Back injuries can be one of the most debilitating types of injuries. Your spine is the central musculoskeletal point of your entire body, which means many nerves and muscles are connected. When you injure your back, you can face a long road to recovery as the area heals, and some level of physiotherapy may be recommended. 

Physiotherapy is excellent when you are recovering from a back injury because it helps with maintaining your range of motion and encouraging blood flow to the area. Take a look at a few things you can expect if you are prescribed physiotherapy after you have injured your back. 

Expect to get a full evaluation of your condition 

Before a physiotherapist will build a therapy plan to target the injury you have to your back, you will undergo a thorough evaluation. During this initial evaluation, several things may be carried out, such as: 

• Providing a detailed description of your injury and how it occurred 
• Describing the extent of the symptoms and sensations you have experienced due to the injury 
• Showing the physiotherapist your capabilities as far as strength and range of motion 

The therapist may also do a physical exam of the injured area and use their hands to compress muscles and joints. This is done to pinpoint the precise areas of concern that need to be targeted during your treatment. 

Expect different levels of therapy to target the injured area 

From massage and heat therapy to therapy using electromagnetic pulse, a physiotherapist may use a number of therapeutic approaches to target the injured area. Most of these methods are used in an effort to encourage blood flow to the area of the back that is injured, which can support a faster recovery. This is one reason why sports physiotherapy is so valuable. Athletes who have sustained an injury can undergo these levels of therapy and oftentimes get back to their normal functioning capacity a lot quicker. 

Expect to perform certain exercises and movements 

One major component of physiotherapy is doing exercises to improve the range of motion in the area. This can be extremely important after a back injury. For example, if you have strained a muscle in your lower back, but you don't use that muscle during the healing process, the muscle fibers in the area can grow tense and stiff. This can impede your range of motion even once you are healed. Further, exercise during physiotherapy can help to strengthen muscles that may have been damaged due to the injury. 

For more information on physiotherapy, contact a professional near you.