the other
Pinching or compression on a single nerve root usually from a disc bulge, narrowing of the canal space where the nerve root exits or the presence of a tumor (very rare, only 0.3% of cases)

Neurological symptoms are considered “yellow flag” symptoms and are less likely to require an MRI when your low back pain improves or gets worse with specific movements

If I have Non-Specific Low Back Pain, What do I do Now?

Do you have chronic low back pain? Check out this at-home low back pain program. Click here

Conclusion

An MRI shows you an image of your spine, joints, discs, and nerves and is only indicated for “specific low back pain” conditions such as cancer or severe nerve involvement are suspected.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 7 2026

Lower Back Pain Relief

alvin Back Pain 0

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

A common way one may get back pain is a muscle strain, poor posture over time, lifting heavy things, and sports injuries. When you try to lift heavy weights too soon at the gym or when you do a sudden movement and you feel a strain in your back muscles.

This can cause painful spasms or uncomfortable aches in your back. Another way you may have lower back pain is if you rupture your disk and it’s pressing on a nerve. Disks sit between each vertebra in your spine and act as an extra cushion to protect your spine.

How Do You Treat Lower Back Pain?

If you’ve tried using heating pads, back braces, and resting, waiting for your back to heal on its own then you need to try these couple tips on how to treat your lower back pain. One tip is to try to avoid sitting for long periods of time.

Sitting for longer periods of time can cause your back to stiffen up. If you’re able to, try getting up and taking a short break more often by taking a walk, filling up your water bottle, and stretching your back. If you’re unable to get up often, try having a better chair to sit in. Make sure it provides you with good lumbar support.

To Learn More About If You Need An MRI For Low Back Pain Read This Blog.

Do I Use Heat Or Ice For My Back Pain?

This is a very popular question I get for every sort of ache and pain. For back pain, you should actually use both ice and heat. They are used for different occasions. Use heat when you are getting your back ready to get up in the morning or exercise. Make sure to place something between your skin and the heating pad so you do not burn your skin.

A hot shower can also provide you with relief. The best time to use ice is after exercise or throughout the day. Use an ice pack for around 10 minutes but apply it often. Make sure to use a towel or something to place between your skin and the ice pack.

Low Impact Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Low impact aerobic exercises are your best bet when struggling with lower back pain. These low-impact exercises are more unlikely to strain or pinch your back. These types of exercises include swimming, walking, pilates, and stationary bikes.

Stretching is another important part to help relieve lower back pain such as:

One common stretch is called the Cat-cow stretch. To perform this stretch you start by getting on your hands and knees. You arch your back by pulling your belly button up toward your spine, letting your head drop. This is the cat position. It’s called the cat position because it looks like a scared cat with its back arched. Hold this position for around 10 seconds and then return to the starting position. Then raise your head up and push your back towards the floor making sure you are engaging your core.
Pelvic tilt: To perform this stretch you start by lying on your back on the ground or your bed. Have your knees bent while having your feet flat on the floor. Then use your abdominal muscles to pull your pelvis in toward your belly button and then outwards. Hold this position for about 10 seconds and then release and restart the exercise. This stretch helps to relieve tension in your lower back.
Knee to Chest: This stretch helps your hips and glutes more than your lower back. Lie on your back either on the floor or on your bed for more cushion. Keep one leg extended and have your other left bent so your hand is on your knee. Draw your knee into your chest, while avoiding lifting your hips off of the ground. If your hands can not meet with your leg you can use a towel around your leg. Make sure to breathe throughout the exercise and hold around 30 seconds to a minute and then repeat with your other leg.

Hear From One Of Our Patients

Meet Anna, one of our past patients. Over time her pain began to prevent her from dusting, vacuuming, and doing other everyday tasks. Her pain was even impacting her to be able to get any sleep. She was suffering from back pain for over three years. She did not think the improvement was even possible because her pain got so bad. After one-on-one care with our therapists, Anna is now able to finally move without pain even without the help of pain pills, surgery, or injections.

