Why Does My Low Back Hurt?
Many of us suffer from stiff and sore low backs. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 25% of adults in the United States have reported low back pain- and probably not coincidentally, the CDC also reports that 25% of adults in the United States are inactive. So, how do you know when your low back pain is caused by something other than lack of exercise?
Chances are when we Google causes of low back pain, several options show up: scoliosis, spina bifida, traumatic injury, disc degeneration, herniated disc, spondylosis, arthritis, nerve pain and sciatica, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, infections, and osteoporosis, kidney stones, fibromyalgia, and, finally, what the internet includes in every symptom search (say it with me): tumors and cancer.
It is enough to swear off exercise and not move at all.
For the majority of us, especially if we have desk jobs, are inactive, or have spent the last two years working from home over Zoom, a stiff, low back is a sign we need to get up and move. In fact, the low back stretching program I offer is a great place to start.
Any stiffness or pain with the following symptoms, however, means you need to see your doctor:
Pain that lasts for a week or more or persists after using general at home care like heat, ice, or stretching
Numbness, weakness, tingling in not just the back, but the hips, bottom, and legs
Severe muscle spasms and pain
Unexplained symptoms like bladder control issues, fever, and anything that you know is not normal (you know your body better than anyone)
If you don’t have any of these symptoms, and you fall within that “too much sitting/not
enough moving” category, then join me as I demonstrate a series of stretches for your low back on Facebook every Monday in April. Let’s not stop there: in May, we will continue with stretches for the upper back and neck!
If you missed the series, contact me for more information on how you can receive these simple, stretching routines.
- Penny, healthypenny.wellness@gmail.com
