1. Flexing the spine fully first thing in the morning.
Did you know that your discs hydrate while you sleep and are a lot fatter in the morning. So when you bend, the fluid displaces more than it would at the end of the day making it a higher risk for back pain especially if you have been doing a lot of heavy flexing activities recently.
This is also why the spine feels stiff in the morning. So give it an hour before you do any deep flexion activities under load. If you feel really stiff, rather do some gentle cat/camel moves (about 8-10 repetitions) instead of stretching by reaching for your toes.
2. Applying ‘no pain no gain’ to your back pain.
The back is different to the rest of the body. It is a finely balanced system of bones and disks stacked on top of each other held together by ligaments and protecting the spinal cord and nerves. The muscles control some of the movement but much is as a result of how it is stacked. If you experience back pain with a specific movement, it means one part is taking on too much pressure and can’t handle the load.
If you push through the back pain, you’re just adding load to an already angry tissue. You won’t gain, it will just cause pain. Yes movement is good and will help but the emphasis must be on the right movement. Do more of what eases the back pain and avoid what causes it so the tissue has time to heal.
Think of it in this way, every time you do a movement that causes back pain, it is like picking at a scab. It bleeds, it scabs and the process starts all over again and takes longer to heal.
3. Walking slowly.
Walking slowly isn’t the main culprit but rather the other habits attached to slow walking. Most people walk slowly out of fear of injury or back pain. With this mindset, the walker carefully looks down directly at the feet to see where every step falls putting the neck under strain. They stop swinging their shoulders and the body is kept as rigid as a rod. This guarded walking often results in people leaning forward in a slight bent position which puts even more pressure on the spine. The muscles have to work harder to keep the body upright. Back pain can follow.
Walking slightly faster, the emphasis being walking with intention, might not seem logical when you have pain but it is a back pain reliever. Walk upright with the chest up and arms swinging freely. This swinging movement is lubricating to the spine. It is good for the spine and can ease your back pain. It may require time for the body to adjust, so only walk as far as it is pain free and do that distance several times per day. Even if it is only 10 steps.
4. Sneezing whilst looking down
Sneezing, it is one of the most natural actions of the human body. But when you have back pain it can be like someone stabbing you in the back. Crippling. It is even more painful if you look down or contract your abdominals sharply upon sneezing. This tiny little movement can set you back days in the healing process of back pain.
The simple solution is to look up when sneezing and gently contract your abdominals in preparation for the sneeze. The contraction and head up position places the spine in a less compromised state when that violent sneeze comes through and could save you a lot of back pain.
5. Sitting on the bed (or chair) to put shoes on.
Remember that in the first hour upon rising from bed, we don’t want to hyper flex. When you sit on the bed (or chair) and reach down to your feet, you’re hyper flexing the spine under load (effort to pull shoes on) and probably maintaining that position for an extended period. Not a good idea.
Rather stand up and put your foot on a stool bending from the hip instead of the spine and put shoes on that way. The emphasis is on hip flexibility rather than back flexibility because the hip is made for this movement.
6. Standing with your arms crossed over your chest.
First of all, standing with your arms crossed over your chest is a negative body posture and isn’t very friendly. But more so than it having an impact on how people perceive you, it has an impact on the position of your spine.
Crossing your arms pulls the shoulders forward and bends the upper back forward and pushes the chin out. Adopting this posture puts pressure on the spine especially if maintained for a long period. With a slightly forward flexed posture, the back muscles have to work harder to keep the body upright.
Give your back a break and rather cross your arms behind your back. Immediately the shoulders are pulled back, the chest is slightly up and the head drops into a better position. The lower back follows suit and the muscles relax. It’s an easy way to maintain the curves of the spine, stacking the spine as it should be and taking the pressure off.
Although this advice and information is based on sound knowledge it is still followed at your own risk. I cannot take any responsibility for injuries or health conditions that may arise as a result of my advice. Videos and advice are generalized and cannot replace the individualized advice provided after a medical assessment by your local healthcare professional.