Hear From Anna

Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, Arizona

At Preferred Physical Therapy we want to know your story and what you are going through so we can help you live pain-free and avoid using painkillers and surgery. Once we have a call with you to discuss your health goals and to see if we would be a great fit together. Once we know it will be a great fit together we work to get to the root cause of your pain.

An example of a case we corrected is Shoulder pain and difficulty sleeping because of a herniated disc in the neck resolved with neck exercises, decompression, and dry needling after they spent months at a regular physical therapy clinic doing shoulder exercises for his rotator cuff.

We create a personalized plan of care just for you since each person and case is different from one another. With a Personalized Plan of Care, you will understand why we’re prescribing you exercises and choosing specific hands-on treatment with feedback from you about what is working and what you’re comfortable with.

Learn More About How We’re Different From Other Physical Therapy Clinics.

If you’re ready to live pain-free without the use of painkillers, surgery, and injections then call our clinic at 623-486-3333 to see if we can help you.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Discovery Visit

February 6 2026

5 Most Commonly Asked Questions To Relieve Chronic Low Back Pain, Which One Will Help You?

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Chronic Low Back pain is any physical pain or aches that occur anywhere on the back. Back pain can present itself in many different ways. It can range all the way from muscle aching to shooting or even stabbing pain.

The pain may even carry down your leg or worsen when you bend or walk. A common cause can be a muscle strain from lifting a heavy object or from an awkward fast movement that can strain your back. If you rupture a disk in your spine that occurs between the bones in your spine.

Arthritis can also be a common cause of back pain. In some people, arthritis in the spine can lead to spinal stenosis which is when the space around the spinal cord gets smaller. Osteoarthritis is another condition that causes chronic low back pain.

Back pain is known to affect older people starting around the age of 30 to 40 but anyone can get back pain.

If you’re experiencing back pain and looking for relief try these frequently asked questions:

1. Should I use Heat or Ice For Back Pain?

Use ice when you’re in pain and you feel the area start to swell. The ice helps to stop the swelling and reduce the pain. You can use an ice pack or even a bag of something frozen such as peas. If it’s ice you can place it right on the skin. if it’s a reusable gel pack you need to use a towel or blanket in-between the ice pack and your skin. Keep it on your skin for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Use a heating pad a few days after using ice to help the area loosen up and increase circulation. Just like the ice pack, do not place it directly on your skin and use it for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

2. Do Supportive Shoes Alleviate Chronic Low Back Pain?

Back pain can occur from other areas of your body such as your feet, hip, or knees. Different types of shoes can be tough on your back. The best example is wearing high heels for hours. The less support the more tear and pressure on your muscles. Wearing supportive shoes can help take off that pressure on your back and fix your posture.

If you wear heels often try wearing sneakers when on the go and then wearing heels when the time comes to give your feet a rest beforehand.

3. Does Getting a New Mattress Help with Chronic Low Back Pain?

Do you know how long you’ve had your mattress? Has it been over 6 years?

If your mattress is sagging a lot and it’s been a while since you’ve had it, it may be time for a new one. Back pain can also be caused by the firmness of your mattress. A physician, Carmen R. Green, MD, at the University of Michigan Back & Pain Center, says a firm mattress may not be doing you good. People with lower back pain who sleep on a medium-firm mattress do better than those with firm beds, she says.

4. Should I Try Cupping Therapy?

If you don’t know what cupping is, it’s when suction from cups allows for the separation of deeper tissues to free restrictions which allows for greater mobility of the muscles and less joint compression.

Cupping is for anyone who seems to have chronic muscle tension associated with joint stiffness that has not been relieved with a traditional massage. There is minimal pain if any when performing cupping but some bruising may occur.

Try cupping today to see if it can help you.

