Exercise Physiology For Low Back Pain

Low back pain is very common. Research shows that about 80% of Australians will experience at least one episode of low back pain during their life. It can be really severe and stop you in your tracks, but most back pain is not caused by a serious problem and does not require imaging such as an x-ray or MRI.

Exercise Treatment For Back Pain

Research strongly shows that staying active and doing your regular activities within your comfort levels is beneficial, rather than staying in bed or sitting on the couch and resting. Simple pain-killers like Panadol or Neurofen can help you keep mobile while your initial pain settles.

As you improve, getting into exercise has been shown to be one of the most effective things that you can do. It can help get rid of your current pain and is effective at reducing your chance of it coming back.

Exercise is especially important if you have had several episodes of back pain or feel like you always have a stiff/niggly back which regularly flares up. It can really help if you feel like you’ve lost confidence in your back, have started reducing your sport or activity because you don’t want to stir your pain up, or feel like your back is weak and vulnerable.

Which Type Of Exercise Is Best For Low Back Pain?

Research shows that many different types of exercise are helpful for different people, but the key is getting onto the right program for you. The right program depends on many things including your particular injury, any previous injuries, your exercise preferences (weights, Pilates, cardio versus strength exercise…), overall fitness, exercise history, and your goals for recovery. Your goals are really important because they can dramatically change the exercise that is going to work best for you. For example do you have to lift kids in and out of the car regularly, or do you want to push your running for that first half marathon? Do you need to increase your gym to lose some weight, or maybe you need to increase your overall fitness to manage your blood pressure or diabetes.

There are so many different goals for people’s exercise, and your program to help you manage your back pain will be affected by what you eventually want to do. So there’s really not a “best type of exercise” for low back pain, because its so individual. That’s where seeing an Accredited Exercise Physiologist really helps.

Our Exercise Physiologists are experts in using exercise to treat low back pain. Your personalised program can rebuild your strength, bring back your flexibility, and restore your confidence in your back. They stay up to date with the latest research into back pain treatment to ensure you get the best program at the right time. Plus, they work hand-in-hand with our physiotherapy team to provide you with the best treatment and advice throughout your whole journey as you recover from low back pain.

More Information On Low Back Pain

If you would like more information about low back pain causes, management and advice click the links below, call us on 9280 2322, or contact us with your questions.