Back Pain Management

Sad fact of the day: at least 80 % of us will develop back pain at some point in our lives. If you thought it best to avoid movement when experiencing this type of discomfort, you’re not alone: many people think bed rest is best. And yes, in some cases back pain can be due to an acute injury or underlying condition that requires medical advice and/or backing off from exercise.

However, for most of us keeping active aids in recovering from, and preventing future, back pain. While you should definitely avoid activities that further aggravate the situation, in general our spines are very strong and designed to move. The key to managing back pain is to understand what imbalances in our bodies are creating it in the first place and then reboot our routines to maintain proper health.

Why We Develop Back Pain

We’ve been undergoing muscular training from birth (and even before). Our spines develop their natural curves as we learn to crawl and eventually walk. The whole time our muscles are growing to support this process. As children we were constantly running, jumping, reaching, and squatting. Then we take these amazing little bodies and put them behind school desks, sitting and slouching every day during key periods of growth.

Sitting so much alters our flexibility and strength. As we move into adulthood we fall into habits, performing repetitive movements that perpetuate the imbalances created from sitting so much. We end up stretching what is already flexible and strengthening what is already strong. Even the healthiest of individuals can develop physical (and psychological) patterns that put their spines in jeopardy. Below are some handy hacks and essential exercises to begin managing your back pain.

Spinal Suggestions

Engage (with) your Core

The core muscles are designed to protect and stabilize your spine and coordinate movement. For managing your back pain it is essential to get in touch with these abdominal muscles. And no, we’re not talking sit-ups: there’s a widespread misconception that having a six-pack is synonymous with having a strong core. But there are many more muscle groups besides the rectus abdominis (six-pack muscles) that make up your core including internal and external obliques (helping with twisting), transverse abdominis (the deep layer that acts as a kind of corset), and erector spinae (helping to straighten the back).

Vary Your Movements 

Become more mindful of the movements you repeat every day and think of different ways you could engage with them. This can be as simple as getting out of bed on the opposite side or ensuring that you squat rather than bend over to pick something up. This will help you begin identifying specific patterns of movement you have developed and start to balance out your potential asymmetry.

Sleeping Support

Improve your nighttime posture and you will probably thank us in the morning. You can try supporting the curve of your neck with a pillow and place one between the knees with another between the ankles. This position keeps the hips, pelvis and spine in better alignment.

Relax & Stay Positive

This may be the last thing you want to hear, but muscle tension from worry and stress may actually be making your back pain worse. Throughout the day you can try scanning your body to check in with the tension levels. When you’re feeling tense take a big belly breath – inhaling to lengthen and exhaling with a little resistance. This has a double effect of turning on the core muscles and communicating awareness of their position to the brain while releasing stress.

Increase Your Activity Levels

Regular activity keeps your spine strong and healthy and may be the most effective and cost-efficient way to treat or prevent back pain. Especially low-impact activities such as walking, swimming, yoga, and pilates. Postural awareness and regular sustainable exercise is key to managing symptoms and preventing further damage from occurring.

7 of the Best Exercises for Back Pain

Simple balancing exercises will help manage your back issues. Stretching and strengthening are two of the best ways to ease the pain. In terms of target groups, you’re going to focus on the core muscles, hip flexors (which help support proper posture) and the glutes (which support the back while walking, standing, and sitting).

Strengthening weak muscles is really challenging. Our brains are in great communication with our strong muscles, but not so much with our weaker muscles. Therefore gentle and precise exercises for the weak muscles help them to not be overpowered by their stronger counterparts.

Perform these self-care exercises at least once a day, or more when you are experiencing back pain. Especially when you have been sitting for an extended period, try doing a few of these moves to break up the sit session. By exercising for mobility and working to balance out the body while strengthening the spine’s support system you ensure a better quality of life and a quicker return to your favourite activities.