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UCLA Spine Center

UCLA Spine Center

UCLA Spine Center
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  • Conditions
    • Adult Scoliosis
    • Adult Tethered Cord
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Basilar Invagination
    • Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Cervical Disc Herniation
    • Cervical Fracture
    • Cervical Stenosis / Cervical Myelopathy
    • Chiari Malformation
    • Facet Joint Arthritis
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Idiopathic Scoliosis
    • Lumbar Disc Herniation
    • Lumbar Stenosis
    • Neuromuscular Scoliosis
    • Osteoarthritis of the Peripheral Joint
    • Osteoarthritis of the Spine
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Osteoporosis / Vertebral Fractures
    • Platybasia
    • Radiculopathy (Cervical and Lumbar)
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Sacroiliac Joint Disease
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Spinal Cord Injury
    • Spinal Cord Tumors
    • Syringomyelia
    • Thoracic Disc Degeneration
    • Thoracic Spine Fracture
    • Trochanteric Bursitis
    • Adult Scoliosis
    • Adult Tethered Cord
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Basilar Invagination
    • Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Cervical Disc Herniation
    • Cervical Fracture
    • Cervical Stenosis / Cervical Myelopathy
    • Chiari Malformation
    • Facet Joint Arthritis
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Idiopathic Scoliosis
    • Lumbar Disc Herniation
    • Lumbar Stenosis
    • Neuromuscular Scoliosis
    • Osteoarthritis of the Peripheral Joint
    • Osteoarthritis of the Spine
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Osteoporosis / Vertebral Fractures
    • Platybasia
    • Radiculopathy (Cervical and Lumbar)
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Sacroiliac Joint Disease
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Spinal Cord Injury
    • Spinal Cord Tumors
    • Syringomyelia
    • Thoracic Disc Degeneration
    • Thoracic Spine Fracture
    • Trochanteric Bursitis
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UCLA Spine Center

Treatments & Programs

Treatments & Programs

Treatments & Programs

  • Nonsurgical Treatment
    • Botox
    • Bracing for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
    • Discography
    • Electromyography (EMG)
    • Epidural Corticosteroid Injection
    • Hip Arthrogram
    • Ice Therapy
    • MRI
    • Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation Exercises
    • Radiofrequency Ablation
    • Spinal Cord Stimulation
    • Trigger Points Injections
  • Surgical Treatment
    • Biologic for Fusion and BMP-Cellect
    • Disk Arthroplasty
    • Discectomy / Microdiscectomy
    • Image-guided Spine Surgery
    • Lumbar Fusion
    • MIS-Interbody Fusion-Sextants and Pathfinders
    • Spinal Deformity
      • Cases
      • Technology
      • Team
  • Nonsurgical Treatment
  • Surgical Treatment
  • Botox
  • Bracing for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  • Discography
  • Electromyography (EMG)
  • Epidural Corticosteroid Injection
  • Hip Arthrogram
  • Ice Therapy
  • MRI
  • Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation Exercises
  • Radiofrequency Ablation
  • Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • Trigger Points Injections
  1. Home
  2. Treatments & Programs
  3. Nonsurgical Treatment
  4. Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation Exercises

Physical Therapy / Rehabilitation Exercises

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Exercise Maintains and Improves Physical Condition

Patients with pain must exercise to maintain and improve their physical condition; however, pain limits ability and drains energy, making physical activity seem nearly impossible.

Physical therapists help patients overcome this burden, while helping build essential confidence and morale.

Good physical therapy involves setting goals that are realistic, measurable, and achievable in three separate domains:

  • Physical: the exercise program, including number of exercises and repetitions, duration, and difficulty level;
  • Functional: tasks of everyday living such as housework or hobbies;
  • Social: pleasurable social activities (e.g., visiting friends, going to church or the movies, walking).

Relapse management is also essential. Pain inevitably relapses or worsens in episodes due to either a physical event or physical and psychological stresses that challenge coping mechanisms. A good physical therapist can help identify situations that are challenging and develop strategies to cope with them. Some procedures, including ice therapy, can be done by the patient; however, since pain rehabilitation is long and complex, a caring and skilled physical therapist is a crucial partner in the overall process.

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