Back Pain Relief

Back pain questions, answered

These are the questions people in North Palm Beach ask us most about back pain and sciatica. Your own answers come from your evaluation, but this is where most conversations start.

What is sciatica, and can physical therapy help?

Sciatica is pain that travels from the low back or buttock down the leg, often with tingling or numbness along the way. It is one of the most common reasons people come to our back pain program. Treatment blends hands-on work to restore mobility, core and hip strengthening, and changes to the sitting, bending and lifting habits that keep provoking it. Pain that runs into your leg is worth a professional look sooner rather than later.

Why is my back worst first thing in the morning?

Backs are often stiffest when you first get up: discs rehydrate overnight, muscles cool down, and the first movements of the day feel the hardest. Rolling to your side and pushing up with your arms, instead of sitting straight up, spares your spine a loaded crunch while it is still waking up. Five Morning Habits That Ease Back Pain has the rest of the routine.

Can physical therapy help spinal stenosis?

Spinal stenosis is one of the spinal conditions our back program treats. Care works on mobility, on the core and hip strength that supports the spine, and on the standing and walking daily life asks for, at a pace that respects how your back responds. If your evaluation points toward a surgical opinion, we will say so plainly and coordinate with your physician.

Do I need surgery for a herniated or bulging disc?

Your physician or surgeon makes that call. What we can do is treat it: herniated and bulging discs and degenerative disc disease are all part of our back program, and so is recovery after spine surgery, where we follow your surgeon's protocol. Our job is to tell you honestly how you are responding and to coordinate with your doctor if the plan needs to change.

Could the pain be coming from my hip?

Sometimes. Hip pain can masquerade as back pain, and a stiff or weak hip can push extra work onto the low back. That is why the evaluation looks at your hips and the way you walk, not just your spine. Read Hip Impingement: When Your Back Pain Is Coming From Your Hip.

What happens at my first visit?

Plan on about an hour, one-on-one with your therapist. We take your history, watch you walk, bend and sit, and measure strength, range of motion and the movements that bring the pain on. Treatment usually begins the same day. You leave with a clear picture of what is going on and the first exercises of your home program.

What will I do at home?

Every visit ends with a clear home program. Core, hip and glute strength is the long-term fix for most recurring back pain, and simple moves like a bridge or a bird dog, attached to a habit you already have such as brushing your teeth, are where many programs start. Your therapist picks yours from the evaluation.

When should a doctor see my back first?

Back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or leg weakness that is getting worse needs urgent medical care, not a therapy appointment. So does back pain after a significant fall or accident, or with fever. Once a physician has ruled those out, physical therapy can treat the mechanical side with confidence.

Do I need a referral, and will insurance cover it?

In most cases Florida's direct access law lets you begin a physical therapy evaluation without a physician referral. Some plans still require one for coverage, and Medicare requires a physician to certify your plan of care. Before your first visit our front desk verifies your Medicare or commercial benefits and tells you what your plan needs. Our 2026 Medicare guide explains deductibles and coinsurance.