WATER THERAPY FOR BACK PAIN

Water therapy for back pain: benefits

Water is an extraordinary element, with multiple positive effects, and is often used in rehabilitation and orthopedic practices through hydrokinesitherapy. In a pool or in the sea, our body's actual weight is eliminated because gravity is absent. This phenomenon eliminates the load on the joints. By following this principle, reducing the load and stress, patients with back pain will be free of negative stimuli that could worsen the symptom.

Water therapy for back pain: contraindications

Recent studies on disc pathologies have highlighted contradictions with the multiple medical indications regarding water therapy.

One of the most common causes of lumbago Discogenic pain, caused by the intervertebral disc, is a spinal problem that can lead to multiple consequences. Several observational studies are unclear as to whether unloading or loading the disc is more appropriate, but they do provide some very interesting answers.

From the studies of Andrew J Teichtahl et al. on the relationship between physical activity and mean intervertebral disc height, it was seen that some stimulations had a positive effect, while the absence of them had a negative effect. Therefore, the possibility that low levels of physical activity could have detrimental effects on maintaining disc integrity is high. This analysis makes us consider whether there are useful exercises for patients with disc problems, and above all, which ones can benefit the disc.

Lack of weight bearing and back pain

A very interesting study conducted by Treffel Loïc et al. evaluated the consequences of weightlessness for astronauts. It was observed that upon their return from space missions, numerous astronauts had developed symptoms of back pain (LBP), and many had also developed herniated discs. It is therefore fair to ask how much weightlessness (and therefore the absence of stimuli to the spine) may have played a key role in the onset of herniated discs or low back pain.

Absence of weight bearing is a negative factor. Patients should not be advised to avoid weight bearing at all costs, such as walking, standing, or avoiding daily activities simply because they have back pain. Instead, it is important, starting with a careful assessment, to understand the amount of weight bearing they can tolerate, or better yet, reduce the symptoms.

Negative effects on the back due to the absence of gravity

Other studies on astronauts have documented three negative phenomena in particular linked to prolonged absence of gravity:

– lengthening of the spine on the longitudinal axis; in a postural context it was found not to be correlated with a state of well-being;
– decrease in lumbar lordosis
– herniated disc
– muscle atrophy

Furthermore, once the astronauts returned to normal gravity, recovery was anything but quick, requiring long courses of physiotherapy and muscle trophism recovery.