How Exercise Can Help With Back Pain
For those suffering from back pain, there’s a common misconception that exercise should be avoided to not aggravate or worsen their pain or condition. Unfortunately, this misinformation often causes patients to overlook the true importance of exercise when it comes to healing and long-term back pain relief.
For most back problems, exercise and movement stimulates the natural healing process. Controlled, gradual and progressive exercise – as opposed to complete inactivity – tends to provide the best solution for reducing long-term back pain and preventing or lessening future back pain.
So, how exactly does exercise help? And, if you’re planning on incorporating exercise into your routine, what do you need to know beforehand? Keep reading to find out.
Why Exercise Helps Back Pain
When it comes to back pain relief, exercise can help by not only treating existing back pain but also by helping to prevent future pain. Exercise and movement help by doing two important things for our spine:
- It nourishes and repairs spinal structures, which can help alleviate existing back problems.
- It keeps the anatomy of the back flexible and strong in order to reduce the risk of worsening pain or an existing injury.
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How Exercise Helps Relieve and Prevent Back Pain
There are various reasons exercising can prevent or relieve back pain, as well as how it can benefit your overall spine health. Some of the ways exercise helps include:
- Nourishes Spinal Discs – Exercise and fitness activities allow discs to exchange fluids and nutrients, which is how they remain healthy.
- Reduces Swelling – Fluid and nutrient exchange also helps to reduce the swelling in the soft tissues surrounding any injured discs. With a lack of exercise, swelling increases in these soft tissues and discs become malnourished and degenerated.
- Reduces Stiffness – Exercising the back reduces stiffness and increases mobility by keeping ligaments and tendons in the back flexible.
- Stretches and Strengthens – Exercise stretches, strengthens, and repairs muscles that help support the back. Also, it helps prevent straining surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Important Things to Keep in Mind About Exercising and Back Pain
If you are considering incorporating exercise into your routine in order to find relief to your existing pain, or help recover from an injury or surgery, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Always consult with a medical professional before beginning any exercise or fitness regimen.
- If necessary, find the right type of professional to help with the exercise and fitness program, such as a physical therapist.
- Initial discomfort is normal when beginning a new exercise regimen, but if the pain is extreme or if something feels off, notify your doctor right away.
- Don’t jump right in at the highest level, start gradually and work up to a pace that is right for you.
- Keep a record of progress made during the exercise and fitness program and know when it may be time to reassess your workouts.
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How Champey Pain & Spine Can Help
A Champey Pain & Spine Group, we make it our top priority to help our patients live a pain-free life. If you have questions about how exercise helps with back pain relief and would like to speak to one of our spine specialists, please contact us today by clicking the button below.
