Experts’ advice to cure chronic back pain: Exercise!
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Experts’ advice to cure chronic back pain: Exercise!
It is no secret that experiencing back pain is something many of us struggle to deal with on a day to day basis, only getting worse as we get older.
But did you know that back pain is the most common form of chronic pain?
Yes, you read that right, folks. About 4 million Australians suffer from back pain according to a report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2020.
About 4 million Aussies suffer from chronic back pain. Credit: Getty Images.
If you are looking to cure this irksome ‘pain in the back’, one expert suggests that you should take a multidisciplinary approach to address the problem.
Associate Prof Michael Bagg, a pain medicine physician and dean of the faculty of pain medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, said: "Any single treatment in low back pain is never enough by itself.”
“But exercise is a fundamental part of recovering from low back pain and managing it if it becomes persistent.”
It also can't be denied that people who suffer from back pain might be fearful of exercising as they may assume that the pain is associated with their bodies' robustness.
However, Dr Bagg assured that back pain does not accurately indicate that your body is "broken" when you experience it.
“Regardless of how they feel, they are not broken, damaged or falling apart,” he said.
“If it hurts to do something, people are likely to do less of it.”
Dr Bagg also pointed out that back pain sufferers who chose to become active tend to decrease the level of pain they experience in the long run.
“Even when we experience back pain, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be moving.”
Dr Rob Laird, a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, backed the claims of Dr Bagg, saying: “Pain itself isn’t an issue.”
While pain is not an issue in exercising, Dr Laird warned that increasing pain during and after physical activity is a red flag.
“Exercise should reduce, not increase, pain.”
Dr Bagg said that there are only a few studies regarding which type of exercise is better than the other when it comes to reducing back pain. So, instead of focusing on finding which exercise is the best, the expert suggested: “The best exercise is one that you will keep doing and enjoy.”
Meanwhile, Dr Laird suggested that exercises for chronic back pain should include three domains: strength, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness.
For those who are looking into getting themselves active to reduce chronic back pain, it is recommended to consult a GP or a physiotherapist first before starting an exercise routine as they can assess your capabilities better.
But for those who are willing to do light workouts to get themselves started, here are some practical tips to help you stay active.
1. Pilates
Pilates exercises can help chronic pain sufferers. Credit: Getty Images.
In a study published by Dr Bagg and his colleagues in the Journal of Physiotherapy, it was claimed that pilates exercises might have the most significant effects on pain intensity as it includes a series of activities that tend to target the stability and mobility of the spine, core, and pelvic area.
Pilates exercises also help strengthen the muscles in our legs, glutes, shoulders, and arms.
2. Single knee squat
It is recommended to strengthen the lower limb and gluteal muscles because these are the muscle groups that we use whenever we need to bend or move from sitting to standing.
Dr Laird said: “If they are underdone, the back muscles have to work harder.”
The expert also revealed that chronic back pain sufferers might feel safer pursuing physical activities which target the legs and glutes as they do not need to use back muscles.
He suggested that one can start with doing the classic pilates roll down first before progressing to the single knee squats.
Below are tutorial videos for the above exercises:
Credit: intosport
Credit: James Dunne
3. Walking, cycling, and swimming
Cardiovascular fitness activities can help lessen the intensity of chronic back pain. Credit: Getty Images.
Doing cardiovascular activities such as walking, cycling, and swimming can help most people with chronic back pain.
Dr Laird said: “Cardiovascular fitness is essential. If you are not fit enough to walk around the block easily, you are going to struggle with life in general, and pain is still going to be a real problem.”
While running is a good exercise for cardiovascular fitness, Dr Laird discourages chronic back pain sufferers from doing this activity.
“Running is not recommended at the start of a recovery plan but can be used in younger patients towards the middle to end of their recovery plan,” he said.
“It’s less useful in older patients – over 60 approximately, although there are always some exceptions – because of the impact loading when there is significant degenerative change already present.”
Are you looking forward to staying more active this 2022? For our readers who do suffer from back pain, we hope that these tips make your day to day just that little bit better.
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