Hi there, Art, here welcome to my blog.
What do I have for you today?
Lots of people have been experiencing low back pain from excess sitting during lockdown over the past year.
How can this happen?
Long periods of sitting is not good for your lumbar spine or commonly known as your back. Research has proven that people who do not exercise regularly or more prone to low back pain than those who take regular exercise. When we sit, we slump, and slumping is commonly known as poor posture and this puts excess stress on the muscle’s ligaments and tendons in the back. So, when we sit and slump the pelvis tilts backwards and flattens the lumbar curve and our lumbar curve is important for the back muscles to function properly.
Excess sitting producers more stress in the lumbar discs than in standing walking or lying.
POOR CORE STABILITY
Sitting for long periods of time can lead to weakness in the muscles around the pelvis. The muscles that support this area your stomach are Rectus Abdominus (known as the 6 pack muscles) Internal and external Oblique muscles and Transversus muscle. Lack of activity leads to weakened muscles and poor recruitment of the stability function of these muscles, especially Transversus abdominus.
What happens then?
Transversus Abdominus helps stabilise the torso and pelvis it helps the spine maintain good posture and prevents unwanted movement in the lower back. Lack of activity like long periods of sitting weakens these muscles and they then give poor support to the spine. Micro trauma as it is known causes irritation of other muscles tendons and ligaments that support the spine which in turn produces a greater stress on supporting structures. This leads to an aching back or lumbago.
Over 80% of back pain is mechanical
This means most back pain is from the discs and facet joints the rest of back pain is caused by muscle stresses and strains. Poor posture, over-weight, lack of exercise, pregnancy and sitting for long periods of time are the main causes of this.
Remember this.
Most back pain is very rarely serious but if you feel the need to, then seek medical advice.
It is known that most back pain normally resolves itself in approximately 10 to 12 weeks.
Disc problems resolve themselves in approximately 12 months without any formal treatment.
Red Flags which are rarer include any abnormalities around the saddle area like anaesthesia, constant pain day and night, sweating and high temperature, gross weight loss these signs and symptoms do need medical advice.
So, what can you do to aid lower back pain?
Over the counter medication, hot or cold packs and these 3 simple but effective exercises, why are they effective you might ask? Because they do not put and direct pressure on the spine and they are mobilising exercises to keep that spine of yours flexible.
Let us begin with the start position. These exercises are best done on a firm surface like a couch, bed, or floor.
Back lying hands out to the side, knees bent, feet on the floor, feet, and knee together. How difficult is that!
Exercise number 1. Knee rolling side to side.
Exercise number 2. Single knee to chest.
Exercise number 3. Hip raise.
All exercises should be done slowly, rhythmically, and not into pain. See my Vlog for a demo!
That is all for now, so stay safe, be well, and see you again soon!