Some 80 percent of the population will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, a figure that is reaching epidemic proportions. For many people, lower back pain will come in the form of a back strain or sprain. Treatment may be as simple as a few trips to a physical therapist, an avenue most people don't consider, according to Heartland Rehabilitation Services.

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) February 21, 2007 -- Some 80 percent of the population will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, a figure that some medical experts say is reaching epidemic proportions.

For many people, lower back pain will come in the form of a back strain or sprain. And treatment may be as simple as a few trips to a physical therapist, an avenue most people don't consider, according to experts at Heartland Rehabilitation Services, which has 19 outpatient clinics in the greater Jacksonville area and six in Central Florida.

Dr. George Platt, a family physician practicing in Clay County, injured his back twice in the last three years. The first time he was lugging a heavy safe down a flight of stairs. He couldn't sit, drive or bend at the waist without pain. A year ago, the 51-year-old Platt re-injured his back cleaning up wood debris left by a hurricane.

Not wanting to take pain injections and suffering from several herniated disks, Platt was referred to Heartland Rehabilitation Service's Fleming Island clinic, where he's currently undergoing physical therapy, and feeling much better.

"I don't think a lot of people are aware of the benefits of physical therapy," Platt said. "Like me, people are reluctant. It's a big time commitment. But it's really a lifetime commitment of learning how to do things right - and what we must do to keep ourselves in shape."

"At Heartland Rehabilitation, we access a patient's joint mobility through hands-on techniques," said Scott Hyams, a Heartland Rehabilitation physical therapist at its Westside Clinic. "We go through an extensive evaluation and physical testing and create an individual treatment based upon that testing." As a result, he said, patients feel relief in their first weeks, with many seeing complete relief within six weeks.

While some people think first of a seeing a chiropractor, many don't know that for roughly the same amount of money, they could also see a physical therapist, Hyams said.

"We're a young profession, and there are still people out there that don't know what we do," added Vanessa Dirani, who holds a master's in physical therapy and is a orthopedic certified specialist at Heartland Rehabilitation's North Mandarin clinic. "Our goal is to get people moving again. If there's a mechanical problem - be it a joint or a muscle or anything that causes pain when there's movement - we are the specialists."

Heartland Rehabilitation Services is a leader in providing unique, rehabilitative therapies in a patient-friendly setting. Heartland offers a variety of services at many of its free-standing clinics including aquatic, occupational and traditional physical therapy, speech therapy, massage therapy, Pilates and Pilates-based rehabilitation, and more.

In Florida, Heartland Rehabilitation has 12 clinics in Jacksonville, four in Orange Park, one each in St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, and Middleburg. There are six clinics in Central Florida, including clinics in the greater Gainesville area, and in Columbia and Suwannee Counties.

Manor Care, Inc., through its operating group HCR Manor Care, is a leading provider of short-term post-acute and long-term care. The company's nearly 60,000 employees provide high-quality care for patients and residents through a network of more than 500 skilled nursing centers, assisted living facilities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospice and home health care agencies. Alliances and other ventures supply high-quality pharmaceutical products and management services for professional organizations. The company operates primarily under the respected Heartland, ManorCare Health Services and Arden Courts names. Manor Care is committed to being the preeminent care provider in the industry. Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HCR.

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