Almost everyone I know (including myself) has complained of back pain at some point in their life. Some people get back pain while exercising, others while working at a desk, others while just walking around. Back pain has many causes but there are some things you can do to ease the pain and get your back back on track!
Common causes of back pain
Before you can delve into the exercises that help back pain it is VITAL that you find out why your back is hurting. If you do not know the cause of the pain any exercise you do is a stab in the dark and can end up doing more harm than good.
The spinal chord is delicate and filled with nerve bundles that can get damaged very easily. If you seriously injure your back you can bet your bottom dollar your life will be painful from that day on.
To find out the cause of your back problems go and see a back surgeon or neuroligist. Do NOT see a chiropractor or a physiotherapist. You want to make sure your spine is 100% healthy and you are going to do your neck or nerves any permanent damage. To do this you will need X-rays and maybe a CT scan.
Do not muck around with your back. ever.
Exercises that help back pain
Once you have got the “all clear” to do some exercises you should get advice from a physiotherapist. They can help you get your back into proper alignment. Do NOT go and see a chiro. These guys crack your back and neck and as far as my research and experience tells me they do not do much good. A dear family friend is in a wheel chair because of a young chiro who tried to crack a sore neck back in place.
Don’t risk it.
1. Fitness ball work
One of the common exercises prescribed for back pain is the fitness ball work. The fitness ball is fantastic because it is unstable and forces you to stablize yourself. Furthermore, you can get a really wonderful back stretch on it whilst fully supporting your back in all places. It also provides a bit of a massage for your back as you roll around.
Again, do not start doing fitness ball work without the advice of a professional. You might do more harm than good.
2. Crunches
Crunches are actually an excellent exercise for helping the back. This is particularly true for people who are a little overweight and putting a bit too much pressure on the lower back. You see crunches strengthen your abs and this helps take some of the load off of the spine. It is a really good exercise to do if you want to prevent future back pain. The crunch is the safest abs exercise (in my book) because it keeps your lower back in touch with the floor at all times. No chance of strain there.
3. Yoga stretches
One of the best things you can do for an out-of-align back is get some advice and start doing yoga. Some yoga postures work wonders for rebalancing your back and getting everything back where it should be. The yoga styles that work with the breath are particularly beneficial.
The great thing about yoga is that is builds up strength in your back at the same time as developing some flexibility. Your back will be much more healthy after a few weeks of yoga.
Conclusion on exercising, back pain and chiropractors
If you have a sore back you need to stop exercising straight away and get some help. Do not train through it and hope it will go away as this will only make it worse. As I said, back injuries are some of the most serious of any injury so make sure a true professional is looking at it.
Finally, I don’t mean any offense to the chiros out there but I really have no faith in the practice. I know at least 10 people who are worse off for going and getting their back and neck crunched. My own mother one of them.
October 15th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Generally I think the advice you give here is spot on, but I think you’re wrong in believing that chiropractors are quacks. When I injured my back at judo, I saw a doctor, a massage therapist, and a chiropractor. The doctor was the least helpful. The massage therapist did a little good, but couldn’t fix the problem. The chiropractor offered me immediate relief and after four treatments I was totally ship-shape again.
There is a good reason that chiropractors are on the medical staff for the Canadian Olympic team. It takes eight years of higher level education to become a chiropractic doctor, and this level of education gives them a more sophisticated and helpful knowledge of how to treat back injuries than any other profession.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I had back pain for years in tell I started doing lower back and core exercises to strengthen my middle. So many people are not strong enough in their stomach and lower back that back pain comes easy. So hopefully people start putting more attention on their core muscles.
October 16th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Jalden - that is the interesting thing about chiros, there seem to be such a difference in the stories people tell. People either love them or hate them.
I know there are long degrees and good science behind them but when I look into the history of the art I really am shocked at where chiropractics came from and how dangerous it actually can be. And I am not exaggerating about our family friend - he literally is in a wheel chair for the rest of his life from a nice neck crack from a young chiropractor.
At the very least I guess make sure you go to a good one before you get any major bones done.
While I agree with you on some points I do not think they are better equipped to deal with back injuries than any other profession. For example, they cannot operate on a back and as such have no surgical knowledge of the back. I would much rather see a neurologist than a chiropractor as the back and neck are so important to the nerve systems.
Home Fitness - Absolutely! The abs are so important for a lot of back pain.
RT
October 16th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Being 6′9″, I am very familiar with lower back pain. Unfortunately, the world isn’t build for guys like me.
If I’m not really careful, my lower back will lock up and spasm something awful.
