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Low back pain can’t always be prevented, but there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk of developing it or having it keep coming back. Regular exercise, stronger muscles, frequent movement, good sleep, healthy nutrition and addressing problems early can all help keep your back healthier. After more than 30 years in chiropractic practice, these are the ten strategies I most often recommend to my patients.
Engage in regular exercise to prevent low back pain
Getting regular exercise helps prevent low back pain. (1) Exercise stimulates your nervous system so you get stronger, more flexible and develop better balance and coordination. As a result, regular exercise helps keep your spine more stable to help prevent you from injuring your low back. My years of experience have shown me that patients who exercise regularly -especially when they find activities they enjoy – tend to experience fewer episodes of recurrent low back pain. In fact, research has found that doing regular exercise can reduce the frequency of recurring back pain attacks by almost half! (2)
What exercise should you do?
Choose an exercise that you enjoy so you will be more likely to stick with it. In saying that, there are specific exercises like yoga, tai chi, and pilates that have been proven to prevent low back pain. (2) As well, there are specific core exercises that have been proven to prevent low back as well (see below). The main point is to move and exercise regularly.
How often should you exercise?
If you haven’t been very active, start slowly. Even walking more, taking the stairs, gardening or getting up from your desk regularly is a good place to begin.
Over time, work toward about 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. Include strengthening exercises regularly as well. You don’t have to do it all at once – the important thing is to move consistently and find activities you enjoy enough to keep doing.
In fact, doing a combination of strengthening with either stretching or aerobic exercise two-three times per week can help prevent low back pain in the general population. (1)
Maintain a strong core to support your back
As I have noted, there are specific core exercises that have been proven to prevent low back pain. Here are some resources to help you progressively strengthen your core.
- Level 2 strengthening and motor control exercises
- Level 3 strengthening and motor control exercises
- Yoga exercises for low back pain
As well, if you search the internet for ‘primal blueprint workout ebook’ you can download Mark Sisson’s workout ebook. It’s an excellent progression of functional human movement exercises.
Move more at work and practice good posture
Staying in one position for long periods can leave your back feeling stiff and uncomfortable, especially if you aren’t moving enough throughout the rest of your day. The goal isn’t to find one ‘perfect’ posture, but to change positions regularly and keep your body moving.
Here are some strategies to move more at work and practice good posture:
- Try standing at your desk more
- Have meetings where you walk together
- If you drive or take the bus to work, park or get off the bus further from work and walk the rest of the way
- Bike, walk, or run to work if possible
- Take the stairs versus the elevator
- Get an ergonomic assessment done at work to change your work station if needed
- Take breaks and do some posture exercises and light stretching
Maintain a healthy weight for reduced spinal stress
Carrying excess body weight may increase the likelihood of developing low back pain, particularly when combined with low activity levels, poor conditioning and other health factors. (3)
On the other hand, maintaining a healthy body weight can help prevent recurrent low back pain.
I’m not a weight loss expert, but I know enough to provide some tips on how to lose weight. For more expert advice on strategies to lose weight, I would recommend you consult with a functional medicine practitioner or a doctor of naturopath whom has a special interest in weight loss.
Eat a healthy diet to prevent low back pain
A healthy diet supports your overall health, body composition, energy and recovery. I generally recommend building your diet around minimally processed whole foods – including quality sources of protein, vegetables, fruit and other nutrient-dense foods – while limiting highly processed foods.
Diet isn’t a stand-alone treatment for low back pain, but good nutrition is one part of creating the internal environment your body needs to recover, adapt and stay healthy. (4)
Read my ‘Treating Chronic Pain with a Healthy Diet’ post to dive deeper into this subject matter.
Pay attention to your feet and footwear
Your feet are your contact with the ground when you stand, walk and run. Problems with foot mechanics can sometimes affect how forces travel through your knees, hips and low back.
Make sure your footwear is comfortable and appropriate for your activities. If you have significant foot or arch problems, an assessment can help determine whether footwear changes, exercises or foot orthotics might be helpful. Orthotics aren’t necessary for everyone with low back pain, but they may be useful when abnormal foot mechanics are contributing to the problem. (5, 6)
Managing stress helps chronic low back pain
An often overlooked cause of low back pain is chronic mental stress. Chronic stress can influence muscle tension, sleep, activity levels and how your nervous system processes pain. For some people, these factors can contribute to persistent or recurring low back pain. (7, 8) So one the solutions to help prevent low back pain would be to learn how to manage stress. (9, 10)
There are many strategies on how to manage stress. Explore and learn what strategies work for you and start implementing them. Or seek out a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist to help you.
Improve your sleep to prevent low back pain
Getting good quality sleep is so important for your overall mental and physical health. As well, getting good quality sleep is vital for your body to repair and heal itself. In contrast, sleep deprivation leads to poor healing and repair translating into poor mental and physical health. And ultimately, poor quality sleep can cause chronic pain including low back pain. (11)
Start making sleep a priority if you have trouble with sleep. Making sleep a priority is something I have had to start doing many years ago. My sleep isn’t perfect yet, but by focussing on how to get better sleeps, my sleep has definitely improved over the last ten years.
Here’s a post I wrote on sleep tips.
Prevent low back pain with regular chiropractic care
For some people with a history of recurring low back pain, regular chiropractic care may help reduce the number of days they experience bothersome back pain. Research has found this benefit particularly in people with recurrent or persistent low back pain who responded well to an initial course of chiropractic treatment. (12)
This fits with what I have seen clinically over more than 30 years. Some patients do very well simply returning when they have a problem. Others find that having their spine checked periodically helps them stay mobile and address problems before they develop into a larger flare-up.
Think of it somewhat like regular dental checkups. You don’t have to wait until something hurts before having it checked.
To understand the benefits of getting regular spinal check-ups and chiropractic care read my blog post ‘Prevent Low Back Pain with Regular Chiropractic Care’.
What to do if you‘ve tried all of the above?
If you are doing the right things but your low back pain keeps returning, isn’t improving, or is beginning to interfere with your normal activities, it may be time to have it assessed.
Sometimes there is an underlying problem that needs to be identified rather than simply trying more exercises, stretches or lifestyle changes. A chiropractor can assess how your spine and surrounding joints, nerves and muscles are functioning and help determine what may be contributing to the problem.
Depending on what is found, you may also benefit from specific strengthening or rehabilitation exercises, physiotherapy, or further medical assessment.
Most importantly, don’t ignore a problem that keeps coming back. Addressing it early is usually better than waiting until it becomes more difficult to manage.
Conclusion
Low back pain can’t always be prevented, but there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk and help prevent recurring problems. Move and exercise regularly, keep your body strong, change positions throughout the day, get enough sleep, eat well, manage stress and address problems early when something doesn’t feel right.
Learn more about Back Pain Treatments.
If your low back pain keeps returning, isn’t improving or is interfering with your normal activities, it may be time to have it assessed. If you’re in Edmonton and would like help determining what may be contributing to your low back pain, contact our office or book an appointment online.
About Dr. Dean Collins
Dr. Dean Collins has been helping Edmonton patients improve their health through chiropractic care since 1998. With over 30 years of clinical experience, he has worked with patients of all ages, helping them reduce pain, improve mobility, and maintain healthier, more active lives. At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre, Dr. Collins focuses on identifying the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction while providing personalized care, education, and practical strategies to support long-term health and wellness.
To learn more about how chiropractor care can help you and your family, read Dr. Collins’ comprehensive guide to chiropractic care: Chiropractic Care for Everyone.
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