My Experience
My back pain issues started in my mid to late 20s. During
this time, I had not realized prior to the major back spasms that I was
beginning to experience could be traced back to my teens. As I progressed from
high school to college, my body was becoming more and more accustomed to a
sedentary lifestyle and poor posture. My spine along the lower back region
began to gradually develop a curvature (scoliosis) that ended up progressing to
a hip hike (one side of my hip is higher than the other side) and chronic low
back pain and sciatica. When aggravated, I would end up bed ridden for a full
week unable to move without waves of painful spasms erupting in my lower back.
To say the least it wasn’t fun waiting for it to heal or the pain to go away.
Chiropractor trips were unfortunately becoming unintended, semi regular visits
in my life which I never looked forward to and aways dreaded. After sessions at
the chiropractor, I was told to stretch more, perhaps even take up yoga to help
heal and keep the pain away. With that suggestion, stretching then became the
new routine to keep the back spasms away but the effects never lasted very
long. It seemed as if every 6 months to a year, my back would still have a
major blow out and I would end up bed ridden again. This cycle went on for
close to a decade and got worst after I had my daughter. I contribute this to
unsuccessfully losing the pre and post baby extra body fat that was I carrying
on my frame (over 60lbs.) combined with lack of proper nutrition and diet, lack
of daily movement and quality of exercise. The heavier I got, the worst I felt,
and it led to my back problems becoming more chronic and needing to be urgently
addressed. I was either always in constant pain or afraid of when the pain
would return.
Statistics
Of the physical and common ailments that adults in the US
suffer from, it has been studied and reported that 25% have lower back pain (cdc.gov). In
addition to this fact, further research also indicated that 60% to 80% of
people will experience low back pain during their lifetime with women being
more susceptible than men (spine universe).
Keeping both staggering stats in mind, if you currently suffer from low back
pain and don’t know what to do about it, you are definitely not alone. Only 18%
of US adults have visited a health care professional for low back pain in the
past year as of August 25th, 2021 (statista.com).
Depending upon where you go and receive treatment from, it can be very costly,
time consuming and frustrating to tend to should the condition become
consistently aggravated. Unfortunately, women figuratively and literally carry
the burden of lower back pain more than men due to pregnancy and complication
thereafter such as PMS, Endometriosis, PMDD and Dysmenorrhea.
Causes
According to verywellhealth.com, low back pain can range from acute to
chronic conditions and as previously mentioned, some conditions can be found
specifically with one particular gender. For the sake brevity, listed below in
two separate tables are the most common back pain causes indicated by
conditions and contributing factors whether they are acute or chronic, shared
by both genders:
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Back Pain Conditions: |
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Strain or Sprain |
Scoliosis |
Osteoarthritis |
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Sciatica |
Osteoporosis |
Bulging or Ruptured Disc |
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Contributing Factors: |
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Type |
Description |
Examples |
|
Biological - Non-Mechanical
Disease |
A byproduct of an acute condition
caused by a biological misfunction and/or ailment of the body. |
Kidney Stone |
|
Biological – Degenerative Conditions of the Body |
Immunol conditions that breakdown the integral
structure of the body overtime. |
Arthritis |
|
Poor Body Mechanics |
Either repetitive movements or
sedentary lifestyle done with poor posture over a period of time. |
Frequent bending forward, poor sitting
posture, heavy lifting. |
|
Trauma |
Created by outward forces that caused impactive
injury to the person. |
Strains and sprains, fall, accidents, etc. |
Treatment
Depending upon the
cause of the lower back pain issue, one will find that there are many ways to
treat lower back pain ranging from over-the-counter medications and/or
prescription medication to holistic practices such as acupuncture (verywellhealth.com). As a certified personal trainer that
currently manages lower back pain from scoliosis and sciatica, when my issues
first began many years ago, I used to occasionally take pain medication and
sought the services of a chiropractor on a semi occasional basis. The results
of such treatment were always short term and cyclical. No matter the advice
that I got and the measures I took to heal and correct my lower back problems
they always flared up and got worst. I knew I had to do something that would
help me in the long term that wasn’t a quick fix. It wasn’t until I started
working out and losing weight with the intention of muscle toning and
strengthening that my back pain issues become more manageable. By adjusting my
lifestyle, eating habits, and exercising helped me with reducing my back pain
significantly. But, if you have a deconditioned body, knowing where to begin
can feel daunting. It took me a while but the first step in the right direction
for me was active stretching combined with my first real at-home resistance training
program. And now most recently I have added foam rolling techniques to the
sequence of this exercise groupings. Both techniques, foam rolling and
stretching, particularly performed in tandem together, are a gentle and
effective way of getting started on your journey to healing back pain with a
deconditioned body. From my experience, I have noticed quicker recovery time
and less day-to-day pain when foam rolling techniques are actively and
consistently included alongside of a workout routine.
