If you’re like myself, and about 80% of people living on this planet, you may have experienced a little ol’ case of low back pain at some point.
Staying home during the quarantine may have even worsened it.
About a month ago I started having some low back pain – and as a new massage therapist I was scared that my career was over before it began.
Why was this happening? Was it because I was leaning over too much while massaging? Was I working too often for my body to handle?
I felt it mostly like a band over my low back, a bit under my last set of ribs, stretching across my aching muscles. I woke up with this pain sometimes, and it was just unbearable – it made it excruciatingly difficult to wake up to do what I needed to do every morning.
To help alleviate the pain, I grabbed whatever I could to stab into my back to help get rid of it. Whether it was a foam roller, a recovery ball, a pole, even my own knuckles – I was ready to ask someone to punch my back at this point!
I was fed up – I needed something besides just massaging (how ironic, as a massage therapist I couldn’t rely on what I could do best) myself to help with the pain.
I realised that since I was starting to work more and began taking on more projects, I ended up having less time for myself. I simply wasn’t as active as I used to be.
Just Move.
One of the most common causes of back pain is not moving.
Weird right? You’d think that if something hurt – you shouldn’t move it. It’s what some health care professionals have been telling us for years!
But that’s not exactly the best move to make anymore.
Nowadays, people are getting straight into physiotherapy, and moving around even a day after surgery!
Motion is lotion people – and we all need to moisturize.
Does this mean that we need to start training to haul trucks, horses and monster truck tires? No!
Even something as simple as aerobic training – like cycling, swimming, jogging or even speed walking can help reduce back pain by 30%.
As soon as I started revamping my fitness regime – I began feeling MUCH better!
Treat Your Own Back Pain.
The good news is, there are things you can do for yourself!
- If your back is aching – try moving around for a bit before you start your day. Some simple movements, swinging your hips around, bending a bit forward, and a bit back, bending to the sides. As circulation improves through simple movements you will notice reduced achiness and soreness.
- Here are 3 core exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own home to help with low back pain. Click HERE to view the videos!
Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is more than sufficient in combating low back pain.
In fact – most scientific studies that have looked at low back pain see core-specific exercises as being an awesome solution, and can reduce the back pain by up to 70%!
Now imagine you feeling that much better from just moving your body in ways that it was MADE to move.
I know what it’s like to have low back pain – and even as a massage therapist I couldn’t do much for myself.
However, through the power of exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle – I was able to overcome this and live happily ever after, well in terms of low back pain.
So, whatever it takes to get you up and going, moving around, and getting active – make sure you do it, and do it often!
-Richard Lam, RMT
