What Would YOU Do? A Physical Therapist’s Perspective on Managing Her Lower Back Pain
It started like any other day except when I woke up my 5-year-old was next to me in bed taking up much more space than her little body should. As I moved to get out of bed, I noticed intense lower back pain and stiffness. It hurt to bend over and I had aching down the sides of my hips. Trying to stand on one leg to get dressed sent a jolt of pain through my back. Leaning heavily on the railing, I hobbled down the stairs to let the dog out and sat down on the couch only to feel more pain as I made even the smallest movements. I sat on the couch for a bit thinking about what I could have possibly done to cause this. Besides turning 35 a few weeks ago, I couldn’t think of anything I had done to set this off. Still groggy, I noticed how tired I still was, and in that instant it occurred to me: my pain was probably from lifting my daughter into bed at 4am, still half asleep, and then sleeping crunched up in a crowded bed for a few hours.
But, regardless of what caused my back to begin hurting, my PT brain kicked in and I set out to try some exercises to help relieve it. I got myself to the floor, laid on my back and bent my knees. I started with somepelvic tilts. I rocked my pelvis back so my low back was pushed into the floor and then forward so my back was arched off the floor. I moved slowly and stopped when I felt pain but continued to push toward the discomfort, moving further and further each time in order to increase my range of motion. As uncomfortable as it was to move like this, I knew how important it was to get my back moving in order to prevent further stiffness from making the pain and debility worse.
After about 10-20 reps of pelvic tilts, I moved to my stomach and did some deep breathing making sure to use my diaphragm (feeling my belly expand as I inhaled and contract as I exhaled). After a few reps of this I propped myself onto my elbows and continued to breathe deeply. Then I moved back and forth from my belly to my elbows. After several reps, this became easier so I moved on to press ups on my hands. From the propped-on elbows position, I placed my hands on the ground and pressed up getting more range of motion through my back. I did about 10 reps. This was uncomfortable at first, but as I moved slowly and with control it became easier.
After these exercises, I was able to transition to standing with significantly less pain and my pain with bending over had improved. My back was still sore and felt stiff and remained that way for much of the day but I returned to these exercises several times throughout the day each time making my back feel a little bit better. It took a day or two for my pain to completely resolve and as it started feeling better, I started some core strengthening, which I had been tending to neglect with my regular workouts.
My back has been better ever since. I’ve continued to focus more on core strengthening and have been paying close attention to my posture and how I lift things. I truly believe early movement was the key to my success of alleviating my back pain quickly. Back pain can be scary and it’s easy to become guarded and limit your movement out of fear of making the pain worse. If you wake up with back pain or you feel back pain come on throughout the day, try these exercises, because most often movement will help alleviate the pain. If you or someone you know is dealing with back pain for longer than a few days, please consider physical therapy. The physical therapists at Health in Balance PT will help guide you through the movements that are best for your back and determine the condition that is causing your pain. You don’t need a prescription from your doctor. We will evaluate you and determine the best course of action. Call now for additional information or an appointment with one of our experienced, skilled PTs in order to feel better faster: 262-236-0176.
