Baby got back…pain. Actually, 4 out of 5 Canadians do! Making back pain one of the most chronic health conditions in Canada.

If you’re reading this, odds are, you’ve probably experienced back pain at least once in your life. Unfortunately, it is such a common issue among people that statistics show as many as 80% of individuals will experience this type of pain at least once in their lifetime.

Why is this though? Sadly, there’s no clear cookie cutter reason why low back pain occurs—there are numerous variables at play from lifestyle to improper biomechanics to mental health issues. I’m hoping to cut some of the clutter regarding this issue because no one should have to deal with pain.


What is Low Back Pain?

Even though you probably already know what it feels like to have pain in the low back, it’s worth mentioning what it really is: Low back pain is any pain experienced in the lumbar area of the spine and the gluteal/buttock fold. This pain can be sharp or a constant ache that you feel in this region.

There are a few different ways the back can be aggravated during movement. You might have a flexion-intolerance in the spine, meaning that you get pain when you bend forward. You might have an extension-intolerance in the spine, so anytime you bend backwards there is pain. Finally, you might also have a load-intolerance, meaning anytime lift/carry something heavy there is pain.

Back pain is incredibly annoying and straight up debilitating for people. The good news is, there is a way out.


What Can you do TODAY to Help your LBP?

There is differing advice and varying opinions on what can be done about low back pain. Fix it with surgery, take pain-killing meds, complete bed rest, new diet, new sleep position, hot therapy, cold therapy, the list goes on. A lot of these are great in the moment, but they are often band-aid solutions that don’t get to the core of the issue.

Here are some things that you can do RIGHT NOW to help:

    • Get a thorough assessment done by a Certified Athletic Therapist or other healthcare practitioner

Back pain is a super complex topic and there are many possible reasons back pain might occur. It could be a structural problem, functional issue, psychological, neurological, lifestyle, etc. There are just too many variables to account for when determining the culprit.

It’s easy to say, “Oh yeah, this is the one thing that’s causing the pain. Do this, this, and that and you’ll be golden!”

But it’s negligent to point to one blanket problem for everyone.

So, get a thorough assessment of your back, movement patterns, health history, and injury history. From there, your practitioner can help you develop a treatment plan that matches your specific needs. This bit of education can be huge in helping you pinpoint the exact cause of your pain.

    • Avoid Painful/uncomfortable positions

What helps alleviate a lot of lower back pain is getting out of positions that are not comfortable or are just downright painful. If it hurts to bend over, reduce flexion-based movements. Bending backwards is uncomfortable? Avoid extension-based movements.

Sounds easy right?

This tip can help you reduce your incidence of pain immediately, just by knowing which positions cause flare ups and avoiding them. It also helps reduce the likelihood of further aggravating the structures that are causing pain.

This is a simple, in the moment, fix but to see lasting change you must implement one last tip. The tip that will make the uncomfortable positions feel more achievable over time…

    • Exercise and Movement!

Exercise has time and again proven effective when recovering from injury. The same rings true for back pain.

It’s important to note that even though exercise is proven in the literature to effectively reduce symptoms of low back pain, it’s imperative to get a thorough assessment done first. Otherwise, certain exercises may not work as effectively for you or could even make your pain worse.

It’s also worth mentioning that exercises can be progressed or regressed based on your strength and endurance level. You can customize almost any exercise to meet you where you’re at in your fitness/health journey.

Though there are many different exercises that can help you, I am only going to mention a few to help get you started:


Hip mobility exercises

Free moving hips limit excessive movement in the back! So it’s very important to stretch muscles surrounding the hip and actively mobilize the joint.

Here are 3 hip exercises that will help open the hips:

Couch Stretch

This is a great stretch for the hip flexor and the quads. The reason you want to stretch your hip flexors is because they attach directly into the back! So, if these are tight, the back will feel stiff too.


Adductor Rockback

An active mobility drill for the inside of the groin. This will free up the inside of the hip joint, helping you move better.

 


Pigeon Stretch

Phenomenal stretch for the glutes. This will help reduce any stiffness around the gluteal fold region that translates into pain in the back.

 

 

**Make sure to do these stretches at least 2-3 times a day and hold each stretch for 60-90 seconds each**

Core/lumbopelvic Strengthening exercises

I’m not talking about your typical sit-ups and crunches. These are exercises designed to keep the pelvis stable! A stable pelvis will help eliminate unnecessary stress on the back when moving.

Here are 4 exercises that will help strengthen the core:

Monster walks

Did you know you have 3 glute muscles? Monster walks help strengthen one specific glute muscle: the gluteus medius. An important muscle for keeping the hips level while walking and squatting.

 


Bird Dogs

A dynamic exercise to keep the core engaged while moving your arms and legs. The core is designed to stabilize the pelvis even when we are on the move. This exercise simulates this perfectly.

 


Side plank

A great stationary stability exercise that targets the oblique muscles. We need stability on the outside of our bodies to keep a stable back.

 


Pallof Press

A great anti-rotation exercise for the spine. Engages the core to prevent excessive twisting in the low back.

 

**It is recommended to perform these exercises 3 times a day for 10 reps each**

Daily low impact movement such as walking

Motion is lotion! Research shows that walking and moving more frequently, in general, can reduce symptoms of low back pain (mostly because it promotes healthy activities of daily living that benefit multiple aspects of your life, including improved mood, increased cardiovascular health, and increased bone density).

If you or someone you know is experiencing low back pain, we have the tools and the knowledge to help.

If you want to get to the bottom of your back pain, shoot us a message at info@oakvillesandbox.com. We’ve got your back!

Instagram: @jvtherapy
Facebook: @jv.exercises
LinkedIn: Justin Vautour CAT(C), CSCS

References:

Back Pain Facts and Statistics. 2021. American Chiropractic Association. https://www.acatoday.org/Patients/What-is-Chiropractic/Back-Pain-Facts-and-Statistics.

Gomes-Neto, M., Lopes, J., Conceição, C., et al. 2016. Stabilization exercise compared to general exercises or manual therapy for the management of low back pain: A systemic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy in Sport, xxx (2016) pp. 1-7.

Sllideshow: A Visual Guide to Low Back Pain. December 8, 2019. WebMd. https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/ss/slideshow-low-back-pain-overview.

Winter, Sarah. 2015. Effectiveness of targeted home-based hip exercises in individuals with non-specific chronic or recurrent low back pain with reduced hip mobility: A randomised trial. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 28 (2015), pp. 811-825.