Three Reasons People With Back Pain Avoid Exercise (And What You Can Do)
“We no longer think of pain as a measure of tissue damage – it doesn’t actually work that way even in highly controlled experiments. We now think of pain as a complex and highly sophisticated protective mechanism.” - Dr. Lorimer Moseley
Three Reasons People With Back Pain Avoid Exercise (and what you can do):
You know how sometimes you get up in the morning and your back feels really stiff?
THAT is non-specific low back pain!
80% of the population suffers from what we call “non-specific low back pain” - this is back pain that is chronic where you can’t really remember how or why it started, you have some good days and some bad days…
And if you have back pain while you’re reading this - then there is a GREAT chance that this is what you are dealing with.
The good news is that EXERCISE is the best treatment for non-specific low back pain.
And the bad news?
Well you probably already know this but the bad news is that the thing that’s supposed to help - exercise - is the thing your back pain is keeping you from doing!
Here are 3 of the most common reasons we see that keep people with back pain from exercising - and some tips for what you CAN do:
1. Fear
This is the number one reason back pain sufferers don’t exercise is because back pain is scary!
And a lot of our patients have similar questions about exercising with back pain:
Should I be feeling any pain at all?
Is the pain I’m feeling good or bad?
Will I make my back pain WORSE?
The thing about pain is that it is confusing and different for everyone.
And the questions that cross your mind when you feel like your back is going to “go out” when you exercise are your brain’s way of protecting you.
And it can be difficult to know if the warning signs your brain is sending you are a legit concern or a false alarm.
So it is no wonder that many avoid exercise or movement altogether until the pain goes away.
The problem is - when you try to resume movement again - the pain comes right back - and then you're caught in a vicious cycle.
So what do you do?
You need to figure out which movements make your body feel better and do A TON of those while your back pain recovers.
You also need to figure out which movements make your back pain feel worse and limit those for the short term while your back pain recovers.
Here are some useful guidelines you can use!
Picture a traffic light - green means go, red means stop
Green means go: If you hurt a little at first - but feel better the more you do something - and aren’t worse after - you can consider that movement generally safe and be encouraged to keep trying it.
Red means stop: But if you hurt during - and feel worse after - then that’s a sign to stop and back off for the time being by reducing the amount of total movement or weight used during exercise…
Pain is not something to fear - but it is information you should listen to.
Fear of pain comes from not knowing what it is or what to do - but when you figure out how to “speak pain” - the fear goes away and you can have control over your body again.
2. Bulging or Herniated Discs
Most people who suffer from chronic low back pain eventually find themselves getting an MRI.
And 60-70% of the time, it will show one or more bulging discs.
While this diagnosis sounds scary… There is good news!
An important thing for you to know is that most people over the age of 40 walk around with bulging discs - and that 65% of them feel no pain at all.
In other words, if you have a bulging disc, there is no way you can know with 100% certainty that it’s the cause of your back pain.
Research proves this.
And being told you have a bulging disc is not a reason ALONE to avoid exercise.
And like we always tell our patients at AMP - if your low back is NOT hurting 100% of the time every second of the day then there is a movement component that is contributing to your low back pain and that is something that you can control!
Movement is actually one of the best things you can do for a bulging disc.
It may require some customization of your current exercise routine, but a movement specialist can help you with this.
Don’t just stop or avoid exercise altogether just because you’ve been told you have a bulging disc.
Go back to the rules of pain I mentioned above and let that be your guide instead.
3. You Were Told To Rest
While their intentions might be in the right place - many doctors, PTs, chiropractors, and family members who aren’t up to date on the latest back pain research will advise you to rest every time you experience back pain.
This might be reasonable advice when you’re dealing with a new, sudden episode of back pain - but it’s terrible advice for chronic low back pain sufferers.
Rest is one of the worst things someone with chronic back pain can do since most people don’t have a thorough understanding of this concept, they find themselves in a vicious cycle.
They rest to “heal” their back pain. When it’s gone they return to exercise - only to hurt their back again.
So many people fall victim to this perpetuating cycle and it’s a big reason why so many back pain sufferers just give up on exercise entirely.
It is important to get back to your typical activities as soon as possible following the rules of pain listed above!
What might that look like?
Start with 10 min of daily walking and see how your body responds.
Try some of your typical exercise routine but reduce the weight you use and shorten the range of motion you work in.
Maybe instead of 3 or 4 sets of an exercise you start with 1 or 2.
It is always best to...
It is always best to seek guidance from a movement professional like our doctors of physical therapy at AMP because we will be able to help design and progress a customized exercise plan to get you out of pain and safely back to your typical routine!
If you’re suffering from chronic low back pain - and you’ve stopped exercising - know that you’re not alone.
This is such a confusing topic and there are so many mixed messages out there about what the “right” and “wrong” thing to do is.
Don’t try to go at it alone.
Exercise is good for your back, but you may just need a little help and guidance to get there.
I know what you just read may go against what you’ve been told about your low back pain.
This is exactly why we have what we call a “discovery session”, which is what our patients always describe as “the most valuable visit” of their plan of care with us.
A discovery session is your opportunity to speak in person with our lead Doctor of Physical Therapy Dr. Monica and discover the root cause for why you are experiencing low back pain…
And more importantly what to do about it!
The discovery session is FREE, but don’t let that word fool you. This session is extremely valuable if you have been dealing with low back pain for a long time and have not found resolution because you will uncover the underlying root cause.
We can only reserve 3 spots in our schedule each week at our physical therapy practice AMP Performance Rehab in Chester, NJ specifically for these discovery sessions because we have a waitlist to work with us.
Would you like one?
If so, please click this link, fill out the short form, and our Client Care Coordinator will reach out to you ASAP and put you on the schedule.
Thank you for your time reading this and I hope you found it valuable.
Shaun
—
Dr. Shaun Astorga, PT, DPT, OCS
Founder
AMP Performance Rehab
Chester, NJ
Text: 862-500-4735