Studies show that approximately 80% of the U.S. population has dealt with back pain issues. And, when it comes to back pain, there are many causes and only a few solutions. Luckily for local residents, Teton Therapy knows the causes of many types of back pain and can provide those solutions.
Teton Therapy operates three outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinics, in Cheyenne, Lander and Riverton. Back pain is a condition frequently treated by the staff there.
“Anytime you’re having back pain that’s preventing you from doing your day-to-day functions — if it’s not going away — it’s always good to get it checked out.”
That’s according to Physical Therapist and Co-owner of Teton Therapy, Ben Larsen, PT, DPT.
An individual can experience back pain due to a number of different reasons. Muscle or ligament strain is one of the major causes of back pain, often resulting from repeated heavy lifting. Awkward movement, poor posture, muscle weakness, restricted movement due to tight muscles, poor muscle coordination, poor spinal alignment and more can also contribute to back pain.
Sitting in front of a computer, in a typical desk chair, for hours at a time during the day is one of the leading causes of back pain. This is especially true if an individual isn’t as active as they previously had been.
“When you’re sitting at a desk for an extended period of time, you’re not using your muscles as much,” Larsen says. “And when you sit for an extended period of time, it can cause other issues when you do get up. If you’re feeling stiff or if your back is sore, and then you bend over to pick something up and the back’s not ready for it, it’s going to start spasming.”
Larsen has been working in the world of physical therapy for over 13 years. A 2010 graduate of the University of Mary’s Physical Therapy program, he began working for Teton Therapy in Riverton, Wyoming. Eventually, Larsen’s boss, Jeff McMenamy, turned into his business partner and the two decided to expand Teton Therapy into both Lander and Cheyenne.
Larsen is a firm believer in lifestyle choices and changes. Like many in the healthcare field, “it’s always about helping people,” adding, “for me, it was the chance to use exercise and different components to really make changes, versus just giving somebody a pill.”
As an athlete himself, he knows how important exercise is to one’s overall health. He believes that human beings are resilient creatures who can “get better” by just adjusting their lifestyle.
“That’s what really got me into physical therapy — being able to see people go from something that’s really debilitating to getting that relief and feeling much better,” he said. And that includes bringing relief to his patients’ back pain issues.
Basic treatments for back pain can include exercises and soft tissue mobilization (a hands-on technique akin to a deep tissue massage). But Teton Therapy also offers some innovative modalities to help their patients get relief.
One such method is electrical stimulation, which sends an electrical impulse to the muscle to relax it.
Teton Therapy also utilizes therapeutic ultrasound to help with back pain. It’s a technique that helps loosen up muscles through heat.
In addition, there’s cupping therapy, which relieves trigger points by applying a light suction to tissue to promote increased blood flow to the area. This can loosen the tight muscles within the back.
Dry needling can help trigger points as well; it uses a small microfilament needle to cause the muscle to relax and reset the healing process. “I kind of liken it to a Control-Alt-Delete on your computer,” Larsen laughs. “It just resets what’s going on and allows the healing process to work better.“
Additionally, Teton Therapy offers manual therapy.
“Manual therapy can be anything from helping to mobilize the joints, particularly within the back and spinal segments,” Larsen shared. “It also consists of a lot of hands-on techniques to help relax the muscles and spinal segments and get them to move the way that they need to.”
The staff at Teton Therapy have the tools, skills, knowledge and experience to help patients meet goals and conquer challenges and give individuals the chance to take their bodies, and their lives, back.
“We really listen to what people are telling us and we do our best to understand what their goals are,” Larsen says. “We come up with a treatment plan to focus on what they need as an individual person.”
He adds, “That’s our top priority: Helping each person who walks in our doors overcome any type of functional limitation that they may have, so they can lead the life that they want to lead.”
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, visit the Teton Therapy website or follow them on Facebook.
PAID FOR BY TETON THERAPY
This article is a promoted post. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the organization that paid for the article, and do not necessarily reflect the views, thoughts or opinions of Cap City News, its employees or its publisher. Please fill out this form if you would like to speak to our sales department about advertising opportunities on Cap City News.
