Should You Exercise While Suffering From Lower Back Pain?
Are you suffering from a condition like spinal stenosis or lumbar herniated disc? All these are conditions related to back pain when your physician may suggest exercise as a component of the overall treatment procedure. However, what should be your plan of action when exercising deteriorates your back condition?
How to distinguish between back pain and a sore back
Prior to discussing the effectiveness of exercising while you suffer from
back pain you need to distinguish between your lower back pain and a sore
back. Very often, a mild soreness can be an outcome of the exercise. It is
even more prevalent in those people who have not exercised earlier.
You realize you have a sore back when you experience a dull feeling of
ache. Plus, your muscles at the back may feel rigid or tender. You should
know that when you have a sore back due to exercise, it usually goes away
within one to three days.
In comparison, when you suffer from an injury in your lower back, your body
is trying to give you a hint that something is not going quite right. Such
a pain is usually moderate but It can also be severe. The magnitude may
become so high that it can even restrict your routine functions on a daily
basis. Hence, you may even have to end up adjusting your daily routine when
you experience a pain in your lower back after exercise.
Is it recommended to exercise even when you experience back pain?
When you observe that a specific exercise is aggravating your back pain, it
is better to stop doing that exercise. The reason is as mentioned earlier,
pain is a way of intimating your body that you may not be doing something
right. Hence, your pain is a way of intimating you any or all of the
following:
1. You could be having another lower back condition of injury you are
ignorant of
2. The particular exercise you are doing may not be suitable for your lower
back due to its prevailing condition
3. You are not doing the exercise in a right way
Hence, the moment you feel pain while exercising, stop doing it immediately
without much delay. Your next step should be to fix an appointment the same
day with a good physician and consult him/her. The idea is to review your
exercise program based on your exact symptoms.
Alternatives To exercise
If it is an issue related to your lower back pain due to an exercise, you
need not walk through your pain. For instance, when you find that running
is aggravating your back condition, it is better to replace this physical
activity by opting for any kind of low-impact exercise like riding your
exercise bike. A good physical therapist or physician may assist you to
find a good alternative to the exercise that is causing you trouble at
present. You can also consider undergoing water therapy after consulting
your doctor. It is an effective choice for several people who suffer from
back pain due to exercise. The therapy can alleviate the strain and stress
on the lower back structures of an affected person. You may also perform it
in a heated swimming pool to enjoy additional relief from your pain.
When your lower back pain flares up, simply book an appointment at Phoenix Family Medical Clinic , and allow our board-certified family providers to assess and provide relief for your chronic back pain.