Low back pain (LBP) is extremely common. 50-75% of the adult population suffer from it at some point in life. More than 90% of those cases are non-specific, they are not associated with any severe trauma or neurologic symptoms, they just happen. So we don’t exactly know why they happen, but we know that they happen a lot.
So how do we diminish our chances of suffering LBP? And if we have it already, how can exercise help the recovery process?
As everybody knows, maintaining a good flexibility level is important for the health of the spine. But what many people don’t know is that the flexibility must be developed mainly in the lower body, especially on the hips, and not on the spine.
It’s not that spine flexibility is bad for you, but what the studies have shown is that improvements on hip flexibility lead to improved outcomes of LBP, and spine flexibility does not.
So one of the main goals for treating LBP is increasing flexibility on your hips. Myofascial release and stretching are the techniques here.
Another key aspect in the prehab/rehab is CORE stability. Strengthening the CORE muscles is fundamental for a healthy spine. We are talking about strengthening all the layers of muscles in the front, sides and back of the CORE. Those are the muscles responsible for moving, and specially, for preventing unwanted movements of the spine, when necessary.
Finally, train functional movements. Pushing, pulling, squatting, hinging, etc. Those movements simulate the motions we do in real life, and therefore, if you learn how to do them with good form, sparing your spine, odds are that you’ll be able to do the same in your daily activities.
Willian Alba
References:
NASM Essentials of Corrective Exercise Training
ACSM Resources for the Exercise Physiologist
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