Figure out the cause:

The first step is to find out why you have the back pain. This is often the hardest step, but it’s also the most important. Locate the origin of the back pain and whether it is coming from the upper, lower or middle back. Next, figure out the time that the pain is most prevalent. This can help to specify the actual cause. The causes of back pain include, but are not limited to: poor exercise technique, weak core muscles, improper stretching, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spinal degradation, fibromyalgia. I will cover the first three causes, as having any of the other conditions should cause you to seek medical attention.

Seek medical attention:

Unless it is obvious, it is important to see a chiropractor or a doctor of osteopathy (DO), physicians who treat the body holistically and emphasize the important role of the musculoskeletal system in treating patients. They can help you with mild-severe back issues, and establish a treatment schedule to relieve you of your pain.

Create a treatment plan:

Improve Exercise Technique: For most people, it is the compound exercises (squat, dead lift, bench press, standing shoulder press) that are causing back problems. Make sure you read up about proper form for the exercises causing you pain and even watch videos of people online. The best thing to do is have someone experienced with weightlifting watch your form. Once you start hitting the heavy weights, one should look into purchasing a weight belt. It worked wonders for me with back stabilization during squats and dead lifts, improving my form and giving me confidence to lift higher without risk of injury.

Strengthen Your Core: Someone can have perfect exercise technique and still hurt their back while exercising. This can be due to having weak core muscles. The major muscles of the core include the transverse abdominals, external/internal obliques, rectus abdominals, and erector spinae. I used to have back pain after running or doing squats (even with perfect form), and I soon realized I had a weak core. To strengthen the abdominal muscles I recommend using an exercise ball. Doing crunches on an exercise ball keeps your lower back in its natural state, so there is no unwanted tension as there is with crunches/sit-ups done on the floor. There are many exercises you can do on the exercise ball, such as balance exercises, different variations of crunches, and even exercises for your lower back. Back extensions on an exercise ball were important in my training. In this exercise you position the ball under your hips with your legs straight out behind you and having your lower abs touching the ball. With your hands behind your head, roll down the ball until your chest is in complete contact with the ball and then lift your chest off the ball and align your body back in starting position keeping the contraction in your erector spinae muscle. This will help strengthen your erector spinae. For more advanced lifters, I’d recommend doing dead lifts. But you must be careful that your form is proper so that you do not hurt your back even more. Dead lifts can really build up your erector spinal muscles, which will eventually lead to a stronger core and less back problems.

Stretch: As redundant as this sounds, it is still the cause of so many injuries and back related pain. Make sure you stretch thoroughly before each and every workout. Do both static and dynamic stretches. There are also specific stretches that can be done that target the back and can help alleviate back pain. The most effective stretch for the lower back is the superman stretch. To perform this stretch, lie with chest facing the ground, have your legs and arms stretched straight out behind you and in front of you, respectively. While keeping your torso on the ground, raise your head arms and legs an inch or two off the ground. Hold this position, then lower, and repeat. There are also variations of this movement that I like to perform. One variation which I also did to improve my back pain was lifting my left arm and right leg at the same time, and holding that position. After lowering, you do the same for the opposite arm and leg.

A Final Note

Stretch, improve your exercise technique, and strengthen your core! A combination of these 3 things is the best way to lessen or prevent back pain. Stretching is fundamental, and should be done before every workout. Improving your exercise technique is extremely important as it will help prevent back pain and also allow you to get the most out of your workouts. Last but not least, strengthen your core muscles as this will aid in the stabilization of your body, and help prevent back pain.

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