As one of the most common types of pain reported by adults, lower back pain causes more disability worldwide than any other condition, affecting 7.5% of the world’s population. If it’s affecting your work, family, or home life, it’s time to be proactive in managing and treating your lower back pain.
Understanding Lower Back Pain
We are all guilty of slouching and having poor posture at one point or another, which can worsen lower back pain. Poor posture places stress on your spine and being inactive tightens your muscles — neither beneficial to healing.
The most common causes of lower back pain include:
- Muscle strain
- Traumatic injury
- Spinal stenosis
- Bulging, ruptured, or herniated disc
- Abnormal spine curvature
At-Home Tips to Try With Your Physical Therapist
Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure for lower back pain. Healing your stiff muscles will take work and exercise, but movement is the best medicine you can give your body with lower back pain.
Here are some exercises to try with your at-home physical therapist:
- Stretches engaging the lower back — increases muscle strength in the affected area
- Posture training — corrects your spine alignment and reduces stress on the ligaments
- Core-strengthening exercises — stabilizes and supports your spine
- Low-impact cardiovascular exercise — increases blood flow and circulation
What to Avoid With Lower Back Pain
Most at-home programs don’t need to be long and drawn out to succeed. Working on the most important and relevant exercises will help eliminate your lower back pain. Avoid:
- Exercising improperly. Your treatment plan is most effective with proper exercise, so don’t be afraid to ask your PT for a thorough explanation of the motions. They want you to heal just as much as you do!
- Constant rest. Resting is the opposite of what you should do with lower back pain. Although resting doesn’t place direct stress on your back, you should alternate with a healthy exercise routine to keep your muscles from remaining inactive.
- Heavy lifting. Your back is at a higher risk for injury when you lift anything heavy. Improper lifting and repetitive bending put even more pressure on the discs in your back, leading to constant aches and pains (—and potentially disc herniation).
Faster Healing and Better Outcomes With Physical Therapy From Luna
Our patients and therapists have seen better outcomes with in-home physical therapy. With the convenience and ease of quality care in the comfort of their home, more patients are consistent with the prescribed program and heal faster than those who visit a clinic.
Safety is most important when healing your lower back, but passive treatments aren’t as effective as active self-care. With guided help from your physical therapist, you’ll start feeling more like yourself in no time.
Conditioning our bodies for a healthy and pain-free life takes work and commitment, and the level of exercise you need to heal depends on your condition's complexity and goals. Reach out to one of our licensed PTs in your area to start your personalized treatment plan.
