If you’ve previously suffered from low back pain then you will understand how deliberating this can be for your lifestyle. Not only does the experience of Low Back Pain restrict many of your activities for daily living, it can be a significant obstacle to you participating in regular exercise. As such, there can be major health challenges with long term back pain. The research shows that 80% of Australians will experience low back pain at some stage throughout their life!
These statistics are staggering considering Low Back Pain can be managed and prevented through a structured exercise program. Corrective exercises which strengthen the muscles used to stabilize your pelvis and lumbar spine whilst moving – are a vital part of managing and preventing low back pain.
Strengthening exercises for low back pain should be targeted to strengthen muscles which may be weak; and should also teach your nervous system how to move correctly and efficiently.
In fact, people are often told they are weak in certain stabilising muscles when experiencing low back pain. In many of these cases their muscles are sufficiently strong; but the problem lays with how they are moving. Specifically, there nervous system has been programmed to move poorly with years of incorrect movement patterns (habits). Moving incorrectly will place additional strain in the WRONG structures; which often is the LOW BACK. Over time; or acutely this will lead to the person experiencing pain in the lower back.
Therefore, exercises for preventing (and managing) low back pain should address and re-teach the nervous system to ensure your movement patterns are correct in your daily living; whilst at the same time aim to build strength in the specific muscles used to stabilize the pelvis and spine.
