Orthopedic Assessment and Treatment Planning for Back Pain

Course overview

Low-back pain is one of the most frequent and challenging musculoskeletal conditions that massage therapists will face in the clinic. While the condition is very common, identifying the specific cause of pain continues to pose challenges for clinicians in every field. Recent research studies have shown that many conditions such as disc herniations, which traditionally were thought to be the cause of much low-back pain, exist in people who have no symptoms whatsoever. In addition, cadaver studies have shown the presence of severe structural deformities such as nerve compression, spinal degeneration, and serious disc compression in people who reported no back pain at all. The fact that pain can exist without tissue damage, and tissue damage can occur without pain makes identifying the specific cause of low-back pain very difficult. In this session, we will take a look at several common causes of back pain, key factors to identify potential causes, and how to plan appropriate treatment.