What is Low Back Pain?
Low back pain is defined as
pain and discomfort, localized below the costal margin and above the inferior
gluteal folds. This is a fancy way of saying between the bottom middle of the
back to the bottom of your butt cheek.
For the sake of my terrible typing skills, I will refer to low back pain
as LBP. It is reasonable to estimate that every American will experience some
form of LBP at least once in a lifetime. The reality is much harsher. Upwards
of 70% of persons in most industrialized countries will experience LBP that may
or may not radiate down the leg.
LBP can be caused by
an injury or biomechanical breakdown. LBP due to
infection, tumor, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, fracture, etc. must be
cleared by your physician or therapist before beginning an exercise program. Non-specific
LBP is the most common form. This is
because there is no obvious cause for the chronic or acute symptoms. This type
of LBP can usually be addressed through
the intelligent application of a
progressive corrective exercise program.
Chronic LBP is a leading cause of medical facility visits
each year costing billions of dollars annually in lost days of work, reduced
quality of life, and increased health care expenses.
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Non-specific LBP and Exercise
It is suggested that
regular exercise is an effective measure to combat chronic LBP. Millions of
people sidelined by nonspecific LBP because it hurts to move. I realize pain
tolerance is very unique to each of us,
but we should resist the urge to sit still. Some people can “fight” through the
pain while others fully succumb to it. Either way, the issue can be addressed
through intelligent program design. Most cases of nonspecific LBP do not
require hospitalization or even physician care. Modification of exercises can
help manage the symptoms. If you do decide the pain is too much take the time
off but set a realistic and quick return time. This time should be with or
without discomfort still present. The
reason is that we need to practice
strengthening core musculature through deliberate application of specific
exercises.
Non-specific LBP program design
We should always realize that all pain management is
specific to the individual. What exercises help person “A” may increase pain in
person “B”. For this reason, I believe you should seek out a certified corrective exercise or functional
movement professional to assess which exercises will be right for you. Again,
if you are under the care of a medical professional then stick to their exercise
prescription.
Research supports incorporating multiple forms of exercise.
Try different positions and variations to find what works best for you. Chronic or reoccurring LBP that is not
indicative of a greater injury can be used as a guide to assess program effectiveness.
Remember, be patient with your program. The dysfunction did not happen
overnight, and the correctives may take 3 months or longer to take hold.
The focus of the program should be geared toward muscular
endurance rather than strength. Core stability is a systemic harmony of muscle
contraction and relaxation to maintain static and dynamic posture. The majority
of low back injuries happen during fatigue.
Well, that is all for today. Look for me to write more on
low back pain in the future.
Live healthy everyone,
References
American College of Sort Medicine. (2009). ACSM's Exercise Management for
Persons with Chronic Diseases and Disabilities. Champaign, Illinois:
Human Kinetics.
American College of Sport Medicine. (2014). ACSM's
Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (Ninth ed.). Baltimore,
Maryland, United States of America: Wolter Kluwer Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins.
McGill, S. M. (2003, March). Enhancing low back
health through stabilization exercises. Retrieved September 1, 2015, from
American Council on Exercise: http://www.acefitness.org/pdfs/lowbackstabilization.pdf
Powers, S. K., & Howley, E. T. (2012). Exercise
Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance (Ninth
ed.). New York, New York, United States of America: McGraw Hill.
Web MD. (2010). Living with Low Back Pain.
(B. Nazario, Ed.) Retrieved September 1, 2015, from Web MD:
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/living-with-low-back-pain-11/causes?page=3
Very clear, concise writing, Reuben. Flows well; very easy to understand and really interesting and personable. Thanks for the tips and info. You do this very well, honey. Nice job.
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