Everyone experiences low back pain at some time in their life. In fact, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Over 50% of working Americans have low back pain each year, and it is the most common reason for missing work. American workers spend over 50 BILLION per year on back pain.
The majority of back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that is not caused by serious conditions such as arthritis, infection or cancer. Instead it is caused by tight muscles, misalignment of the vertebrae and subsequent pressure on nerves. The best way to treat this is with heat and chiropractic adjustments. One you can do at home, the other is not recommended (see my upcoming blog on self adjusting your spine).
So what can you do at home to prevent low back pain?
The best thing to do is to stay active. Movement lubricates the joints of our low back, adding fluid to the discs and decreasing muscle tightness. I often see patients present with low back pain after a period of inactivity. There are obvious variations to exercise which may hurt your back. Swimming, walking and cycling are great low impact activities which increase spinal flexibility and health. The more aggressive the exercise, the more likely the risk of injury (ie, power lifting and rugby).
There are also a variety of stretches to help prevent low back pain. Unfortunately for the purposes of a blog, these vary according to your unique structure and pain pattern. A simple rule of thumb is if it feels good, do it. If it hurts, don’t! Start with extension and flexion stretches (Cat/Cow) and avoid rotation movements- these can actually cause more harm than good. I have seen many patients who hurt themselves trying to “crack” their back by aggressively twisting in the car seat.
Lastly, focus on your core!!! Triple exclamation points intended. We are a cylinder- if the front is weak, the back is weak as well. The absolute best thing you can do for your low back is 50 crunches a day. Not sit-ups, crunches. Activating your abdominal muscles pulls your sacrum forward, lessening the curve of the lumbar spine. This successfully relieves the majority of low back pain. Don’t forget to contract your abs when you lift anything, no matter how light.
Following these rules of thumb will help to prevent episodes of low back pain. However, the best you thing you can do is periodically have your spine assessed and adjusted. I recommend a frequency of bi-monthly to bi-yearly, depending on your unique situation. It’s far easier to prevent spinal pain than to treat it once it appears.
In Good Health-