Lower back pain usually subsides within four to six weeks but some people suffer from it for months if not years. There are things you can do to help relieve it, however. Although it may seem counterintuitive, exercise can improve lower back pain.
“While it could be assumed that someone with back pain should not be exercising frequently, our findings show that working with weights four days a week provides the greatest amount of pain relief and quality of life,” said Robert Kell, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.
So, how did Kell arrive at this conclusion?
In the study, groups of 60 men and women with chronically sore lower backs each
Unsure when to get stuck into exercise?
According to Bupa, your GP or specialist will usually recommend physiotherapy for lower back pain.
This may include:
Exercises involving physical activity, movement, muscle strengthening, controlling posture and stretching
‘hands on’ (manual) therapy, such as massage or spine manipulation
Other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful.
Other tips to alleviate back pain
The NHS recommends using hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief.
Unsure when to get stuck into exercise?
According to Bupa, your GP or specialist will usually recommend physiotherapy for lower back pain.
This may include:
Exercises involving physical activity, movement, muscle strengthening, controlling posture and stretching
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‘hands on’ (manual) therapy, such as massage or spine manipulation
Other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful.
Other tips to alleviate back pain
The NHS recommends using hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief.
exercised with weights in two, three or four-day weekly programs, or not at all.
Their progress was measured over 16 weeks. The level of pain decreased by 28 per cent in programs that included exercise four days a week, by 18 per cent three days a week and by 14 per cent two days a week.
The quality of life, defined as general physical and mental well-being, rose by 28 percent, 22 percent and 16 percent respectively.
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Unsure when to get stuck into exercise?
According to Bupa, your GP or specialist will usually recommend physiotherapy for lower back pain.
This may include:
- Exercises involving physical activity, movement, muscle strengthening, controlling posture and stretching
- ‘hands on’ (manual) therapy, such as massage or spine manipulation
- Other activities such as walking, swimming, yoga and pilates may also be helpful.
Other tips to alleviate back pain
The NHS recommends using hot or cold compression packs for short-term relief.
“If you find your back pain is causing you to feel upset or worried, psychological support for lower back pain can help you cope,” says Bupa.
Your doctor may suggest a talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) alongside exercise, it says.
CBT is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
According to the NHS, CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.
Source: Daily Express
