Daniel Zoltak is a strong, robust young man, but that didn’t make him immune to back pain. Fit and healthy, Daniel came to getback after injuring his back at the gym.

“One of the things that originally triggered the injury was squats,” Daniel explains. “So I had to restrict what I did at the gym and there were lots of things I couldn’t do.”

Strength imbalance can cause back pain and injury

As part of Daniel’s Initial Consultation at getback, the strength and flexibility of his spinal muscles were measured by the getback devices.

I had a muscle strength imbalance between the left and right side of my back that contributed to the injury.

“The assessment found that I had a muscle strength imbalance between the left and right side of my back that contributed to the injury,” Daniel says.  “It was part of the reason why I wasn’t seeing any improvement.”

Device-based exercise directly targets the spine strength imbalance

Daniel’s therapist developed a program to address the strength imbalance and he began twice-weekly exercise based treatment on the getback devices.

“The team at getback were supervising each session to make sure I was comfortable doing the exercises, and ensuring that what I was doing wasn’t aggravating my injury,” Daniel says. 

The smaller deep muscles that were supporting my spine weren’t strong to begin with.

“I was noticing an improvement with every session, so I persisted with it.”

Daniel also learned about the critical role the deep muscles attached to the spine (the multifidus) play in stabilizing the spine for movement. “The smaller deep muscles that were supporting my spine weren’t strong to start with. By doing the getback program I strengthened all those muscles up.” Daniel says. 

Controlled exercise can improve strength and reduce back pain

With a young family to look after, the flexibility of the getback program was also an important factor in Daniel’s recovery.

“Working around the family in the morning can be a challenge,” Daniel says.

“I was able to get an early morning appointment before I went into work, which was really convenient. I just had to turn up in my work clothing, work through my program on the devices and then I’d be on my way.”

Daniel is now back at the gym, feeling strong and glad that he came across getback. “I’m much more confident when I squat now and also much more stable,” he says. “I’m really appreciative that I came across getback because it really freed up my my back where I had a lot of persistent pain. Over time, the pain subsided and I got back to.. pardon the pun, I got back to where I needed to be.”

Explore exercise therapy clinics in your area

David is the largest supplier of medical spine equipment for treating back pain, with more than 400 intelligent installations worldwide. At these locations, certified physiotherapists are trained to guide people with back pain using medical Exercise Therapy guidelines. Visit our reference page for more information about a spine center in your own country/area.