5. Can Physical Therapy Help With My Back Pain?

Physical therapy helps to relieve any pain and aches you may be dealing with for a number of reasons. You receive hands-on care and exercises to increase your strength and mobility. Physical therapists help to maintain, restore, promote, diagnose and determine physical health.

You will be evaluated by a doctor of physical therapy to determine which of the 4 treatment categories you belong to. Here is a very detailed article that I’ll summarize for you.

These 4 categories are:

Manual or Manipulation Therapy
Specific Exercise
Stabilization
Traction

Manual or Manipulation Therapy

This group of patients are typically under 40 years old, started having pain within 16 days of getting treatment, do NOT have radiating down their legs past the knee, and are not worried about having their back manipulated or cracked. Additionally, patients who respond well to spinal manipulation will have one hip stiffer than 35 degrees of inward rotation. If you have 4 of the 5 conditions listed above you will have a 95% chance of recovery with treatments like massage, spinal manipulation, cupping, dry needling, and spinal mobilization.

Specific Exercise

This group of patients will have chronic low back pain that improves with specific movements. The 2 most common movement patterns that either increase or decrease pain are flexion, bending forward, and extension, or bending backward. Once the preferred movement direction is found, a treatment program can be designed to return to pain-free movements.

Stabilization

The group of patients found to have a straight leg test of more than 91 degrees, be younger than 40, have a positive prone instability test, and need help to move out of end-range positions. A straight leg raise test means you are able to raise their leg straight up with their knee straight while laying on their back. Prone instability tests are done by a physical therapist to test if the low back pain improves with active stabilization of the spinal muscles. This test indicates a patient will benefit from spinal stabilization exercises and improve motor control patterns.

Traction

This treatment is declining in popularity among providers because of the short-term benefit and lack of patient activity. However, the access to at-home traction devices has gone up considerably with inversion tables to treat low back pain. This group is identified as one with pain and symptoms that go down the leg, symptoms and pain increase with standing extension, and have a positive cross-over straight leg test. This is a test that correlates to nerve compression at the nerve root level. When 3 out of 4 of the criteria are met, the patient would benefit from traction according to this study.

Conclusion

Preferred Physical Therapy in Glendale, AZ helps people 40 and above in Glendale and Peoria stay active and independent, live free from painkillers and avoid surgery, even if they have had pain for years.

If you are suffering from low back pain and have not had results from your current treatment we would like you to consider working with us. It all starts with the first phone call. This is where our front desk team learns what you’ve been going through, missing out on, and wanting to achieve with physical therapy.

Then this information is shared with all of the physical therapists so the whole team knows what’s going on with you specifically. You then come in for an initial evaluation where you do some tests with the therapists and talk one-on-one so they can learn more about you and your case.

They will diagnose you with a treatment protocol that best addresses your root cause and prescribe a set amount of appointments depending on how much care they think you’ll need to achieve your goals.

Your hands-on and exercise treatment is solely based on you and your needs so everyone’s treatment looks different. You may work with a different physical therapist every time you come since we want to make sure you get different opinions and treatment but a unified ending of being pain-free.

Our physical therapists discuss every patient and work together to create a plan. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in and if you’re ready for a change call 623-486-3333.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 6 2026

How To Prevent Back Pain When Golfing

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The Masters is starting on April 7th. I thought it would be fitting to talk about how to prevent back pain when golfing. In Arizona, you’ll see a golf course almost on every block. Golfing in Arizona is a big deal and how could you not take up this sport with such wonderful weather 24/7. However, with the increased amount of times, you may be hitting the links, the more likely you are to strain or injure yourself. In this article, you will learn ways to prevent back pain when golfing.

Ways to prevent back pain when golfing:

Warm-up

Many golf early in the morning to beat the Arizona heat. Pulling right up to the first tee and hitting a club is a sure way of straining your back and causing you pain. Before your tee time if you come 10 -15 minutes early try hitting a few balls on the range.

