Moving is the way out of back pain
People often start talking about back pain when tying a shoelace or getting up from a chair suddenly takes their breath away. Most of the time, lower back pain is temporary and gets better precisely when you gradually start moving again. Here is a clear overview of when to rest, when to do exercises and when it is worth talking to a doctor.
Back pain and pain in the lumbar region
A very large share of people suffer from back pain, or more precisely pain in the lower back, also known as the lumbar region. 39% of people need medical care or medication. Over a lifetime, 90% of people experience pain in the lumbar region. In other words: almost everyone runs into it at some point.
That does not mean every painful day is an illness. Lumbar pain is often a temporary thing. Your back is signaling that your body is tense or that the work or load was unfamiliar, and after a while the pain subsides. It can be considered a medical condition when the pain starts to limit your life. For example, when you can’t move freely, work or sleep normally.
Frankly, one big problem with back pain is fear. When your lower back hurts, you get the feeling that something must be broken. Most of the time, it isn’t. Still, it makes sense to know which signs point to a simple muscle strain and when the cause may be more serious.
Why does back pain turn into an everyday worry?
Back pain used to be often called radiculitis. The word is still used, but doctors avoid it more and more, because in most cases it is not an inflammation of the nerve. Most often, pain in the lumbar region is linked to excessive tension in the lumbar muscles. The connective tissue fasciae surrounding tense muscles become irritated and contain many nerve endings. That is where the pain comes from.
Tension can build up after unaccustomed work. Digging up potatoes in autumn, lifting a heavy bag, a long car drive or a workday spent in a forced posture can quickly make your lower back angry. In a sensitive person, psycho-emotional tension can also increase muscle tension. This is especially familiar in the neck and the back of the head, where stress quickly makes itself known.
Damage to the cartilage discs between the lumbar vertebrae is a more serious matter. If a disc ruptures and fragments end up in the spinal canal, they can press on the nerve roots. Then it is not simply a stiff back. You may get pain that travels to the thigh or lower leg, along with reduced sensation or impaired motor function. Sometimes the leg is left weak.
An important nuance: when pain radiates into the leg, it does not always mean there is definite pressure on a nerve root. If someone suddenly throws their back out and the pain moves into the lower leg, it can also be referred pain. A doctor, not an internet search, will clear up the difference.
Recovery from back pain starts with movement
A simple truth: if the pain is so severe that you can’t get out of bed, you need to stay in bed for a few days. But lying down is not treatment. A person with back pain should start moving as soon as possible and return to their usual activities. That is exactly what supports healing.
If it is simple lumbar pain with no nerve root damage, ordinary over-the-counter painkillers from the pharmacy, such as aspirin, can ease the pain. But if true nerve pain has developed, with pain radiating into the leg, ordinary painkillers may no longer be suitable. They should not be taken on your own, because in some cases they can contribute to the pain becoming chronic. Then other medicines are used, and sometimes surgical treatment, to relieve the pressure on the nerve root.
A warm bath, a sauna and sports creams can ease pain after a short-term physical load. They won’t work miracles, but they help release tension. The main factor is still time. Lumbar pain and sciatica are self-healing conditions in 90% of cases. Only in 10% of cases are more complex treatments needed.
Once lumbar pain starts, it may come back later. There is no one trick that guarantees your back will never hurt again. The main way to prevent flare-ups is good physical fitness. The abdominal and back muscles are especially important, because they give the spine external support.
One simple recipe suits many people: if you have pain in the lumbar region, train your abdominal muscles. Not by forcing it and not through sharp pain, but consistently. Usually you learn the exercises together with an exercise instructor, and later you have to do them on your own. Exercising has to remain part of your lifestyle.
What does your back need in everyday life?
The lower back is easily overloaded, because humans walk on two legs, not on four paws. The lumbar region takes a heavy load. Biomechanical studies show that the load can be especially high even when you are sitting in a seemingly comfortable position.
Modern life is arranged so that we sit for much of our waking hours. The abdominal and back muscles lose tone. If a rise in body weight is added on top of that, for example 40 kg compared with your weight when you were young, the lower back takes an even greater load. Then no trick will help; you have to rebuild your fitness.
At work, forced postures can’t always be avoided. You spend about 8 of the 24 hours of the day at work. So you have to find time outside the workday to maintain your physical fitness. It doesn’t have to be a heroic feat. Regular walking, moderate strength training and back-friendly exercises do more than one big effort made once a month.
The wrong footwear can aggravate back pain, especially in people who are predisposed to it. At the same time, not every heel or hard-soled shoe should immediately be blamed. A predisposition often only becomes apparent over the course of a lifetime. Lower back pain most commonly appears in the fourth decade of life, roughly between the ages of 30-40. The earlier it starts, the stronger the sign of a predisposition.
Some people have congenital variations. Most people have five lumbar vertebrae, but some have six or four. This is not a disease, but under certain conditions it can increase the likelihood of developing lower back pain. Muscle tone is just as important: the lumbar spine should be slightly concave, and that takes good musculature.
Preventing back pain with training
The best exercises for your back are those that strengthen the abdominal and back muscles and restore spinal mobility. Once pain is already present, nothing replaces special exercises. You can use exercise machines as long as the exercise is controlled and doesn’t force your lower back into a poor position.
Team and ball sports can be trickier for middle-aged people with back pain. Basketball, volleyball and soccer, and to a lesser extent tennis, involve twisting, jumping and falls. That doesn’t mean they are off limits. If a game gives you joy and your body tolerates the training load, you can play it. But if your back already hurts, the main focus should be on controlled exercises.
A good book was published in Estonia, written by Riina Saarma: Healthy Back and Healthy Neck. It contains precise descriptions of exercises. The exercises don’t have to be very complicated. What matters is repetition and consistency.
If your back has stiffened up, don’t jump straight into intense flexibility exercises, such as trying to put your palms on the floor. Bending forward creates a lever effect that increases the load on the lower back. Roughly speaking, lifting a 40 kg weight can put a load of about half a ton on the lumbar region. To restore spinal mobility, exercises done while sitting are better suited at first, because they don’t create that lever effect.
So what actually helps? Calm movement, strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, body weight control, and the ability not to panic during a flare-up. If the pain becomes severe, radiates into the leg, or comes with weakness or a change in sensation, you need to seek help. If it’s just an ordinary stiff lower back, the best start is often simple: get up, move carefully and give your body a chance to recover.
FAQ: back pain, movement and rest
Do you have to lie in bed with back pain?
Only if the pain is so severe that you can’t get up. A few days of rest may be necessary, but lying down doesn’t heal anything. As soon as possible, it’s worth starting to move carefully.
When can back pain point to nerve root compression?
If the pain radiates into the thigh or lower leg and is accompanied by reduced sensation, impaired movement or leg weakness, you need to consult a doctor. Pain like this shouldn’t be treated with home remedies alone.
Does training the abdominal muscles help prevent back pain?
Yes, in many cases a stronger core helps support the lower back. The exercises should be calm, of suitable difficulty and done regularly.
Author: Compiled by Marek Morozov
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