Stretching
Techniques: Stretching is the physical act of positioning one’s body
through specific exercise motions producing a sequence of motion resulting in the
extension of limb(s). Lengthening and relaxing of muscles and overall movement
of joints and muscles occur through their full range of motion. The final results
culminate in positive benefits such as keeping our muscles flexible, strong,
and healthy. Good levels of flexibility also help us with the maintenance of
our range of motion in the joints. Other benefits received are as follows (nasm.org):
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Other Benefits of Stretching: |
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Increasing flexibility to prevent injury |
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Reducing inflammation |
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Freedom of movement |
|
Relaxation and mental
wellbeing |
There are three
kinds of stretches:
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Types of Stretches: |
||
|
Stretch Type |
Description |
Example |
|
Static |
Holding a position for a specific
period (such as 30 seconds) that causes the lengthening of a targeted muscle
to its furthest extent. |
Plank and Hold |
|
Active |
Form of stretching wherein you use the strength of certain
muscle groups to lengthen or stretch an opposing muscle group. |
Yoga Exercise |
|
Dynamic |
Stretching that is strictly movement
based and the positions are not held. |
Glute, Hip, and Back Warmup (nasm.org) |
Stretching
Technique Duration/Time Frame: This will all depend upon you and your
doctor and/or physician. In general, it is recommended at least 2 to 3 times
per day or more. Contact your doctor for further guidance.
Stretching
Technique for Me: When I first started my first at-home exercise routine,
my back and body was in good condition to handle dynamic style stretching that
led into resistance training with weights and resistance bands. The stretching
routine kept my muscles warm, supple, and flexible, decreasing the chance of
injury while aiding to prevent injury too. It wasn’t until recently that I
began utilizing foam rolling techniques and took advantage of the added benefits
to a solid workout routine.
Foam Rolling
Technique: Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique
utilized as the first step in addressing the pain caused by overactive tight
muscles by applying steady pressure and constant motion over the area to relax
the muscle and return it to its original state (nasm.org). The word myofascial by definition refers to the fasciae or
fascia of the muscle. Fascia is the intricate protective layer of connective
tissue that holds together and gives shape to our vital organs including each
individual muscle inside of our bodies (myofascialrelease.com). By utilizing SMR techniques, we seek to
loosen and relax this tissue because when trauma occurs, this area tends to
tighten leading to levels of high to extreme discomfort. This is the fascia way
of shielding and stopping further injury to the muscle allowing for healing to
take place. Unfortunately, in the process of tightening around the muscle to
protect it, fascia limits flexibility and mobility causing pain in daily
activity and regular movement patterns. SMR techniques helps to promote more
blood flow to the area which helps to loosen and relax fascia and promote quick
healing and recovery. It has the same benefits and effectiveness as ice and
heat therapy and is just as noninvasive and accessible. Average people and athletes
utilize this technique as a part of their warmup routine as needed.
SMR Technique Duration/Time Frame: This will all
depend upon you and your doctor and/or physician. In general, it is recommended
at least 2 to 3 times per day or more. Contact your doctor for further
guidance.
SMR Technique for
Me: I have found that foam rolling the upper back, piriformis, quads,
adductors, IT band and hamstrings combined with static hold stretches that are
meant to strengthen the core has helped me immensely. I have gained more of my
mobility and flexibility back when I have reinjured the area and has also
assisted in preventative measures too. This has led me to create and share a
quick but effective 5-minute workout routine that has helped me, and I feel
will be beneficial to others as well. Please note that this workout will remain
5 minutes in length provided that you take no breaks. If you pause the video as
prompted for the two 30-second rest periods, the routine will take 6 minutes. I
have developed both a free downloadable handout
and YouTube video to review, watch and utilize whenever
deemed necessary.
Lower Back Pain
Exercise Routine: Video & Free Handout
You can access the YouTube video of the quick 5-minute lower back pain exercise routine here: https://youtu.be/nzHPYeuCar4.
Don’t have time to
watch the YouTube video? You can access the free downloadable handout
of the routine here.
Equipment &
Items/Affiliate Links
Need the items
and/or equipment mentioned in this article and seen in this video? Please check
out the links below:
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Equipment & Items |
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Equipment/Item |
Affiliate Links |
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Foam Roller |
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Mat |
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Resistance Band |
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Stopwatch |
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Affiliate Link Disclaimer: |
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This video description box contains links to
affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission (at no additional
cost to you) for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using
such links. Our affiliate(s) include the following: Walmart Affiliate
Program. |
|
Health and Exercises Disclaimer: |
|
This site, blog article(s) and suggested resources
(such as videos, downloadable(s), outside links, etc.) may provide
information related to exercise, fitness, diet and nutrition and is intended
for your personal use and informational purposes only. You should consult
with a physician before beginning any exercise, fitness, diet or nutrition
routine, especially if you are pregnant or have pre-existing health
conditions. Nothing contained in this site, blog article(s) and/or suggested
resources should be considered as medical advice or diagnosis. Use this site,
blog article(s) and/or suggested resources at your own risk. |
|
Written Publication Disclaimer: |
|
This publication/blog article is written and
published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to the
subject matter presented. Care has been taken to confirm the accuracy of the
information presented and to describe generally accepted practices. However,
the author(s), editor(s), and publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions
or for any consequences from application of the information in this
publication and make no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
currency, completeness, or accuracy of the contents of the publication. |
Please feel free to check it out and don’t be afraid to
reach out to me and let me know what you think!
I’m always here for
you when you need me to be!
Until next time… Keep it Fired up Superstar!™
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