Watch this video for some pre golf stretches from a physical therapist.

Start slowly and then once you feel warmed up you can speed up your swing to get yourself ready. You don’t want to tire yourself too much when you feel a nice sweat and are warmed up is when you should stop until your tee time. You can start with your irons and wedges and then move to the driver lastly to prepare your body for the torque and force. If you do not have time to go to the range and have to go start to the tee box try taking a few practice swings before hitting.

For your warm-up, you can also do some stretches to help stretch out your hips and back before playing and jumping jacks to increase your blood flow.

Improve Your Golf Swing

Many times you may be experiencing back pain or any pain due to the fact that your swing may be slightly off causing tightness in your back. If you are using your back too much or little, that can be causing some uncomfortable pain when you’re playing.

To reduce injury you can reduce the strain on your spine by keeping it upright. You can do this by standing closer to the ball which will reduce the bend of your spine. Keeping your knees slightly bent can help the golf club to hit the ball without causing your lower back to bend too much.

Uncomfortable pain can even come from the fact that your hips or back aren’t strong enough to have a proper swing form. A way to deter this would be to start to work out to incorporate it into your life. Once you start to get stronger your swing may also be stronger. If you need help with increasing your strength then physical therapy would be helpful to you.

Developing an easy fluid swing can help to limit the forces on your back and hips, preventing any pain or long-term problems in the future.

Carrying A Golf Bag

Golf bags can weigh anywhere from 25 to 30 pounds and a professional bag can weigh up to 50 pounds. Many golfers love to carry their bags for an extra workout on the course. Making sure you are carrying your bag correctly and drinking enough water in the summer is highly imperative to a successful day on the course.

You can do this by making sure to lift with your knees instead of your back and limit the number of times you need to pick up your bag. Also using both straps can help to even out the weight across your back. Make sure you only have what you need in your bag to lower the weight you are carrying.

If necessary you can always use a cart as well if you are not physically ready to carry a golf bag when golfing, especially in the Arizona heat.

After Golf Cool Down

Cooling down is always important when doing any form of physical exercise. Some things you can do to cool down is go for a brisk walk to help lower your body temperature and heart rate. Doing some stretches for your back, hamstrings, and pelvis or yoga poses can help increase the likelihood of your muscles not cramping afterward.

Yoga for back pain.

Make sure to energize yourself with some water or electrolytes and a light snack or meal.

Read this blog to learn more about muscle recovery.

Preferred Physical Therapy For Back Pain

Preferred Physical Therapy is a clinic in Glendale, Arizona that specializes in helping people 40 and above stay active and independent, live free from pain killers and avoid surgery, even if they have had pain for years. We value getting to the root cause of our patient’s problems and spending one-on-one time with them to ensure they get the care they need.

Our patients receive exercises designed to help just their problems and are treated as an individual instead of a number. Depending on what the physical therapist sees fit you will be given an action plan that determines how long you may need physical therapy at that time. If you’ve been struggling with any pain and want to get back to the golf course give us a call at 623-486-3333 to learn how we can help you today.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

What Should I Do About Back Pain after a Car Accident?

February 6 2026

How To Prevent Back Pain When Golfing

alvin Back Pain 0

At times someone who was in a car accident may not take their injuries as seriously as they should. If you’ve received back pain from a car accident and wait longer than you should you may experience back pain for longer than needed. “An estimated 2.4 million people were injured in car accidents across the country. The most common injury statistics stemming from a car accident are neck pain and back pain.”

Back pain from a car accident is very common and can persist for a few days to a week. After consulting a doctor to make sure your injury isn’t life-threatening, there are things you can do to help your back recover. However, if it goes on any longer than a week further help may be needed besides painkillers and rest.

It can even be debilitating and put you out of work or your daily routine. If you have been in an accident and are suffering from back pain here’s what you should do going forward: manual therapy and gentle exercise.

