Stretching and back pain

About a decade ago, I had a major back surgery.

My back injury happened in a water skiing accident. Over the next year, the pain came and went but never got better. Eventually, I found myself at a chiropractor who did somewhat extreme adjustments and I ended up numb below the waist. I brought this up to him and he claimed it was temporary and no big deal.

By the time I figured out that the chiropractor had no idea what he was doing and got an MRI done, I was in real danger of ending up with a lot of permanent damage. Fortunately, I found a skilled surgeon who fixed my spine.

After the surgery, I figured out quickly that I was not out of the woods yet. I was in extreme pain and started doing therapy, which could be excruciating at times. And, I started walking, which in itself was painful.

It took about a year of work to get through that pain. However, after that, except for one incident a year ago when I injured my knee and ended up with a few weeks of back spasms, my back has been completely pain free. Today, I do anything I want to do, including lifting weights.

I tell that story because many of you have back pain. I would never suggest that your back pain is the same as mine was and what worked for me will definitely work for you. Back injuries are very unique because they involve very complex nerve networks where a millimeter of a disc being out of place makes a big difference on the pressure that is put on nerves. I get that.

Unless a doctor tells you differently, I do want to encourage you though to move and work, and work some more. Generally speaking, back problems are helped when you strengthen the muscles that support the back and make them more flexible. Do core work.

A study released last week suggests that just stretching your hamstring helps with lower back pain. This is rather obvious when you think about it: tight hamstrings put pressure on the back muscles, which in turn tightens them. Tight back muscles lead to back pain.

Here are some simple hamstring stretches. These were the kinds of things I did in therapy after my back injury. Many of them can be done without even getting out of bed.

When you are ready to start strengthening your core, there are many possibilities at your disposal. Marla likes yoga; I do more extreme things like weight lifting and planks.

Above all, stay positive and don’t give up on trying to eliminate back pain from your life. It is not a necessary part of aging. For most of us, the secret is simply in hard work and movement.

Photo by Scott Broome on Unsplash