Can you work out with back pain?

Short answer:  YES & you should but within reason…

We all know exercising with back pain can be a challenging task, but it is not impossible. With the right approach and proper precautions, you can still maintain an active lifestyle while managing your pain.  As a matter of fact, it’s extremely important to maintain some sort of physical health!

Here is what you should consider:

Do Not Completely Rest.
Don’t Full rest is one of the worst things to do! Research shows that full rest can cause weakness, thus slowing your recovery!

Do stay as active as you can considering the issue.  You can always do lighter activities, different exercises, or focus on a different body part.  There is always an opportunity to modify your exercise.

I highly recommend going out for a walk, riding a bike, doing upper body exercises, or whatever you CAN do within reason!  Focusing on what you can do while you heal up your lower back is KEY!

Do Not Overstretch. 
Stretching (especially sciatica) is often the most common, but an ineffective method.  It often causes irritation of the nerves and if you are having spasms, it can cause more aggravation to the area and possibly more damage!

You’d be surprised, but most people think this is what will help, yet it’s likely the thing that keeps you stuck in pain.

Do mobility, or gentle movements instead.  Less is more!  You can always go back and do it again once but if you overdo it, it’s too late, and you will likely increase your pain & inflammation.

Don’t Push Through.
Pushing through the pain can lead to more pain and injury.  It may seem obvious but you would be surprised how many people actually unknowingly increase their pain daily & prolong their own injury.

This sets you up for disaster and once the pain process is in full swing, it gets harder to treat!

Do set a pain scale number. I typically say once you hit a 5/10 or more, its time to back off!  This is because you are not only triggering nerves to fire more pain patterns but you can cause more damage.  SLOW up, do less, and do not go over this level.

Do not avoid Treatment long term.
Those who get the best results typically are doing the right things and get the proper treatment sooner!  Evidence shows that the faster you get treatment, the faster you typically get better!  If you need help, get it!  The longer you wait, the longer this pain/injury lasts.
Other info you need to know.
It is really important to note that back pain actually does better with exercise, but you really need to focus on the RIGHT exercises & methods!  Areas such as the hips play a crucial role in maintaining proper posture and supporting the spine.

While traditional exercises such as planks, bridges, and bird dogs can help strengthen the core muscles and alleviate back pain, they can be too much if you have a lot of pain & you need to exercise at the right time, and in the right order.

In order to get over your back pain, you will have to do EXERCISES, but you’ll need to make sure they are the right ones.  Again, it’s important to avoid the common mistakes that often keep you stuck & struggling, which can be frustrating. 
 
Dr. Josh

PS If you’re in San Diego, CA, and need help NOW, for your back pain, then schedule a FREE Discovery Visit.  We’ll tell you if we can help & get you on your treatment plan right away.

PS Want some help virtually? Sign up for our low back pain course waitlist.   These are some of the EXACT exercises we use in our clinic with patients!