Lower back pain (LBP) is quite common, but it can also lead to serious issues. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of disability. It is also, WHO warns, an ailment that leads to reduced quality of life and issues with work loss. Next month is National Spine Health Awareness Month. Use it as a reminder to improve your back health now, which could have far-reaching repercussions for your happiness and mobility as you age.
Even if you currently have no back pain, there are many steps you can take to avoid it or lessen its intensity. Those who regularly lift weights often joke about gym members who skip days working on their back or leg muscles to focus on arm or chest strength. This kind of strength imbalance, unfortunately, can lead to injury. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans developed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, adults should perform muscle-strengthening exercises of moderate or greater intensity at least twice a week for all major muscles groups.
If you’re looking for back-strengthening exercises, you can find seven options on the Mayo Clinic’s Web site that only take 15 minutes. Some of these options include the bridge and cat stretch exercises, which you can incorporate into your daily routine. Abdominal and other core-strengthening exercises are also recommended for increasing your back health. (Whenever you are unsure whether a certain exercise will injure your back, check with your primary care provider (PCP) before beginning the activity.)
In addition to these types of movements, make sure you are getting aerobic activity. A sedentary lifestyle weakens muscles, making them less limber and more prone to pain. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of intense aerobic physical activity per week. Some mixture of moderate and vigorous activity is also an option.
While determining which exercises to do, consider those that help with stress reduction, core strength, balance and flexibility. Many of these types of exercise are included in a list of clinical guidelines for dealing with nonradical lower back pain published in 2017 by the American College of Physicians (ACP), including tai chi, yoga, acupuncture and stress-reducing mindfulness practices. The National Institute on Aging advises the following four types of exercise for good health: strength, balance, flexibility and endurance exercises.
Consider quitting smoking to lower your risk of experiencing back pain as well. Smoking reduces the flow of blood to your muscles and increases your chances of getting osteoporosis. Other recommendations for back health include maintaining good posture, watching your weight, lifting objects carefully, paying attention to your position when you sleep and utilizing massages when needed.
While pharmaceuticals are frequently prescribed to manage some forms of back pain, other options are typically recommended first, such as physical therapy and chiropractic services. In a Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2002 study led by James Whedon, D.C., for example, the adjusted risk for filling an opioid prescription within a year was more than 50% lower for older Medicare beneficiaries who had visited a chiropractor than for those who had not.
If you are ready to seek chiropractic care, you can now find it at Eskenazi Health Center Grande, which offers appointments four days a week for children, teens and adults, including pregnant women. You’ll need a referral from your PCP, so call Eskenazi Health Connections to schedule that appointment first at 317-880-7666.
Another option for back pain care is to work with your primary care physician for a referral to an orthopaedic or neurology physician. Eskenazi Health Spine Care is one example and can be reached at 1-866-73SPINE.
To determine whether your insurance covers these services, schedule a meeting with Eskenazi Health financial counselors through Eskenazi Health MyChart or 1-855-202-1053.
Nydia Nunez-Estrada, M.D., family medicine specialist with Eskenazi Health Center Grande