2 Simple Strategies To Tackle Low Back Pain
Disclaimer: This article post is made for education and entertainment purposes only. Do not substitute the information noted in this article for medical advice. Most Physical Therapy treatment plans require a full consultation with a licensed Physical Therapist; do not attempt to self diagnose and self manage your condition without professional help.
In my years working as a Physical Therapist working with musculoskeletal pain, low back pain is the most common and debilitating condition. Statistics show that over 500+ million people in the world have low back pain at any given time. Many people have low back pain regardless of whether or not it is a blue or white collar job, athlete or non-athlete. The trick to fixing low back pain doesn’t have to expensive (like getting weekly massages.
Here are two common reasons why people have a hurt back, how to tackle and prevent stubborn low back pain.
Strategy #1: Strengthen Your Core
Many people with low back pain will present to the clinic with a weak set of abdominals – in particular the transversus abdominis. These muscles sit and live around your abdomen and provide a natural supportive corset around the belly. When you move, your abdominals will engage.
Weakness and improper recruitment of these muscles can lead to shearing forces in the spine and excessive compression on the vertebrae.
These muscles are often times stretched out due to lack of use and especially for pregnant women because their abdomens are expanded (hence why many pregnant women develop low back pain in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters)
Here are two simple exercises to get you started.
Tackling a weak core
Exercise 1: Pilates Table Top Hold
- Lie on your back
- Put one or both hands behind your back
- Draw your abdominals in (you should feel a stiffness in your abdomen and that your low back is pressing down intoyour hands)
- Lift both legs up to such that your hips and knees at 90 degrees
- Hold this position for 30- 60 seconds; Repeat up to 3 times
Video Credit: Prehab YouTube Channel
Exercise 2: Plank on knees and elbows
- Get onto a cushioned floor or yoga mat
- Support yourself by your elbows and knees
- Lean forward until a challenge is felt in your abdominals
- Keep your back flat and do not allow it to curve
- Hold this position for 30-60 seconds; Repeat up to 3 times
Video credit: PureGym YouTube channel
Strategy #2: Stretch your Hip Flexors through better Posture
The Hip Flexor (aka “the Psoas major”) is a muscle that sits on the front side of your pelvis. It has attachments to the five segments of your lumbar spine in the lower back. As our work, study and even play have largely become sedentary, sit-down activities, the hip flexor lies in a shortened position for longer periods.
When the hip flexor is shortened, it increases the tug on the spine when we become upright. This can lead to excessive lumbar lordosis (when the spine becomes overly curved such as the image above).
To ensure that this muscle isn’t contracted throughout the day, getting up to take a short walk to the bathroom or to get a drink of water every 45 minutes or so can save your back. Exercising regularly, even taking a 30 minute walk 5 times a week can help to reduce the tension caused by the hip flexor.
If your work place or home office has a standing desk, alternating between sitting and standing modes every hour can also limit the amount of time that this muscle is spent in contracted positions.
There is one simple way to stretch this muscle intentionally:
3D Standing hip flexor stretch
- Stand with one foot in front of the other such that there is about a 2-3 feet distance between your feet
- Make sure both feet are pointed straight forward
- Lean forward into a lunge while keeping your back straight
- Lean your trunk away from the side that you are stretching
- Hold 30 seconds; Repeat up to 3 times on both sides
- Tip: Make to contract your abdominals by stiffening your stomach and drawing your belly button towards your spine
Video Credit: NASM YouTube Channel
If any of these stretches increase your low back pain, try to do the exercise for less time; DO NOT continue if the pain gets worse! If your back pain is persistent despite trying these, it will be a good idea to touch base with a health care professional.
While low back pain can be managed through these aforementioned exercises, acute flare-ups may be managed through taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. Cold and hot pack can be helpful to soothe and reduce pain as well. Consult a Medical Doctor before taking any medications.
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