Manual Therapy for Back Pain

Manual therapy is mainly used by physical therapists to treat pain. It includes joint manipulation, joint mobilization, and maintaining back pain relief for a long time.

The whole idea behind manual therapy is to reduce pain and improve mobility function. This is done when the physical therapists use their hands to place pressure on the muscle tissue in an attempt to decrease back pain caused by muscle tension and muscle spasms.

Can I get back to 100%? Read this blog to learn more.

Back Pain Exercises

You may want to sit and rest for days on end after an accident but that may only cause muscle stiffness and cause more discomfort. Walking around or doing simple movements can help to release that tension.

One exercise you can complete is a curl up. Start but laying down on the floor or bed. Have a pillow underneath your head or two if your neck is in pain. Keep one leg straight and the other bent. Then place your hand in the small of your back and slowly bring your head up a little off the pillow.

Go straight up looking at the ceiling instead of picking your head up straight to your legs. You should pick your head and shoulders up for ten seconds holding it, making sure you engage your core, and then bring your head back down. If you feel a strain in your neck a tip is to place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. For this exercise you only do it on one side you do not switch legs.

Watch this video to follow along with the curl-up exercise.

Another exercise you can do sitting down is the seated march. A seated march is great for building core strength and relieving back pain. You can perform this on a ball or chair. Engage your core and sit up straight and slowly bring one leg up, place it down and then replicate on the other side.

Watch this video of a patient’s success story after being in an automobile accident.

Physical Therapy for Automobile Accidents

Many may not think about physical therapy after a car accident. However, it can be very beneficial especially if you’ve been having aches and pains for a while after the accident. At Preferred Physical Therapy our mission is to get down to the root cause of your problem and diagnose what is really going on to create your treatment plan.

Based on the treatment plan that the physical therapist recommends, then determine the number of visits you need for treatment. This can be anywhere from 8 to 12 visits depending on what they see fit. Every visit includes hands-on time with the therapists and exercises tailored to your condition.

The therapists make sure to go over the exercises with you and answer any questions you may have.

Once you’ve completed all your visits you will have a re-evaluation to determine how far you’ve come and your progress. If more visits are needed then you reschedule another plan and go from there, until you reach your goals and are where you want to be.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 6 2026

What Should I Do About Back Pain after a Car Accident?

alvin Back Pain 0

Manual Therapy for Back Pain

Manual therapy is mainly used by physical therapists to treat pain. It includes joint manipulation, joint mobilization, and maintaining back pain relief for a long time.

Can I get back to 100%? Read this blog to learn more.

Back Pain Exercises

Watch this video to follow along with the curl-up exercise.

Watch this video of a patient’s success story after being in an automobile accident.

Physical Therapy for Automobile Accidents

The therapists make sure to go over the exercises with you and answer any questions you may have.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 6 2026

Ways To Keep Gardening With A Bad Back

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Gardening is a very rewarding hobby, especially once all your flowers and fruits start growing. Gardening is also labor-intensive, having you bend, kneel, and maybe stand in an awkward position to pull weeds, plants, and water.

After all your hard work you don’t want to have to deal with pain in your back, neck, and knees. You want to be able to sit back and unwind after putting in so much work. These ways will help keep you in the garden and help to further prevent injury and pain.

Read these 5 do’s for back pain relief from a physical therapist.

Raised Garden Beds

If you’re an avid gardener then you know all about the crouching, kneeling, and bending that can take a toll on your back. To help prevent this try using raised garden beds to eliminate the use of your back.

If you need more height try buying rolling planters since they are a little more elevated off of the ground. They can be raised to table height or whatever height you desire so you do not have to bend down.

You can even pull up a chair to do some planting or watering making this the easiest spine-friendly way to garden. Hanging baskets or window boxes can be used too if necessary.

Kneeling Bench

If you’re struggling with knee pain you can always have a kneeling-bench handy to use. This allows your knees to be on padding and keeps them protected. They can also double as storage so you do not have to carry as much eliminating back pain.

