Here are some quick and easy steps to take to help reduce, and even end, your low back pain.
Approximately 85% of all adults in this country are plagued with low back pain.1 What exactly does that mean? It means that out of a family of five, at least four of them will suffer from low back pain. For those of you who experience low back pain, you already know what a nuisance it can be throughout the day, let alone when working out. The good news is, through working out, you can actually correct the issues that can contribute to low back pain. So not only will you live a life with less pain, you’ll also be able to achieve higher-quality workouts that aren’t distracted by your back.
I don’t know about you, but that’s a cause for celebration!
Can you guess which techniques can be used to correct low back problems? Take some time; I really want you to think about this because the sooner you have an understanding of how your body works, the sooner you’ll be ready to go off on your own and know how to get the fitness results you want. Think about what you’ve read so far, and see if you can put into practice any of that new knowledge. If you need to stop reading so you can think, then go ahead.
– these techniques are just some of the simple steps you can take to help prevent and put a stop to your low back pain problems in as little as a few weeks.
OK, test time is over. The first, and most important, aspect to help correct low back problems is developing sufficient core strength. Did you already guess that? Strengthening the inner core is an absolute must because as you remember, if you keep your inner core strong, all other areas of your body will be able to properly develop around this base of support. Remember the idea of your transverse abdominus being your body’s natural corset? Well if it isn’t strong, it doesn’t help maintain a properly aligned posture. Without that posture, one problem can turn into many problems. Your body is like a chain. When one area of your posture is off, a chain reaction starts and more areas of you posture start going bad, which eventually can lead to low back problems.
Along with maintaining a strong inner core, a strong outer core that’s conditioned to handle the rotation of your body is another major aspect to preventing or correcting low back pain. Again, remember talking about how along with muscle imbalances (a weak inner core being a cause), abdominal muscles that aren’t strong enough to control the rotation between the pelvis and the spine is another major reason why people suffer from low back problems?2
So far we have strengthening the inner core and training your abdominal muscles to be efficient at controlling rotational movements as two ways to alleviate low back pain. But how do you train your abs to control rotational movements? Stop doing basic crunches and start doing abdominal exercises that incorporate a twisting pattern.
OK, let’s say you’ve started to work on these two areas in your workouts, but you still have problems with your low back. Why could that be? Well, these two solutions are more of a preventative measure to take with avoiding low back problems. Don’t get me wrong, if you currently have low back problems, it’s essential that you still work on correcting these two issues; you just need to make sure that when correcting these issues, you aren’t experiencing pain. If you are, then decrease the intensity of the exercise you’re doing. You can do that by slowing down the pace of the exercise, decreasing the weight, decreasing the number of sets and repetitions, changing the positioning of your body while doing the movement, or if all else fails, stop doing the exercise all together. Fix your inner core and outer core weaknesses, but don’t do it at the expense of hurting yourself even more. The last thing you need is to inflame your low back more than it already is.
All is not lost, though. Because of problems in areas such as core-strength, there are what’s called posture distortions patterns that can develop. These different patterns result from tight and weak muscles (other than the inner and outer core muscles) in your body. Three of the big players in low back postural problems are the hip flexors, the hamstrings, and the low back muscles themselves. (That’s an obvious one.)
As you already know, the hip flexors connect to the front of the pelvis. What can happen is the hip flexors can become very tight; a major contributor to this problem is sitting behind a desk for most of the day. When we sit in a chair for a lengthened period of time, our hip flexors become accustomed to a shortened length, and as a result, they can pull the pelvis forward, resulting in the discs in our spine having too much pressure on the back of them. These tight muscles can also lead to shortened low back muscles, and shortened muscles mean tight muscle, which means sore muscles. These are just two of the reasons for low back problems: sore low back muscles and uneven pressure on the vertebral discs because of posture issues. The good news is, there are certain steps you can take to correct them.
Now another reason for low back problems has to do with the hamstrings. The hamstrings connect to the back of the pelvis, and if they’re weak, again, the pelvis can tilt forward and cause tight low back muscles and improperly aligned discs. If the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis can tilt back, leading to too much pressure being put on the front of the vertebral discs.
So how do you correct tight muscles? You guessed it! You need to improve your flexibility. Before we get into that, how do you know if you even have tight muscles? One quick and easy method to determine whether or not these muscles are tight is to look at yourself in the mirror. While standing sideways in front of a mirror, stand in a relaxed position (don’t suck anything in), and look at your beltline. (You may even want to wear a belt for this.) If you notice that your belt buckle is below where your belt is on the back of your waist, then you have tight hip flexors and low back muscles, as well as weak hamstrings. If your belt line on the back of your waist is below your belt buckle, then you have tight hamstrings, weak hip flexors, and weak low back muscles. The goal is to have the front of your belt even with the back of your belt.
It’s pretty common that if you have low back trouble, you have tight muscles, but sometimes, there can be other issues such as degenerative disc disease. So what is one to do? Remember talking about foam rolling? You want to foam roll all these different areas of your body, remembering to hold for 30 seconds on each tender spot. You can repeat the foam rolling process a second time if you want, but always remember to start your foam rolling going in the direction toward your heart. Once you foam roll each of the three muscles, perform a static stretch of 2-4 times for 30-second holds each. After static stretching, move on to foam rolling the next tight muscle, and keep repeating this process until you work on all three.
These may seem like little steps to take, but I’ve seen the results that they can have on reducing and even ending low back pain in those I have worked with. Strengthening the inner core, strengthening the outer core with rotational movements, foam rolling tight muscles, followed by static stretching tight muscles – these techniques are just some of the simple steps you can take to help prevent and put a stop to your low back pain problems in as little as a few weeks. Don’t become discouraged if it takes closer to a few months to notice any results, though; no matter how long it takes, it’s important that you consistently perform these steps in your program. Once you do, you’ll be able to maximize your fitness results without having to worry about the pain creeping in.
Note: As always, talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program because while these quick fixes may alleviate your low back pain, there could be more serious issues causing the problem; and if possible, seek the guidance of a qualified fitness professional to assist you with your program. For examples of inner and outer core exercises, sign up for these free videos. Here’s how to foam roll your low back and hip flexors. Here’s how to foam roll your hamstrings.
References:
1 The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), 2001.
2 Boyle, M. (2005). Rotary training. Retrieved July 31, 2008 from http://www.ptonthenet.com.
Dan Falkenberg, BA, ACE-CPT, NASM-PES
Dan Falkenberg is the cofounder of Your Live Trainers. He can be reached at DanFalkenberg.com.
Don't miss my new fitness book, tentatively scheduled to hit stores soon! Put your name on the VIP waiting list to be notified when and where it’s available for purchase.