The back is made up of bone, muscles, fascia, nerves, ligaments and tendons. It is a very complex structure which needs to be treated with care. It seems that most people have experienced back pain at some stage of their lives. It is a common problem but the good news is that it can be alleviated. 

For some, their pain is ongoing. For others it can be periodical; coming and going for no apparent reason. Some people wake up stiff and sore every morning, where the pain slowly disappears after a few hours. Others, who sit at a desk or in their car for most of their day, can experience the niggling of back pain all day. Then there is the muscle pain experienced after a workout. Try not to just sit around being still, waiting for the pain to go away. Usually it will take longer to disappear so you should take the appropriate steps to alleviate your back pain, for whatever reason it may be occurring.

Bad work stations, poor posture, incorrect movement and tight muscles are the most common reasons for experiencing back pain. Often, the site of pain is not the source of the problem. The pain felt can be ‘referral pain’ from somewhere else in the body. Arthritis, degeneration, and injuries can be reasons for back pain and should be treated by a specialist. Strengthening your core stabiliser muscles and postural muscles can often better equip your body to deal with its issues. Don’t be afraid to work on these muscles with the help of your trainer.

If you don’t like to stretch it probably means that you need to. Get to know your body. Stretch those muscles which you know are tight. Don’t stretch the loose ones; this will lead to further imbalances. When a muscle becomes tight, it shortens and the opposite muscle will often become weak and long, creating greater imbalances. When the body is warmer, say after exercise or a shower, then things are more likely to feel more comfortable and stretching is then easier.

If you are experiencing pain, begin each workout with relevant stretches or preferably, start every day this way. Tight muscles pull on our whole structure. This can create muscular imbalance, bad movement patterns and can lead to pain. When stretching to alleviate back pain you must include the muscles of the legs and hips, every muscle that is tight. The stretch should be a little uncomfortable, but it will get easier. If you are consistent then after a period you should be able to lessen the amount and duration of stretches for maintenance.

Lifestyle is the other factor which needs to be considered. If you don’t feed your body the right nutrients it will struggle to maintain a balance. Foods which are processed, high in sugar, preservatives and artificial ingredients can be quite toxic and are quite acidic as are alcohol, coffee, tea, soft drinks and dairy products. An excess of any of these things can cause problems with digestion, absorption of nutrients and can lead to muscle aches and pains and it is thought, joint degeneration.

So if back pain is an issue for you please take the effort to stretch daily and begin exercising to strengthen your entire body, not just your back. Drink as much water as you can and make sensible food choices daily. The time you commit will pay off. Wouldn’t it be worth it if you could alleviate your pain permanently and save a fortune visiting specialists in the meantime?

© Kylie Pogson 2006

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