Have you been told by a doctor that the only cure for your low back pain is surgery?
Or maybe you have been given pain medication and told to go home and rest?
Are you trying to figure out what you can actually do to eliminate your low back pain for the long term?
Then I have great news for you! There is a constantly growing body of research that says exercise is the best cure for low back pain long term. One of the main studies done by NCBI (NationalCenter for Biotechnology Information) says we need to get our bodies moving in order to heal them.
Research and experience are telling us that bodies do not like to be resting all the time. Remember, a body at rest stays at rest while a body in motion stays in motion. Newton’s first law of motion applies to our bodies, too!
If exercise is the best form of treatment for low back pain why isn’t everyone doing it? Here are the top five reasons why back pain keeps so many people like you from exercising.
- 1Fear - Back pain is scary! If you get pain when you are moving won’t it only get worse when you are exercising? And, is that pain normal or does it mean you should stop? Pain is confusing. This is why so many people avoid exercise when they are suffering with low back pain. But that leads to a whole different set of problems as inactivity and decreased mobility set in. When you become less mobile and active, your back pain gets worse and now a vicious cycle sets in.
- 2MRI report shows a bulging disc or degeneration. Your MRI report showed a bulging disc or degeneration which makes you feel old. After all, isn’t that what degeneration means? It’s important to remember that 60-70% of all MRI’s show one or more bulging discs. And that 65% of people who have a bulging disc feel no pain at all. So, really, having a bulging disc means you are more normal than not. It also means that disc may not be the cause of your pain. It does mean that you need a customized program of exercise to properly heal your low back pain.
- 3You were told to rest. Well meaning doctors and friends who are not up-to-date on the current research may tell you to rest whenever you have low back pain. This might be reasonable advice if you are dealing with an acute episode of low back pain but it’s terrible advice for chronic low back pain sufferers. Rest is one of the worst things that people with chronic low back pain can do. Since most people don’t have a thorough understanding of this concept, they find themselves in a “yo-yo” effect. They rest to “heal” their low back pain. When they feel better they return to exercise. When they hurt their back again they stop exercising and return to rest. I’ve seen so many people fall victim to this perpetuating cycle and it’s a big reason why they suffer for longer than they should. It also leads to the next problem.
- 4You hurt yourself every time you exercise. You may be caught in the cycle above and get frustrated that you hurt yourself every time you exercise. The frustration you experience from trying to do the “right thing” by exercising only to find yourself stuck on the couch again is real. This is why it’s important to have a movement specialist create a custom plan of exercise success for you. For most people, once you get the right guidance, you can find yourself safely and confidently exercising again.
- 5A weak core. This one is a double edged sword. Many people know their core is weak and use a core strengthening program they found on the internet. This often leads to increased low back pain – and frustration! Or maybe you are feeling like you don’t know how to strengthen your core and are afraid to get started. Our movement specialists can help design a program that is tailored specifically to your body and your goals. So you can exercise without risk of pain or further injury.
If you’re suffering from low back pain and you’ve stopped exercising, know that you’re not alone.
This is a confusing topic and there are so many mixed messages out there about the “right” and “wrong” things to do.
Don’t go it alone!
Click here to apply for a Free Discovery Visit. You will meet with our Back Pain Specialist to learn more about what you can do to eliminate your low back pain.
Dr. Amy Konvalin
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