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Movement reduces low back pain

This is a question that is best answered following an examination by a health care practitioner who is experienced in treating patients with low back pain.  With that said, there are several simple rules you can follow that will be beneficial to you. Movement is so important when you have a low back injury because it ultimately promotes increased blood flow to muscles, joints, and nerves which optimizes the body’s ability to heal.  Movement reduces low back pain.  Immobility does the opposite. Immobility decreases blood flow to injured tissues and results in stiffness and range of motion impairments, which in turn leads to more pain. Movement promotes healing and speeds up the healing process.

Often times with back pain or an acute low back injury, pain is present even when you’re not moving.  When this is the case you need to do a quick self-examination to determine what makes the pain worse.  First, stand up straight and bend forward like you’re going to touch your toes.  Now, bend backwards.  Standing upright, give yourself a hug and rotate to your left and then to your right.  Take note of what movement or movements cause your pain to increase.  Do not move in the direction(s) that cause the pain to increase. If the pain is not felt until you get to a certain point while moving, don’t move beyond that point.  Any movement or movements that did not increase pain need to be noted and try to only move in these directions. Often times if you find a direction of movement that does not hurt, when repeated, it will actually decrease pain.  For example, this is most commonly seen with bending forward (flexion) and bending backwards (extension).  If you bend forward and it hurts more, take note and don’t bend forward anymore.  If you bend backwards and it does not hurt, continue to bend backwards 20 to 30 times in a row and note if the pain in your low back actually begins decrease.  Often times you will find that it will.  This can also work in the opposite direction; if you bend backwards and you pain is increased but when you bend forward the pain does not increase just bend forward 10 to 15  times and note if the pain in your back decreases.  If it does you have an effective treatment routine.  Its that simple!  Don’t make it harder than it has to be.  This is called a directional preference and usually bending backwards decreases pain if bending forward increases pain or vice versus.

If every direction of movement hurts and no movement is neutral, or does not increase your pain, you still need to move.  As I stated before, movement promotes healing and speeds up the healing process. The key here is to move through a very limited range that puts minimal stress on your spine.  If every movement is painful, lay on your back and simply tighten up or “brace” you abdominal muscles.  To do this, pretend someone is going to punch you in the stomach and try to tighten up your trunk muscles to absorb that punch and then relax.  This is all you need to do.  Do this 15 to 20 times. Next, start with a simple pelvic tilt.  To do this, gently arch your back away from the floor then gently flatten it out against the floor.  Again, do this 15 to 20 times. If you lay on your back and do these simple contractions and movements for 5 minutes, you should start to notice your pain beginning to decrease. Like everything else, this won’t miraculously heal you but it will help you to have noticeably less discomfort.