Whether it’s due to an injury or illness, millions of people suffer from back pain. In fact, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, four out of five people will have lower-back pain symptoms in their lives. Just because your back hurts it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to take it easy. Exercise is one of the best ways to get rid of back pain and keep it from returning.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts of exercising with back pain:
DO'S
- DO support your spine. Take care of your core muscles. You can do this by doing the pelvic tilt. Lie on your back with your knees bent and tighten your stomach muscles until the small of your back is flat against the floor. Hold the press for a few seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
- DO stretch. Do back-friendly stretches in the morning and evening, 8-10 times each. Backstretches include:
- Back-pocket stretch - stand up and place both hands behind you as if putting them in your rear pockets of your jeans, look up and extend (arch) your back.
- Press-ups - lie on your stomach and place your hands on the floor as if you were starting a push up. Press just your upper body up, allowing your lower back to sag by keeping your hips close to the ground. Hold for a few seconds.
- DO get in the water. Water provides support and resistance and is safe for back pain.
- DO yoga but let your instructor know about any limitations you may have.
DONT'S
- DON’T do a full sit-up. This puts too much pressure on the back.
- DON’T do any stretch that requires you to touch your toes with your legs straight. This can be harmful to your already sore back muscles.
- DON’T jog. While jogging is a great aerobic exercise, high impact exercises can be jarring to your back.
- DON’T over do it. Know what hurts and what doesn’t and avoid exercises that make your pain worse.
If you have back pain and want to learn more about what you can do to help get rid of your pain,Northeast Spine and Sports Medicine can help. We offer many treatment options for back pain including chiropractic, interventional pain management, sports medicine, physical therapy, and post-surgical rehabilitation.
