Wellbeing
More myths about lower back pain
CAITLYN HUTH continues to debunk some long-standing beliefs about our body aches and twinges to better understand what is really happening and how to possibly remedy the situation.
We often hear that core strength is needed for people living with back pain.
And while you can’t go wrong getting strong, there is more to this than meets the eye.
Your core is weak – science has discovered that the core musculature is no more special than any other muscle group or movement. Even the people with the strongest cores can experience back pain.
Generally, acute bouts of lower back pain get better on their own within a couple of months. If you’re looking for exercise to help assist you on your journey, science has discovered that any form of exercise is just as good as core training for aiding lower back pain recovery.
Ultimately, moving is improving and motion is lotion.
So, getting back into any type of moving you like can be the answer. And if that is core training, why not?
Bad posture causes pain – “Sit up straight. It’s good for your back.”
“Don’t slouch. It’s bad for your back.”
It was believed that sitting or standing a certain way was bad for your back.
Well, recent breakthroughs in spine research have challenged this assumption.
Just like holding your arm by your side all day won’t mean it will stay there forever, sitting in a comfortable fashion will not lead to pain. We are capable of having our spine move in a variety of different positions and we now understand that it is the lack of moving that can leave us feeling sore, rather than the position we chose to be in.
Holding your hand above your head doesn’t hurt, but doing it for too long can be fatiguing.
The moral of the story is, you can sit the way you like – just be sure to keep moving throughout the day in any way that you choose.
All in all, our body is not as fragile or broken as it may feel or as we used to believe.
While pain experiences can be intense, this is usually amplified by sensitive tissues, rather than structural changes or damage occurring.
Applying ‘motion is lotion’ principles will help work through recovery.
Caitlyn Huth is an exercise physiologist at Full Circle Wellness. Call 5456 1599 or visit fullcirclewellness.com.au
