Prevent Low Back Pain in 3 Non-Conventional Ways

LOW BACK PAIN

Do you have low back pain? Many times back pain is triggered by restrictions in the muscle and the connective tissue that covers the muscles of the low back. Low back pain can happen suddenly and unexpectedly like when reaching for something you dropped on the floor. Poor posture, long-standing sitting positions, and weakness in the abs and glutes can be contributing factors. Here are 3 ways you can prevent low back pain and keep acute episodes at bay.

Importance of a proper ergonomic fit info graph

THE INFLUENCE OF ERGONOMICS ON LOW BACK PAIN

You wouldn't wear a pair of shoes that don't fit! Why would your chair or desk be any less important especially if you are sitting in it for more than 6 hours per day!? Physical Therapists have a saying "Sitting is the new smoking". What used to be seemingly "fine" is no longer fine! Therefore, the second way to deal with low back pain is to check your ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the study of how efficient you are in your work environment. Sitting at your dining room table for Zoom meetings could wreak havoc on your low back and hips becoming a major contributor to low back pain. Sitting in a chair that is too high, wide, or too low can put undue pressure on your low back and hips. It can also cause excess compression through the back of the legs which can contribute to numbness in the feet and toes.

The position of your body in slumped or slouched postures can also contribute to expressing depressive behaviors. Science research has even connected poor postures to hormonal changes such as higher amounts of cortisol and lower amounts of testosterone. Adopting power poses can help improve testosterone in the blood...check out Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk here!

Re-assess your sitting positions while working during the day. Check-in with your body and notice if you are holding tension in your back, neck, jaw, or legs. Awareness can be the first step in preventing low back pain. Make sure you are fully supported in your chair. Also, if you wake up with low back pain, it could possibly be related to your mattress or poor sleeping postures.

TRIGGER POINT RELEASE

Trigger Point of the Psoas for Low Back Pain

If you sit for long periods of time, the hip flexor muscles can shorten. These muscles connect your trunk to your legs by way of attaching to the spine. When your hips are tight, they pull on the low back so there is a direct connection between tight hips and low back pain. Poor postures, slumping positions, and slouching also cause the abdominal muscles to become weaker. Weak abs contribute to decreased stability of the trunk which then loops back to weakness in the low back muscles. FYI, sit-ups alone won't strengthen your abdominals! A full-body functional strength program will help you the best.

When the muscles and soft tissue get tight they cause restrictions of blood, fluid, and lymph all of which create a local irritation in the area of tightness. This is what causes low back pain of a muscle origination. So, the second way to deal with low back pain is to have your trigger points released! The best way to do this is through Trigger Point Dry Needling!

Freeing up myofascial tightness relieves the pressure build-up (aka "knots") in the soft tissue and promotes proper circulatory and lymphatic flow. Supple tissue and well-moving joints make for a happy spine!

Get Active and Move!

150 minutes per week is needed to move to prevent low back pain quote

Another saying we PT's have is: "If you don't move it, you lose it!" Muscles lose their strength pretty quickly. Therefore, the weakness of the abdominal core and trunk muscles can directly lead to low back pain. The "core" includes not just the abdominals but also the glutes and the pelvic floor from below. The core from above is the diaphragm (yes, the way you breathe can contribute to low back pain) and the way you control your shoulders and a few other muscular attachments required for locomotion.

The Mayo Clinic recommends getting a moderate amount of aerobic activity cumulatively 150 minutes per week. Ideally, this should be spread out over a 7-day span. Is there any viable reason one cannot commit 21.4 minutes per day to movement? Look up from your phone, computer screen, or television screen and MOVE!

21.4 minutes per day will keep your joints lubricated, skin healthy, digestion consistent, head clear, and muscles supple and strong. If you aren't motivated to move for all of these great reasons, there is one more good one: METABOLISM. Moving will create internal heat and if you are looking to lose a little weight, you need to "burn more calories" or rev up that internal flame! So, instead of slumping on the couch eating your favorite ice cream after a 9 hour day in an unsupported desk chair, move around aerobically for 21.4 minutes a day and start to feel better physically and mentally!