Can Exercise Help Back Pain?

Make sure you're doing the right kind of activity to help protect your spine.

Keeping Fit

Gentle exercise can build strong back and stomach muscles to support your spine and maintain flexibility.

Walking and cycling are easy to incorporate into your daily lifestyle. Swimming is particularly good for backs, because it strengthens the muscles while supporting the body with water. However, some strokes may not be suitable, so get professional advice.

Getting Started

Following a regular exercise routine is a good idea, but if you have a bad back you should consult your doctor or physiotherapist about what exercise is safe.

Try to get a personal assessment - a qualified physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor can give you an exercise routine tailored to your own needs.

If you go to an exercise class, check it's run by a qualified teacher and that the teacher knows you have a bad back. A lot of commonly performed exercises may not be suitable for you.

Exercise Dos And Don'ts

When exercising, make sure you do:

• Choose exercises suitable to your level and work up gradually
• Take things at your own pace
• Drink water before, during and after exercise
• Do gentle warm-up stretches before and after exercising
• Wear good footwear and appropriate clothing
• Enjoy yourself

Don't:

• Continue with an activity if it hurts your back
• Eat a large meal before exercising
• Perform exercises on a stone or concrete floor
• Exercise if you feel ill
• Do exercises that put weight or excessive strain on an acutely painful joint or spine

Life Style Adjustments

Four in five adults experience back pain at some point, but the back is so complex every person needs individual treatment options. Discover more about how your back works, what can go wrong and how you can prevent back problems.

Back Pain: Making Adjustments

Making small changes to your lifestyle can reduce your risk of back pain.

Back pain can be caused by many factors. Run through your daily routine and examine the amount of strain you place on your spine.Read our causes of back pain article HERE

Stress

Stress can also create muscle tension, causing a loss in flexibility that can lead to back pain. To reduce stress, try:

• Exercise
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Getting more sleep or listening to music.

If you smoke, stop. It puts you at increased risk for back problems since your blood has trouble delivering oxygen to working tissues, making your back weaker.

Making small changes to your lifestyle can reduce your risk of back pain.

When To See Your Doctor

Back pain: When To See Your Doctor

Many people with back pain never need to see their doctor. But you should feel able to call or visit your GP if you're worried about your back or feel unable to cope with the pain. As a general rule, people with back pain are advised to contact their doctor if the pain is no better after about a week.

You should certainly see your GP as soon as possible if you have any of these symptoms:

• Difficulty passing urine, or if you are passing blood
• Numbness around the back passage or genitals
• Numbness, pins and needles or weakness in the legs or arms
• Pain running down one or both legs
• Unsteadiness when standing

These are associated with uncommon conditions, but ones that need treatment immediately.

Types Of Back Pain

Neck Pain

Neck pain refers to any pain experienced in the area from the base of the skull to the shoulders and can spread to your upper back or arms.

This can include feelings of stiffness or tightness, as well as sharp pain and, in severe cases, can reduce the movement of the neck and head. Neck pain can also cause tension headaches.

Most muscles in the body will relax completely when they are not being used, but the muscles in the neck are permanently tensed in order to support the head. Although most common in people over 50, neck pain can develop at any age as the result of excess strain on the neck. This could include slouching, sleeping in an awkward position or working at a computer for long periods of time without a break.

Neck pain can also develop as the result of an accident. Perhaps the best known is whiplash; an injury sustained as a result of the head being thrown forward and back in a car accident.

Neck pain is rarely the result of a serious injury and will often lessen after a few days. If you are suffering from neck pain, try to keep moving and maintain your normal routine as best you can. Over-the-counter painkillers may also help.


Upper And Middle Back Pain

The upper and middle back refers to the section of vertebrae, known as the thoracic vertebrae, which runs from the base of the neck to the bottom of your ribcage. This type of back pain is less common than neck or lower back pain as the bones in this area are not required to move and flex as much.

Like many other types of back pain, upper and middle back pain can range from aching and stiffness to a sharp or burning sensation. Pain in this area is often the result of pinched nerves in the spine by the ribs.

One cause of back pain in this area is poor posture. Try to keep your back as straight as possible and balance your weight evenly on both feet. When sitting, keep your shoulders rolled back and be sure to adopt suitable positions when driving, sitting or using computers.

For more advice on ways you can protect your back, see the 'preventing back pain' section of this guide.

Lower Back Pain

This is the commonest type of back pain with around 8 out of 10 people affected at some time in their lives. The lower back is defined as the area between the bottom of the ribcage and the top of the legs. Symptoms range from tension and stiffness to pain and soreness.

Most people's back pain is described as non-specific, meaning it is caused by structures in the back as opposed to rare conditions such as cancer or a fracture.

The back is a delicate area of muscles, nerves, bones and joints and is continuously working hard to support the weight of the upper body. Lower back pain is often triggered by everyday activities such as bending awkwardly, lifting incorrectly, standing for long periods of time, slouching when sitting and driving for long periods without taking breaks.

The 'preventing back pain' section of this guide has advice on guarding against these common causes of back pain and includes tips on lifting correctly, sitting properly, using computers and avoiding back pain caused by driving.