Extension Tools

Using shovels and rakes can oftentimes cause back pain. Using extensions and attachments can help reduce the amount of pressure put on your back and make using these tools more comfortable.

Putting another handle on a shovel for example can help increase leverage while using these tools. For watering try using a water wand to prevent the need to crouch more.

Take breaks

This tip may be simple but many people may forget to give themselves a break every now and again. Many of us lose track of time when enjoying our favorite hobbies and thus don’t notice how sore our body has gotten.

Reminding yourself to take frequent breaks can take a lot of stress off of your back and help prevent being so sore later in the day. Your body will thank you and you’ll be able to garden for longer without risking an injury.

Watch this video to learn a quick back exercise to help with lower back pain.

Proper shoes

Along with having proper shoes to keep them dry and mud-free you also need shoes that will give you good support while you work in the garden. Any sort of rubber shoe with a little grip on the bottom is a perfect show to withstand getting wet and muddy.

They can also prevent you from falling down and injuring yourself if it’s too muddy at the time.

If you’re wearing a tennis shoe or normal shoes then water can get through them to your feet and ruin the shoe. That’s why it is important for it to be rubber or plastic so water and other things such as sticks and mud can not get through your shoe.

Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Back Pain is a common treatment we treat at Preferred Physical Therapy. Many of our patients came in who have bent down or turned behind them and tweaked their backs. These people have struggled with back pain all their life and have multiple moments of pain due to their back. They may have missed out on family events or workdays due to this pain.

Nothing seems to help even painkillers and laying down. Physical therapy is a great option when experiencing back pain. Our physical therapists at Preferred Physical Therapy go over the root cause of your pain to help determine what is really going on and what needs to be treated. Once they find the root cause they recommend an action plan of how many visits you may need to start out with.

At every visit, you get one on one time with a physical therapist where they go over manipulation therapy, massaging, and stretching. You also do exercises that were given to you for your condition. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, book a discovery visit to see if we would be a good fit and can help you.

Click Here To Arrange A FREE Telephone Consultation

February 5 2026

Lower Back Pain With Sit-Ups? – Here’s why and 2 exercises to do instead

alvin Back Pain 0

80% of people will suffer from low back pain at some time in their life. A proven treatment for low back pain is to do core exercises like sit-ups. But what do you do when the treatment, in this case, sit-ups, is causing low back pain?

People experiencing pain while doing sit-ups either had back pain they were trying to treat by doing core exercises OR are trying to prevent back pain by strengthening part of their core muscles by doing sit-ups.

The purpose of this post is to offer both populations of people alternate exercises to help strengthen core muscles if you currently have low back pain or not.

We first have to know back pain can come on without any event or trauma. It happens from progressive weakening in your core muscles commonly caused by sitting for long periods of time. This gradual weakening of the core muscles can lead to lower back pain from any movement or posture, even a sneeze. See this post answering the question “can a weak core cause back pain?”

Sitting is a form of bracing or casting. Have you ever noticed how skinny someone’s arm is when they first get out of a cast?

This is caused by the muscles getting weaker and smaller from not being used.

The body does this automatically as a way to save energy. These are muscles not being used so it begins to take them away.

Sitting is similar to casting for our core muscles, including, our glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, and abdominal muscles. This core weakness from sitting for long periods of time can lead to low back pain, poor posture, and hip pain.

The medical community has proven time and time again the best treatment for low back pain is movement and exercise with some focus on the muscles that make up your core.

Why do your sit-ups cause lower back pain?

If you spend too much time sitting down, your body will adapt to this position as a way to stay efficient. However, this efficiency leads to core muscles becoming weak which serve as active spinal stabilizers. This is a combination of weak and tight hip flexors and weak glute muscles.

