I have been helping people with low back pain for nearly a decade and have been a physical fitness fanatic for even longer. Low back pain is a debilitating issue that millions of Americans struggle with and is defined as pain in the lower lumbar region that lasts for more than 3 months.1 While low back pain has many causes and leads people to believe they cannot exercise or engage in a healthy lifestyle, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, engaging in an exercise program while living with low back pain has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of that pain.2 The good news is that there is not typically one specific exercise that you must engage in to feel improvement in pain.3 There are, of course, some general guidelines that can be followed to help you enjoy life, get healthy, and stay active.
The first kind of exercise that should be mentioned, even though it is the most inconvenient to fit into a busy schedule, is walking and gentle stretching in a pool. The water should ideally come up to the chest and the stretching gentle enough to feel in the back and legs, but not cause discomfort. Doing this for 20-30 minutes three times per week can have a big impact on your pain and help you engage in other activities and lifestyle changes that can improve your overall health.3
If you don’t have access to a pool (or have a fear of swimming!) then a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day can have a positive impact on your cardiovascular health and comfort level. This, in combination with gentle yoga or Tai Chi practice most days of the week can seriously impact your pain level and has been shown to help back pain while helping to keep you active. Finally, McKenzie Back Exercises are a great addition to your daily routine to help reduce back pain over time.4 Tutorial videos online and illustrated instructions can help you use correct form and master the routine without worry about causing further pain.
So aquatic stretching, walking for 30-60 minutes daily, yoga and other forms of gentle and controlled stretching exercises can all lead to a healthier, less painful life for you and can be started right now! You do not have to wait for a new year or some other event. You can make the changes you want to see in your life now and help yourself get better, faster. Getting a general yoga or stretching work-out is no further than a quick Google search. Always talk to your healthcare provider about the cause of your pain and take their advice but remember that only you can make the necessary changes to your lifestyle to improve your wellbeing. No one can do that for you. And once you feel better, you will also eat healthier, lose weight faster, and be able to advance your exercise routine further.
Kyle Moser
DMSc, PA-C, NASM CPT
1. Wong CK Mak RY, Kwok TS et al. Prevalence, incidence, and factors associated with nonspecific chronic low back pain in community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and older: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain. 2022;23(4):509-5634. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2021.07.012
2. Hörder H, Nero H, Misini Ignjatovic M, et al. Digitally Delivered Exercise and Education Treatment Program for Low Back Pain: Longitudinal Observational Cohort Study. JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022;9(2):e38084. Published 2022 Jun 21. doi:10.2196/38084
3. Grooten WJA, Boström C, Dedering Å, et al. Summarizing the effects of different exercise types in chronic low back pain - a systematic review of systematic reviews. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022;23(1):801. Published 2022 Aug 22. doi:10.1186/s12891-022-05722-x
4. Mann SJ, Lam JC, Singh P. McKenzie Back Exercises. [Updated 2022 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539720/
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