Two Steps in Fixing a Sore Lower Back - Movement and Stability

When a worker or athlete suffers from a back injury, often the first thing that is done is to give the tissues time to heal and recover from the trauma. Obviously, if there is inflammation present or severe tissue damage, some time to rest must be taken while the body performs its important work of rebuilding and repairing. But once it is time for rehabilitation from an injury, there are a number of steps that must be taken, and they must be taken in the correct order to facilitate long term healing and prevention of future injury.

The first step in rehabilitating an injured lower back is for the patient to become aware of the motor habits and movements that cause risk to the back and begin to reduce these movements. In addition, corrective exercises should be done to practice newer, better patterns of moving. Depending on the severity and type of injury, very simple exercises should be done first with perfect form and posture, with a progression over time to more complex movements.

When a lower back injury happens, it is often due to trauma to the tissues that are supposed to provide stability to the back. This can happen as a result of a fall with a specific traumatic collision leading to injury, or it can happen with overuse injuries due to poor posture and incorrect movement patterns. Prolonged sitting or lifting numerous loads with a flexed spine can all lead to tissues breaking down over time. This is why fixing these poor movement patterns is the first step in recovery.

The second step, then, should be building stability throughout the back and the entire body. Numerous muscles contribute to the stability of the lower back, from the hip flexors, to the abdominal muscles, to the upper back muscles, to the muscles of the low back itself. A focus should be placed on the stability of the spine when doing any of these exercises, along with a practical application of any exercises to the actual real-life demands of the patient.

This focus on stability should help to ensure that someone who had been suffering from a sore lower back will be able to move properly without pain. There is a saying in the weight training world about novice lifters "building strength on dysfunction," which refers to people lifting heavy weights with extremely poor form. When rehabbing a low back, it is important to avoid strengthening the muscles without working on proper movement patterns first and then on joint stability.

If these first two steps are taken slowly and done correctly, it can be much easier to recover from a lower back injury and stay healthy over the long term. The next steps involve building enough endurance in the tissues supporting the back to lead a normal life again, and then building strength and power to be able to enjoy athletic activities. Working on the preliminaries of movement patterns and posture, and full body and spinal stability will help make the transition to an active lifestyle much easier and enjoyable.