Here are 7 simple strategies you can use to stop your low back pain. They are in no particular order, but they have one thing in common - They all work!
Unfortunately, without knowing the exact ins and outs of YOUR back pain, I can’t tell
you which of these strategies will work best for you and even if I did know the
exact cause of your back pain, there is no guarantee that any one single strategy will
be effective.
Through my experience, I’ve been able to narrow down what is truly effective and
what doesn’t work when it comes to back pain. The 7 simple techniques you’re
about to read about are a few of the more helpful strategies I use every day when
working with individuals with lower back pain.
I challenge you to make time every single day to try just one of these tips over the
next few weeks. Within a few weeks, you could have all of these strategies working
in your favor, giving you control over your back pain and giving you back your active
and healthy lifestyle.
The key is consistency. If you are able to practice just one of these techniques every day, consistently, over the next few weeks, I’m positive you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better you’ll feel.
Stretch Daily
A daily ritual of stretching will allow your muscles to stay loose and ready to react to the forces of the day. Tight muscles do not have much room to contract correctly (they are already shortened), hold you in positions and create that nagging feeling of stiffness. A comprehensive stretching including your hip muscles, hamstrings, calves and spinal muscles will keep you feeling good, lubricated and ready to move.
Strengthen Your Legs
80-90% of people with low back pain have weak hips, more specifically glutes. If you strengthen your glutes you will feel a dramatic decrease in pressure in your low back (not to mention an improvement in how your jeans fit). Glute strengthening creates a strong foundation for your low back that will allow you to weather the storms of your day.
Loose a Couple Pounds
Pressure multiplied by time is the overall cause of pain in your low back. The more of you there is, the more pressure there is, which equals more risk of low back pain and injury. If that pressure is in the front (like your stomach), there is another multiplier. 5 pounds of weight in the front is equivalent to 15-20 pounds of pressure on the low back muscles, joints and discs. Your low back will love that 5 pounds of weight loss (not to mention how much more you will like looking in the mirror).
Decrease Your Mid-Section
As we mentioned in tip 3, less weight in the front decreases the pressure on your low back, but what we didn’t discuss is the effect it has on your stomach muscles (aka abs). If your stomach sticks out, your muscle goes around that rounded area and decreases their ability to pull. Think about pulling an object by a rope around the corner and how much harder that would be than pulling it straight. Strong abs support your back and make up for a whole host of errors.
Walk More
You can use getting up and walking as a way to counteract sitting, but walking does so much more for you. Walking allows your spine to rotate slightly with each step, thus hydrating the disc and other structures through movement. This rotation, also, requires all the small little rotational muscles to work and begin to become more efficient in resisting excess rotational motion and create more stability.
Avoid Sitting Cross-Legged
There is approximately 10 times the amount of pressure in a disc in sitting than there is in standing. Sitting with your legs crossed tilts your pelvis to one side which results in bending to one side and twisting in your spine. Your spine then creates more force in the muscles to counteract the leaning, so you don’t fall. The side-bending and rotation creates a tremendous amount of force to sit on one side of your disc due to your back being in a very vulnerable position.
The Truth on a Back Brace
Short-term, a back brace can give you pain relief. It can be a quick way to reduce discomfort as it will cradle and support the core. But long-term use will cause muscle weakness and stiffness to increase, compounding your problems. A brace should be only worn when you know you will be doing an activity that is known to flare up the pain. If worn greater than two or three days, it will start to decondition the muscles. This creates an environment where the muscles are in disuse and will begin to weaken them causing even less stability in the core.
CONCLUSION:
So, there you have it! My 7 tips to Stop Your Low Back Pain. Back pain is the single biggest torment that leads to disability world-wide. It’s that nagging ache to sharp pain that forces you to reach for the painkiller, or at the very least wonder when you can enjoy life again. Painkillers and rest will not take away the root of the problem, no matter what anyone says. You may also need the help of a physiotherapist to determine what approach will help you most efficiently return to the activities you are currently having trouble with due to pain. Having a full physiotherapy assessment can help you identify what your specific needs are.
I encourage you to implement these tips as part of your daily life, as small changes can make huge differences in your life. I will continue to share with you information on how you can live a pain free life, maintain your mobility, activity and independence, all while avoiding prescription medications, injections and surgery. I hope this is the beginning of wonderful, long-term relationship where you feel like family and myself and my colleagues at InTouch Therapy become the source of leading-edge health advice for you, so that you can live a life that you are excited about!
Medical Disclaimer:
We make every effort to ensure that the advice and prognosis discussed in this report is accurate. While the information presented here is put forth in an effort to assist you in feeling better and decreasing pain, no guarantees can be made as to your results while taking these suggestions.
Every client’s issue is different and any program designed will be specific to each client and may or may not include suggestions listed above. The only way to get more specific advice and guidance is to undergo a formal evaluation where a more specific diagnosis and prognosis can be provided. A 100% accurate diagnosis and prognosis is impossible to give without a thorough discussion of history.
If you do have specific health concerns, please consult your physiotherapist or physician in order to have them provide the best care for you. Significant injury risk is possible if you do not do your due diligence and seek suitable professional advice about your injury.