Back pain has been becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society every year. There are many factors contributing to this rise such as, increasing levels of stress, chronic inflammation from exposure to toxins and inflammatory foods, increased time sitting, and decrease in moving joints through full range of motion on a regular basis. The human body was designed to move regularly. Because of this drastic change in lifestyle over the last 50 years, people are experience more and more pain and dysfunction in their bodies.
The good new is there are a lot of ways to improve chronic back pain and increase the body’s overall resilience and wellbeing. Here are 7 tips for correcting imbalances and factors contributing to chronic low back pain.
Stress management- high levels of stress has been proven to be a leading factor for low back pain. Specifically, stress around finances, job security, and relationships. Using techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, interception (bringing attention inward to the sensations of the body), getting proper rest, spending time in nature, going for walks, spending time with loved ones, laughing, warm baths, and practicing self love are all techniques used to help bring down stress levels in the body. Finding someone to talk to such as a therapist or coach can help with mindset shifts and emotional health.
Strengthen Glute Muscles- Many of us spend hours sitting in the car, at a desk, or on the couch. The glute muscles are responsible for hip extension, stability, and strength of the hips. When the glute muscles are weak, this will put unwanted pressure on other hip muscles and the muscles of the low back. Exercises such as glute bridges, bird dogs, squats, hip extensions, and step ups are all glute focused exercises.
Diaphragmatic Breathing- Dysfunction in breathing patterns is also a key contributor to back pain. Shallow breathing, chest breathing, and inability to distribute pressure in our abdomen properly can put pressure on our pelvic floor, tighten the low back muscles and create instability. Crocodile breathing technique is a great exercises to help learn diaphragmatic breathing. Lie on your stomach, take a deep breath in, use the breath in your belly to push your body away from the floor, exhale fully, and repeat 10-15 times. You can also sit up tall, place your hands on the sides of your lower ribcage. Take a breath into your belly and keep inhaling the breath up into your lower ribs. You should feel your hands start to move away from each other as the rib cage moves out to the sides. Practice this 10-15 times.
Decrease Inflammation- Inflammation increases pain in the body. Reducing alcohol, sugar, grains, processed foods/oils and increasing fresh fruits and veggies, omega-3s fatty acids, and fermented foods. This can feel hard to do at first, but take one step at a time by taking one inflammatory food and switch it out for a healthier option every couple of days or even once a week.
Myofascial Release- You may have heard the buzz word, fascia. It is all connected throughout your body. It is wrapped around every organ and muscle. From decreased movement, range of motion in joints, and emotional stress, the fascia gets tight and immobile. Using a foam roller or other myofascial tool, you can pinpoint tight fascia in the legs, hips, back, and ribs.
Mobility in the hips and ribs- Decreased movement in the hips and ribcage cause the low back muscles to do a job that they are not meant to do. On top of that, the vertebra in the lumbar spine also have to have more range of motion than they are meant to have. This can put unwanted pressure on the muscles and bones of the low back. Stretching hip flexors, adductors, piriformis muscles, and hamstrings can take pressure of the low back and improve pain. As well as foam rolling the rib cage, improving diaphragm movement, and rib movement.
Learn to Activate the Core Properly- Learning how to brace the abdominals and core (the muscles all the way around the trunk) will improve back pain significantly. There are deep stabilizing oblique muscles called the Transverse Abdominus or TVA that work to stabilize the trunk during movement. Place your fingers on each side of your belly button, take a deep breath in and as you exhale, start to pull the sides of your waist in so that your finger tips come closer together or even touching. This movement activates the TVA and stabilizes the trunk.
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