BACK-etology: 8 Lifestyle Choices to Alleviate Back Pain
Posted March 11, 2024
If you’re experiencing any form of back pain, you’re not alone. In 2020, a staggering 619 million people globally suffered from lower back pain. Experiencing this kind of pain can feel debilitating, especially when it stops you from doing what you love, be it attending your children’s basketball games or participating in a recreational basketball league. In fact, back pain is one of the most common causes for patients seeking emergency care. However, what if you could avoid the need for emergency care by implementing a few simple lifestyle adjustments?
For example, instead of sitting on the couch to watch every basketball game this month, consider getting up and moving during the commercial breaks. Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, it’s hard not to get tied up in the excitement of making a bracket, picking a team to win, and watching all the games. In fact, in 2023 56.3 million Americans filled out a bracket, according to Statista. Regardless of whether you opt to take part in the 2024 basketball bracket craze, what follows is a bracket of different sorts—one designed to ensure victory over back pain.
Following these eight lifestyle habits on our bracket will free you from back pain and point you towards physical therapy if needed. Our dedicated physical therapists are here to guide you toward a pain-free lifestyle, whether that’s cheering on your favorite team, playing a pickup game, or tossing your bracket in the trash.
Here is our guide written by a physical therapist to help direct you towards healthy lifestyle choices, like physical therapy to prevent back pain.
8 Lifestyle choices
Walking
While movement can be difficult while injured, it can prevent and reduce pain. Movement increases blood flow, which will help your joints feel better, according to a Consumer Reports article featuring Colleen Louw, a Physical Therapist and Co-Founder of Evidence In Motion. If you’re experiencing pain while walking, consider visiting your physical therapist to have them assess your back as well as your gait. It may take time to build up your tolerance to walking, and your physical therapist can help guide you through that process.
Strength Training
General strength is crucial for back health. Performing multi-joint exercises, like squats, works to strengthen not only your legs but your glutes, back and core. A 2016 study showed that participants who incorporated strength training into their routine experienced less back pain. If you need help figuring out where or how to start, we’ve got the perfect blog for you: Strength Training Tips for Beginners.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is as necessary as strength work and should be incorporated into your weekly routine. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes (about two and a half hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Cardiovascular exercise is defined as movements that increase your heart rate via repetitive large muscle group work, such as jump roping, swimming, running, burpees, etc. These exercises promote blood flow to the whole body, and thus, your back, which supports tissue health.
Movement breaks
It can be easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle, especially if you work in an office. However, sitting for extended periods can result in shortened hip flexors which can put pressure on your lower back. If you’ve been sitting for 30 minutes, take a break to stand up and maybe walk around for even a few minutes. One tip is to pick an exercise to perform every 30 minutes to an hour—maybe 10 squats or 20 heel raises. Consider purchasing a standing desk to strengthen your postural muscles. This allows you to continue being productive at work, while promoting movement, muscle activation and blood flow.
Changing Postures
“The best posture is the next posture.” Don’t be too concerned about maintaining the “best” posture but adjust your posture often to engage your postural muscles in different ways. Once again, a desk that converts from sitting to standing is a useful device to allow you to change positions while still being productive. Some postural changes that you can utilize while sitting include sitting back against your backrest, shifting forward in your seat and not using your backrest, or shifting your weight to one side. Utilize what feels comfortable for you!
Fueling Your Body
Try to avoid inflammatory foods and ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and trans-fat/hydrogenated oils. Rather, fill your diet with anti-inflammatory, high quality, whole foods—like those high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids (like salmon and tuna) and antioxidants (blueberries and apples). What you fuel your body with can affect your body’s ability to handle stress—physical and emotional. An overload of stress can result in an overload of inflammation as inflammation is what brings the tools our body uses to heal. Often, inflammation is perceived as pain by the body; this is the body’s way of encouraging us to slow down and allow for healing. However, if we remain in an inflamed state, healing can be hindered. Foods high in antioxidants help our bodies mitigate this extra stress.
Sleep hygiene
Adequate sleep is essential for your overall health and your body’s ability to heal. While we often hear eight hours of sleep per night is the goal, it differs for everyone. The National Institute of Health recommends that adults get between seven to nine hours of sleep a night. It’s best to nail down a bedtime routine, so your body is prepared when it’s time to rest. For example, try to keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
Mobility work
Gentle exercise promoting mobility can also promote lumbopelvic coordination, which helps reduce lower back pain. Try some of these exercises at your desk or when you wake up.
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Cat Camel or Cat Cow
On your hands and knees (on your bed or on the floor), push your back up towards the ceiling and hold for 3-5 seconds. Then, let your back sink down, reaching your belly towards the floor and hold for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Once you get the hang of it, you can perform this same exercise while sitting at your desk.
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Lumbar Rotation
Lying on your back (on your bed or the floor), with your knees bent so your feet are flat on the surface you are laying on, let both of your knees fall to one side. Hold this for 5-10 seconds. Then move your legs to fall to the other side, again hold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat ten times on each side.
Seeing a PT
Preventing pain begins with your lifestyle habits, so it’s critical you stop and evaluate when any inkling of pain begins. However, if you’re already experiencing pain, it can be difficult to stop it on your own without knowing what you’re doing wrong to cause the pain. That’s where a physical therapist comes in. We’re here to help get you back to the life you love by reviewing your lifestyle habits and finding solutions to remedy the pain.
We’ll begin by conducting a thorough examination to determine the source of the pain. From there, your physical therapist will educate you on your best plan of care. The plan can involve manual therapy, strengthening, stretching, coordination and endurance exercises to build strength and flexibility. Manual therapy is the hands on work your therapist may provide to reduce restriction in your joints and tissues—it may include joint mobilizations and/or massage or a variety of other approaches.
Back to the Court
If you’re experiencing back pain now, the best course of action is to reach out to your physical therapist so they can help you put a plan in place to get you back to the basketball bleachers or court faster. If you’re not experiencing back pain, step back and see if you need to implement these lifestyle habits into your current routine. After all, a little self-reflection never hurts!
Written by Brittney Skarlupka, PT, DPT.
Health in Motion, a member within the Confluent Health Family
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