Evidence-based assessment, manual therapy, and exercise strategies that get your patients moving again
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons patients walk through your door. Mobility deficits, motor control problems, regional contributors from the hip and thoracic spine, and lifestyle factors often overlap in the same patient. As a result, the presentation rarely fits neatly into a single diagnosis.
PESI's continuing education on low back pain gives physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and other rehab professionals a clear, guideline-informed path through that complexity. Sharpen your lumbar evaluation, classify patients with confidence using clinical practice guidelines, and apply hands-on techniques and exercise progressions that translate into real functional gains. Those gains show up in how long patients can sit, how safely they lift, and how easily they get in and out of a car.
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Low back pain is a leading driver of disability, lost work time, and healthcare spending. Yet most cases are nonspecific, with no single structural finding that explains the patient's symptoms. That leaves clinicians in a difficult spot. Chasing an image or a pain location can lead to scattered treatment plans, while a purely protocol-driven approach misses the individual in front of you.
Today's best practice asks you to hold several things at once:
Screen first, then classify. Effective care starts by ruling out red flags and non-mechanical causes. It then moves to classification systems grounded in clinical practice guidelines, so your interventions match the patient's presentation rather than a diagnostic label.
Look beyond the lumbar spine. Regional interdependence matters. Hip mobility, thoracic mechanics, core function, and the sacroiliac joint can all drive or sustain low back symptoms. That's why the strongest evaluations examine the whole kinetic chain.
Pair hands-on care with active care. Manual therapy techniques such as myofascial release, soft tissue mobilization, muscle energy, and joint mobilization can reduce pain and open a window for movement. They produce their most durable results when combined with targeted exercise and patient self-management.
Treat function, not just pain. For your patients, success means sitting through a workday, lifting a grandchild, or getting back to their sport. Building your plan of care around those goals keeps treatment meaningful and measurable.
Address the chronic picture. When low back pain persists, sensitization, fear of movement, and pain beliefs become part of the clinical picture. Integrating pain science into your rehab approach helps patients break the cycle. For deeper training on the psychological and behavioral drivers of persistent pain, explore our Chronic Pain training.
Whether you're treating an acute flare-up, radicular symptoms, pregnancy-related back pain, or a long-standing chronic case, PESI's courses equip you with practical tools you can put to work in your very next session.
Theresa A. Schmidt, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, LMT, CEAS
Theresa Schmidt is a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist and licensed massage therapist who has built one of PESI's most extensive rehab libraries, with more than 40 programs spanning manual therapy, myofascial techniques, and functional rehabilitation. Her low back pain training uses the APTA's clinical practice guidelines as its foundation. She shows clinicians how to evaluate lumbar mobility impairments, classify patients efficiently, and integrate hands-on techniques with therapeutic exercise without adding time to their sessions.
For nearly four decades, Jerry Hesch has focused his clinical and teaching career on the lumbopelvic region. He founded The Hesch Institute for Sacroiliac Treatment, Research, and Education in Aurora, Colorado. There he developed a gentle, whole-body approach to evaluating and treating the sacroiliac joint, pelvis, lumbar spine, and hip. His work helps clinicians identify when lumbopelvic dysfunction is driving a patient's back pain and how to restore motion without relying on pain provocation.
Aaron Crouch is a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist who bridges rehabilitation and performance. He teaches clinicians to tailor spine rehab exercise across patient populations, using movement screens, directional bias assessment, and progression and regression models. His approach balances core function with overall spinal strength and mobility, so patients leave rehab ready for the demands of daily life and sport.
Explore free articles, video demonstrations, and clinical insights from PESI's rehab faculty. These resources cover lumbopelvic evaluation, regional interdependence, and practical treatment strategies that help you refine your approach to low back pain and give your patients a more active role in their recovery.