Buttocks And Legs (Sciatica)

Sciatica is pain caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body and runs from the back of your pelvis, through your buttocks, and all the way down both legs, ending at your feet.

When something compresses or irritates the sciatic nerve, it can cause a pain that radiates out from your lower back and travels down your leg to your calf. This can be mild to very painful.

The most common cause of sciatica is a slipped disc. This occurs when one of the discs that sit between and cushion the vertebrae is ruptured. Most cases of sciatica will pass without the need for treatment. A combination of the self-help measures described in this guide such as over-the-counter painkillers, exercise and hot or cold packs can usually relieve the symptoms.

For persistent sciatica, you may be advised to try a structured exercise programme under the supervision of a physiotherapist. In rare cases, surgery may be needed to control the symptoms.

Urgent (Red Flag Symptoms)

Most cases of back pain will usually get better without medical help. However, there are a number of warning signs, known as 'red flags', which may indicate that your back pain is serious.

These red flag signs include:

·         A high temperature (fever) of 38C (100F) or above
·         Unexplained weight loss
·         Constant back pain that does not ease after lying down or resting
·         Pain that travels to your chest or that is high up in your back
·         Pain down your legs and below the knees
·         A recent trauma or injury to your back
·         Loss of bladder control
·         Inability to pass urine
·         Loss of bowel control
·         Numbness around your genitals, buttocks or back passage

If you have any of the signs or symptoms listed above, contact your GP immediately. If this is not possible, you can telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

You should also seek medical advice if you are having back pain and:

·         You are under 20 or over 55 years old
·         You have taken steroids for a few months
·         You misuse drugs
·         You have or have had cancer
·         You have a weakened immune system as a result of chemotherapy treatment or a medical condition such as HIV or AIDS

Also contact your GP if your symptoms fail to improve within three days or you have persistent pain that lasts longer than six weeks.

Back Magic ?

The Bodi-Tek BackMagic

The BackMagic is specifically designed to relieve back pain due to tight muscles, the loss of lumber curve and poor spinal alignment. Targeting the lumbar region of the lower back the BackMagic is an easy to use solution for spinal tightness and tension.

We all spend way too much time sitting, which negatively alters our posture by flattening our lower back and neck curves.
This inevitably causes stiffness and tightness of the postural muscles that are attached to our spine.  The BackMagic is an effective and portable device that can easily help to alleviate this universal problem.

Use the BackMagic twice a day for only 5 minutes and your spine will become more flexible and your posture will totally transform. You will be able to stand taller and look and feel better in just 10 minutes a day. If in any doubt read the reviews which are everywhere for this simply but effective problem solver.

Health Tip:


If you have a recognised back or neck condition including any Spondylosis, Osteoporosis, Severe Arthritis, Spondylolisthesis, Spinal Lesions/Tumours, and Acute Fractures, consult your doctor before use.

Part of your daily routine


Before using the BackMagic read the user guide to maximise the benefits.

Perform a five-minute stretch per session in your desired position. Two sessions a day are recommended, although you may enjoy using the BackMagic even three times a day.  Pay special attention to your daily progress. Individual results may vary. Some users experience immediate relief and noticeable benefits, while others may take several weeks.

Start by using the BackMagic for 1 minute twice a day. Even with this minimum amount of use you should expect to feel the affects as your body adjusts. As your flexibility and posture improve you may want to advance to Level 2. Progression to Level 3 should only be considered if you are high flexible. i.e. you already do  yoga, pilates, gymnastics or athletics.

Handy Tip:


Relax! One of the keys to a good tension relieving stretch is relaxation. Take a deep breath, exhale gently, and let your body weight work together with gravity. You will achieve a greater stretch and arrive at a more relaxed state sooner.

How to use

The BackMagic was designed to make your life more enjoyable through better back health. Use the BackMagic to stretch muscles and relieve back pain due to tight muscles, excessive flexion, and poor spinal alignment. Incorporate it into your daily routine to achieve maximum results. The user guide goes into more detail on the various exercises and routines.

Nick "This has to be the single most useful item that I have bought in my quest for relieving my lower backache,everyone is different and not everyone's back will respond in the same positive way,all I can say is that it's worked form me.5 minutes in the morning before I leave for work and then 5 minutes in the evening before bed, with the Back Magic set at the lowest setting,with my arms by my sides,palms face down and with my knees up with the soles of my feet flat on the floor,when the 5 minutes is up, I found it easier to roll over onto my side and lay still for 30 seconds or so and then slowly sit up and then stand up,slowly."



Bodi-Tek Back Magic Available HERE

Stop Sciatic Pain In 3 Minutes!

As I said on the About Me page I have in addition to lower back pain,also suffered from a sciatica like condition called piriformis syndrome and if you are also suffering from sciatica or piriformis syndrome don't need me to tell you how bloody awful it is.
It was while researching the causes and possible cures for this painful condition, that I can across various videos posted on youtube,all claiming to have the cure.
Well as desperate as I was I gave one or two of them ago,most are actually a variation on a theme,basically you need to perform a very simple yet extremely effective stretch,below is the video that I used,I fully understand that you might find it difficult to get down on the floor,but if you take your time and move slowly I promise you it will be worth it.