Most people suffering from back pain have received some type of treatment in a doctor’s office or therapy clinic. Treatment might be in the form of a box with electric pads, heated wands or beams of light. It might be a series of exercises in a handout. We all know that these things are supposed to help, but we don't always know why or what they do.

There are a lot of devices or gadgets that claim to relieve back pain or strengthen the core. Most claims of “quick fixes” are based on partial truths. These promises can lead to unrealistic expectations about how things work which leads to frustration when things don’t change.

The majority of these tools emit some form of energy that penetrates the body to stimulate growth and cellular metabolism. There are a variety of energy forms which include electrical currents, electromagnetic radiation or light, as well as sound waves. Additional tools are exercise progressions that have specific techniques designed to induce a change in the musculoskeletal system as well as types of massage and other manual therapies.

There is a healing benefit to each tool if it is used at the appropriate time and manner

There are stages of recovery from all types of injury including traumatic and overuse. The symptoms of the inflammation stage include constant pain that increases with any movement, sustained posture, and makes sleep difficult. Once the injury inflammation starts to resolve, the pain becomes more intermittent and only hurts with certain movements or posture. As the injured area starts to regenerate, sleep issues resolve and the pain only occurs when we overdo activity. However, the body can get stuck in any one of these stages for a variety of reasons. There are many barriers such as basic body fitness, pre-existing diseases, poor ergonomics, and movement habits that halt the progress of healing.

Therapy tools help overcome barriers to healing

Most therapy tools are useful in the process of recovery; however, how and when they are used can influence the amount of benefit they actually offer.

Cold packs and ice are extremely helpful at the beginning when things are swollen and painful. Other tools such as ultrasound and laser become more useful to assist in the resolution of inflammation and boosting cellular activity. Electrical stimulation wakes up the muscles and calms the nervous system. There is an overlap in the middle stages with gentle exercise and manual therapies that facilitate the recovery of the tissue's mechanics. To fully recover the strength that life tasks require, appropriate exercise is necessary.