I’ve always wondered about what exercises could strengthen those muscles. I like your idea of stretching on a regular basis.
Thanks for the advice.
October 16th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Rich - sounds tough. I know people have enough problems as it is with their backs, let alone all the problems being 7 foot present.
I think it would be really important with you to keep your abs strong and to make sure your legs and shoulders and neck are always aligned. Yoga would probably be great.
RT
October 16th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
I agree that it is important to see a good chiropractor, just as it is important to see a good doctor, maybe moreso. I wouldn’t want someone to screw up my back surgery!
I agree with you about the importance of core strength to preventing back injuries. Since I built that up with a summer of boxing (we spent at least 10 or 15 minutes a class doing hard ab work), I have not had a serious back injury.
October 16th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Jalden - all I ask is you be careful with those guys! lol
November 29th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Have you seen the research on the risk factors of manipulation of the spine? you have a better chance winning the lotto than getting hurt from a chiropractic adjustment. Reasearch studies show there is a 1 in 1 million chance of having an adverse reaction from a cervical manipulation, some studies say 1 in 7 million. I have to totally disagree with you. By the way ask a neurologist or a ortho surgeon how much malpractice they pay , then ask a chiro its significantly lower for the chiro. Get that facts straight
November 29th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
CC -
Thanks for your comments.
Firstly, I would like to see a source for your statistics. Who carried out this study and who was it funded by? I am very skeptical about such things.
Secondly, even if the stats are correct I do not feel bound by them. I can get on the phone now and call at least 10 of my direct family and friends who have had serious problems with their spine after seeing a chiropractor. My own mother now has a severe back injury and is in great agony after seeing a 21 year old chiro graduate who cracked her back and made her problem 100 times worse. She is now undergoing surgery for the problem.
We also have a friend who now has to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair after a neck alignment severed a main artery and caused a brain malfunction. This is not an exageration.
However, I do understand where you are coming from. I understand that there are probably millions of people who have been helped by chiropractic wisdom. But the fact remains that this is a blog and as such carries an opinion. I’m sorry if my opinion offended you but in all honesty I would never lend my spine to a chiropractor.
Thanks for stopping by.
RT
November 29th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
in every profession there are those who are good and those who are bad.It is ignorant to stereotype an entire profession for the few whom have done wrong. Remember that every profession have those who have done harm (speaking in healthcare)MD,DO, DPM,DC,PT…etc. You can find horror stories everywhere, but you can not ignore the good that has been done by all these profession also. Thats how i want to end this. I hope all goes well with your mothers surgery, i wish you and your family good health. Thank you for letting me share my opinion.
November 29th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
by the way how can you be a chiro who is 21 most people are 22 when they graduate college. add four years to that, thats how old a new grad would be.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:36 am
CC -
Thanks again for your comments. I find them very intelligent and well thought out. I am really glad you shared your opinion; this is how people learn to make informed choices.
My main point was that when it comes to spinal problems I think the risk involved warrants going to someone like a neurologist who can get advanced imaging of the area and make a decision based on the subtle and gross areas related to the spinal chord.
However, I understand and agree with your point that it is silly to throw a blanket comment over all chiropractors because of a few bad experiences.
Thanks again, I enjoyed your contribution.
RT
January 6th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Hi, RT — I just ran across this blog and find the topic quite relevant to me. I was skeptical of chiro, but was convinced to try it. I have had a series of treatments for the past year, but have decided to quit while I’m ahead. I was very leary of the neck adjustments, but they seem to have unkinked some damage I did to myself a while back — however, I won’t have any more done. Ever. My back now seems to crack too easily, with the slightest twist. I mentioned that to the chiro, but he seemed to brush it off, saying that it was probably tendons. It’s not. Anyway, I agree with your conclusion to proceed with caution. Thanks for letting me say my piece.
SD
March 11th, 2008 at 10:55 am
During each morning’s car pool one summer, I slept sitting up in the passenger seat with my head turned to the right. Little did I know that the one hour each day, with the stopping and starting at each traffic light was causing a kink in my neck to form.
Even after I stopped doing that, six months would go by and still had a sharp pain in my neck when turning my head to a certain angle.
Finally, I went to a chiropractor on a regular basis and his adjustments made the problem go away. Over time, the chiropractor showed me the before and after x-rays and you can literally see the difference and how the injured “straight” neck, had its natural curve put back in and with 100% mobility and never again feeling pain.
March 12th, 2008 at 12:04 am
RH - That is really interesting stuff. I slept on the bus everyday in high school - wonder if thats why my neck is out.
RT