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1452 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30030


Phone: 404-378-8002
Fax: 404-378-6226

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404-378-8002

1452 Church Street
Decatur, GA 30030

Lumbar Extension for Low Back Pain

How We Use Lumbar Extension in Physical Therapy

We, as human beings, rely on a strong and flexible back for practically every movement we make. When pain presents, however, it’s not necessarily the spine itself that is causing the issue. Most of the time, back or neck pain is caused by muscular problems from injury or fatigue. Lumbar extension can be used to get an accurate diagnosis of that pain, and set you on the path to a non-surgical recovery.

Our physical therapists use passive lumbar extension for pain relief, healing and the restoration of strength and function. State-of-the-art equipment, like our MedX Lumbar Extension Machine, may also be employed to help isolate the problem and monitor a patient’s progress over time. In both cases, we use these assessments to measure the strength and weakness of the involved muscles in a controlled environment, minimizing any risk to the affected area.

The MedX Lumbar Extension Machine:

  • Provides resistance while the patient performs isolated lumbar motion
  • Isometric testing can be done every 3° within a patient’s range of motion
  • MedX software plots a strength and range-of-motion curve for analysis over time
  • Stored energy can be assessed and factored out at each angle tested

The lumbar spine connects the thoracic spine and the pelvis, bearing the bulk of the body’s weight. These vertebrae are supported by the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons. When there is weakness, pain will typically result. Flexion and extension exercises can be used diagnostically, and are often incorporated into a patient’s recovery plan as well.It’s not just athletes who are prone to overexertion of the soft tissues of the back. In fact, those who don’t routinely work on the muscle groups of the back and abdomen who are most at risk for injury. Muscles that remain weak for an extended amount of time lose the ability to function properly, causing other muscles to compensate for the imbalance. The result can be a chronic pain problem, and lumber extension can help get to its root.