With weak active stabilizers, our body is forced to rely on passive spinal stabilizers such as joints, ligaments, and vertebral discs. The hip flexors anchor to the front of the lumbar spinal vertebrae causing more compression on the discs when they contract forcefully while doing a sit-up.

These structures will respond to this load by forming bone spurs around joints and overstretched ligaments.

Bone spurs lead to stenosis, a condition when the space around nerves narrows, creating an environment for the nerves to be injured more easily.

When ligaments become overstretched they weaken and can be torn. This is how vertebral discs herniate or bulge, which can cause pain but not always.

This is why sit-ups cause low back pain. People will do sit-ups to try to strengthen their core not knowing they need strong and healthy active stabilizers to take pressure off the back.

Sit-ups activate the hip flexors that pull from the front of the lumbar spine causing compression on tender vertebral discs and causing pain. This forward pull from the hip flexors is called anterior tilting of the pelvis.

To learn about common back pain conditions we treat click here.

How do I fix back pain with sit-ups?

To fix back pain with sit-ups you have to know if your core is strong enough. To perform this simple test start by laying on your back (see image below) and tilting your pelvis backward as if to flatten it against the bed or floor you are laying on as seen in the top image below.

As you hold your pelvis backward and your back flat on the floor, try to perform a sit-up.

If your back comes off the floor and arches first and you have pain in your back you need to work on core exercises to stabilize your lumbopelvic muscles. These are the muscle that connects your pelvis and low back. Think glutes, abdominals, hip flexors, groin muscles, and low back extensor muscles among others make up your lumbopelvic stabilizers.

If you are able to do a sit-up but it still hurts this means you have the strength but some of your discs are irritated you need to work on other core muscles to avoid irritating your back while still strengthening the core.

If you can do it without pain, you must remember to keep flattening your back by tilting your pelvis backward before you do each sit-up rep. This is really important. The moment you get too tired and your technique gets sloppy you put yourself at risk for injury or more pain.

What Core Exercise Can I do Instead if Sit-ups Hurt my Low Back?

While there are certainly lots of options here, I’m going to give you two of my favorites. The first one is called the McGill Curl Up:

Start as the top image shows, on your back with one knee bent up and your hands behind your back.

Curl up through your upper trunk and shoulders trying to squeeze your hands behind into the floor with your low back. Hold for 3 seconds 5-10 times.

Progress until you can hold for 10 seconds 10 times without pain in your low back.

The next exercise to help if you have back pain with sit-ups is called the bridge. In this video starting at the 1:11 mark on our youtube channel you can see how to do it correctly.

Start with laying on your back with both knees bent. Tilt your pelvis backward to flatten your back on the floor or bed just like the first exercise listed above.

Once your back is flat keep it flat as you push your feet into the floor and squeeze your glutes to lift off the floor or bed.

Only lift up as high as you can while keeping your pelvis tilted backward. This becomes more difficult to notice the higher up you go so you have to go slow and try to tilt backward as you lift. Perform this 30 times without pain and only go up as high as is not painful.

The reason you have pain with sit-ups is that you have passive core stabilizers like vertebral discs irritated from an already weak set of active spinal stabilizers.

This is usually caused by a weakening of the core muscles from long-term sitting, like at a desk job. We showed you a simple test to demonstrate the strength of your core. We also showed you my two favorite exercises to help low back pain while doing sit-ups.

Comment below if you have any questions.

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February 4 2026

Should You Use Ice Or Heat For Back Pain Relief?

alvin Back Pain 0

If you’re suffering from lower back pain, but you want a natural alternative to painkillers, you may have heard about using ice and heat for back pain relief.

But should you use ice or heat for back pain?

How long, and how often should you use ice or heat?

And can it help your specific type of back pain?

You can find answers to all of these questions in this blog, as well as the best way to get long-term relief from back pain so it doesn’t keep coming back and you can get back to a pain-free, active life doing what you love.

