As soon as you start feeling better, it's important to work on ways to keep your low
back pain from returning. Although you might feel frustrated and it may sound overwhelming,
managing back pain really does require a lifetime commitment to being physically active. staying
healthy, and having good posture in all your daily activities. It's a small trade-off when
you compare it to suffering with recurring pain. Let's start with daily activities.
For many people, back pain is rarely the result of a single activity or sudden
injury. We find that back pain is often related to repeating daily activities with poor posture.
If you sit for long periods of time, like many of us do for work, it's important to
maintain good posture and try to stand, walk, or adjust your body position every 30 minutes or so
throughout the day. Taking short breaks, even a minute or two, will help relieve stress on your
back. Be sure your desk and chair are set up in a way that don't require you to constantly pull,
push, stretch or bend. At the end of the program, we've also included a link to an interactive tool
called smart moves. This will help you adjust your workstation and your posture to protect your back.
Staying active will help you recover faster and should keep back pain from returning.
When choosing an activity, make sure it doesn't aggravate your back. We often recommend walking,
biking, and pool exercises as good ways to protect your back and to become fit and stay
in good physical condition. Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi are also excellent ways to exercise,
stretch, and strengthen your back. It's normal to feel some muscle soreness or tightness when
you first begin exercising. If your usual pain gets worse or continues after the activity,
then stop that activity and try another with less intensity. It's important to
start slowly and progress slowly if you're just beginning an exercise program. Staying
active is a key part of your recovery and the long-term health of your back. It's very
important to make exercise a part of your daily routine, even after the pain is gone.
Many people with low back pain have weak or uncoordinated core muscles. These are the
muscles that surround and help to stabilize your spine. They include muscles deep in your back,
in your abdomen, and pelvic floor. The hip muscles are also very important in
the function of your low back. Having a strong, flexible, coordinated core support your back,
improves your overall posture, and reduces the stress on the pain sensitive structures of your
spine as you go about your daily activities. In the back care video library, you'll find carefully
selected exercises for your back, hips, legs, and abdominal muscles. Stretching and strengthening
exercises are not meant to be a quick fix for your low back pain. To maintain a healthy back now
and for the rest of your life, it's important to make these exercises part of your daily routine.
Staying healthy will also help prevent back pain. Excess body weight adds to the stress
on your back. Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce that stress. Smoking reduces blood flow
to your back and does not allow tissue to heal well. Stopping smoking has also been proven to
help with back pain. Emotions affect every part of your body, including pain that you
may feel from your back. Back pain is commonly associated with high levels of stress, anxiety,
and depression. A critical part of treating your back pain is to reduce your stress and anxiety
levels and make sure you are being treated if you suffer from depression. Studies show
that people who do not treat these issues have a slower recovery. Getting a good night's sleep is
also important for you to be able to manage your pain and continue with your exercises. Sleeping
with back pain can be uncomfortable. In our back care video library, you'll find some great tips
for sleeping. If you need help managing your stress, improving your sleep, reducing your
weight or stopping smoking, we've included links at the end of the program to several
Kaiser Permanente resources including our wellness coaches who are available to talk to you by phone.