Resting won’t fix your back pain

Written By Dr. Sean Rutherford, PT, DPT

Have you ever had back pain (or any injury, for that matter) and gone to see your doctor, only to be told that you should rest until it feels better?

Not only is this just a lazy recommendation, it probably isn’t even correct!

Think about it—if you are an active individual, whether you’re a competitive athlete or just somebody that likes to stay active around the house—resting will not prepare your body to complete those activities without pain.

This came up while chatting with one of the athletes that we met yesterday at the East Ave Classic weightlifting competition at East Ave Barbell here in Rochester, NY.

Big thanks to Scott Schuster of Schuster Athletics for having us at the East Ave Classic!

If you’re having pain while you’re lifting, that’s an active problem.

While things like massage guns, hot packs, ice, topicals, ibuprofen, and rest can help you feel better temporarily, they won’t 100% solve the underlying issues.

You need to get assessed by a professional that understands your sport, activities, and goals. If your goal is to run a marathon, and your back starts to hurt when you work up to 10 miles, resting isn’t going to get you to your marathon goal. It’s actually going to set you back!

When clients come to see us, our answer isn’t to tell them to rest or completely stop exercising. We always start by modifying their workouts so they can stay strong and healthy. We also add in specific rehabilitation exercises and techniques that will augment their workouts and help them return to 100% quickly and efficiently.

Physical Therapy should augment your current routine, not replace it!

Working through injury is all about problem-solving, and typically the solution is ACTIVE! This problem-solving process is a team effort—the provider and the client must be on the same page and working together to reach a mutual goal in order to be successful.

If you have any questions, or would like to continue the conversation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@rocptperformance.com

Dr. Sean Rutherford, PT, DPT

Dr. Sean’s previous work as a travel physical therapist allowed him to work at facilities across the country, learning alongside clinicians of all backgrounds. He has combined these experiences with a broad selection of education and mentorship from industry leaders from across the globe to create his own unique treatment approach that is as enjoyable as it is effective.

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