Why Do People Use Heat Or Ice For Back Pain?

Many people like you, want pain relief for their lower back but don’t want to take pills or have injections.

And we understand why.

Pills can have nasty side effects, and injections can be extremely painful and inconvenient to get.

In extreme cases, you might be considering surgery but even that isn’t guaranteed to work and there are lots of risks to think about.

That means you are desperately searching for another option from what your doctor has given you – rest, pills, injections, and surgery – so could ice or heat be the solution?

Is Ice Good For Back Pain Relief?

Using ice to relieve lower back pain works by decreasing inflammation, reducing nerve activity, and numbing the area of discomfort.

Cold therapy can be used to reduce swelling and decrease the amount of lactic acid that builds up in the muscles after strenuous activities.

Cold therapy can also help to reduce muscle spasms and provide temporary relief for chronic back pain.

How To Use Ice For Lower Back Pain Relief

To use ice on your lower back, you can use an ice pack or even a bag of something frozen such as peas.

Whatever you use, don’t place it directly on the skin as this can damage your skin so use a towel or blanket in between the ice pack and your skin.

To get the most benefit, keep it on your skin for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Once the skin has returned to normal temperature again, you can reapply the ice.

Is Heat Good For Back Pain Relief?

Applying heat to relieve lower back pain works by dilating blood vessels and increasing circulation, which helps to relax stiff muscles, loosen up the area, and reduce pain.

Heat therapy is also known to help decrease inflammation and increase flexibility in the lower back muscles.

How To Use Heat For Lower Back Pain Relief

To apply heat to your lower back, you can use a heating pad or hot water bottle.

Just like the ice pack, do not place it directly on your skin and use it for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

What Is Better For Lower Back Pain – Heat Or Cold?

Ultimately, it depends on what type of back pain you are experiencing.

If you have injured your lower back after an incident in the gym, or when picking up something heavy, ice would be the best option to start with. Ice will help the lower back by reducing swelling, and providing some quick pain relief.

After a few days, switch to heat to accelerate healing from a lower back injury.

If you have chronic lower back pain – where you have long-term, regular back pain – then heat is the better option as there is no swelling to manage, and often the pain is caused by stiffness and tightness of the lower back muscles. Heat, similar to ice, can also provide relief from pain.

7 Simple Ways To End Back Pain & Stiffness

For more expert advice on stopping your back pain, founder and expert physical therapist, Dr. Nick Hunter, has written a special report that’s perfect for people who are desperately searching for fast, natural back pain relief.

Click HERE to download your FREE copy of this back pain report, and discover 7 simple ways to end your back pain and stiffness without taking painkillers or risking surgery.

Why It’s Not A Good Idea To Use Ice And Heat For Back Pain?

Ice and heat can be helpful if you are suffering from lower back pain, however, these ease lower back pain without actually addressing the root cause of your problem.

If your back pain is caused by an incident like a fall, or working out too hard in the gym, then there is a chance that your lower back pain will flare up again in similar incidents in the future.

Similarly, if you have chronic lower back pain, which has perhaps been a problem for years, then treating it with ice and heat isn’t going to address the underlying cause.

That’s where our expert team can help you.

At our clinic, we prioritize relieving back pain while finding the root cause of the problem, because we don’t want to give you temporary relief. We want to give you long-term relief from lower back pain without reliance on painkillers, injections, or resorting to surgery.

To learn more about why your back pain keeps coming back, and the best ways to cure it without medication, you can arrange a Free Back Pain Analysis at our clinic in Glendale, Arizona.

Due to extremely high demand, we have to limit the number of Free Back Pain Analysis appointments so click the link below, or call us on (623) 486-3333 to get yours before they are gone!

Arrange Your Free Back Pain Analysis

More Expert Advice For Back Pain Sufferers

Read Our Blog – How Do I Stop Having Back Pain At Night?

Read Our Blog – Why Back Pain KEEPS Occurring