‘Your next move is your best move’: how to truly protecting your lower back.

Leaving your bed. Lifting a teacup. Waving at a friend. Leaning over to stroke a canine. Rotating to use the facilities.

Those who have ever suffered a sudden back episode, the contrast between the mildness of the action and the severity of the resulting pain is deeply confusing. How could such a simple, everyday gesture trigger such paralysing pain that lasts for weeks, months, years or, sometimes for a lifetime?

The explanation lies in the fact that the majority of lumbar pain episodes are not due to structural harm to muscles, tendons or bone. Frequently, they begin with something as benign as a muscle spasm, which then initiates a process of neural sensitization and pain that is hard to treat.

The absence of major underlying injury might be minimal reassurance to the vast number of people who will suffer from lower back pain at some point. But the good news is that preventing lower back pain is far simpler than curing it, and should it arise, many cases resolve by themselves given time.

‘Movement is essential for joints’

Fundamentally, the spine is a column that safeguards the spinal cord and nerves and supports us to stand, but simultaneously, it enables us to curve and swivel and contort, according to experts. This demands many articulating components. “We have numerous elements that can get implicated in the occurrence of back pain; multiple connections, various muscular tissues – major and minor muscles – the intervertebral discs,” one expert explains.

However, we often underutilize these components sufficiently. “Articulations require motion,” the specialist stresses. “We place a significant pressure and strain, specifically on the lumbar spine, without enabling it to reposition and be mobile.”

Pay attention to the causes of back pain

Spinal issues represent a key driver of disease burden globally. At any given moment, a considerable segment of the adult population experiences with spinal discomfort.

The cause for the prevalence of back pain is so common is because the fact that many people experience their first episode of back pain in adolescence and it has a high rate of recurrence: nearly 33% of those who experience a period of lumbar discomfort will encounter a subsequent episode in a year.

But what triggers it originally? “Research indicates there are genetic factors that predispose back pain, we understand there are habit-related causes, emotional well-being is involved,” a musculoskeletal therapist explains.

Often, the most likely explanation for that first muscular cramp is we’re simply run down. “Modern understanding suggests the majority – and this is like 95% of back pain – will often emerge when you are feeling pressured, not sleeping, sedentary, exhausted, and then you engage in an activity such as simply leaning over, lifting an object, and then your spine seizes up,” the expert says. That acute pain then leads us to stiffen, to move less, to protect the area, which subsequently leads to alterations in the nearby tissue and nerves so they become sensitised to the tiniest and most benign stimuli.

The pain is genuine

Those who have suffered lower back pain might be taken aback to discover that it infrequently results from serious injury. However, research employing imaging technology such as X-ray, CT and MRI scans reveal that for the bulk of cases, there is no obvious distinction between individuals suffering and people free from pain. “This traditional idea that, ‘Oh, you’ve done your back’ finds no support in current evidence,” the therapist affirms.

That doesn’t diminish the debilitating impact of lower back pain. The expert likens it to a muscle cramp or severe headache: the discomfort is genuine, although scanning equipment can’t pinpoint what’s causing it.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

In line with various body mechanics disorders, a small amount of prevention is worth a pound of painkillers. New research showed just how important – discovering that routine adjustments such as getting better rest, abandoning cigarettes, consuming more nutritious food and becoming more active could prevent people from significant expenses for healthcare for low back pain.

A subject from the study was a woman who had lived with long-term spinal agony for more than 40 years. “Her journey took her from being greatly hindered by lumbar discomfort during her everyday activities, to the point of being free from spinal discomfort for the past 12 months,” the analyst explained. The only requirement was a steady rise in movement, from a 15-minute walk through the local streets each day to an online exercise class.

‘Move the spine in all directions’

The solution to the majority of back pain is to continue being mobile, experts say. “The optimal action is your subsequent move,” one expert affirms. In terms of specific movements for the lumbar region, the professional suggests practicing yoga is beneficial. “We encourage people to move the spine in all directions … bend forward, arch backward, twist and side-bend.”

Exercising with back pain does not involve disregarding the pain, but performing what is possible alongside it. “You have to change how you move, but it is essential to persist with motion – it’s almost like reminding your brain that it’s OK to move.”