How to Relieve Low Back Pain
Four out of five – that’s 80 percent of us – will experience low back pain at some point in our lives. Low back pain is the #1 cause of disability in the workplace worldwide.
One of our training clients, who is a nurse at a local hospital, was telling me how two of her co-workers are having trouble doing their jobs because they have low back problems. She tried explaining to them how to prevent and relieve low back pain by strengthening the muscles in and around the low back area. However, they weren’t really getting it. So I thought I’d take a stab at it with this blog post.
Back Issues Are on the Rise
More U.S. healthcare dollars are spent treating low back pain than almost any other medical condition, but much of that money is wasted. Estimates on the healthcare costs of low back pain range from $50 billion to $200 billion per year – a lot of money, whatever the exact number is.
Yet, at the same time, outcomes don’t seem to be improving.
The amount of people who report suffering from back pain is steadily on the rise. The cause of most back pain is mechanical-meaning it is due to some type of injury, most often a soft tissue injury to the surrounding muscles, tendons and/or ligaments.
The Misinformation Around Back Exercises
Many exercises that supposedly strengthen the lower back muscles are actually dangerous to the spine and work the hip and leg muscles way more than the low back muscles. These include any exercise where you explosively pull a weight upward, something you see a lot in many gyms today. There is nothing worse than going to the gym to prevent injuries and injuring yourself in the process!
How to Relieve Back Pain
Proper exercise can help get rid of lower back pain and strengthen the lower back to reduce the risk of such injuries and in a safe manner. The best exercises for this purpose are those that isolate the lumbar spine muscles and don’t utilize the hip and leg muscles.
Most common “back” exercises, such as deadlifts or back extensions (shown below), do not achieve this goal.
How to Relieve Low Back Pain Through Proper Exercise
Isolating the lumbar spine muscles is accomplished by restraining the pelvis, which eliminates the involvement of the hip and leg muscles. There are very few exercise machines on the market that effectively accomplish this goal. One is the Nautilus Lower Back extension machine (pictured below), which can be found at Rock Solid Fitness.
Schedule a Free Trial at Rock Solid Fitness’s Clearwater FL Gym
At Rock Solid Fitness gym, we believe in strength training and personalized accountability to reach your fitness goals. Our program combines time efficiency, data tracking, and a physical therapy perspective to ensure maximum effectiveness. Our expert coaches will adapt the program as needed to ensure it continues working for you.
The Rock Solid Fitness personal training program works for adding muscle and losing fat, and it works fast. Our process combines time efficiency, data tracking, and a physical therapy perspective to reach goals. The program adapts with you, and our expert coaches hold you accountable along the way.
Don’t just take our word for it! If you’re looking for a Clearwater FL gym, visit Rock Solid Fitness and try our free trial and see the difference for yourself. With our proven approach, it may surprise you by how quickly you start seeing results. Schedule your free trial today and start on the path toward a stronger, healthier you.
