How to Walk Away From Back Pain
How Walking Will Keep Your Back Healthy
“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” That’s according to Benjamin Franklin. I’ll add a third thing to his list… Lower Back Pain!
If you are currently experiencing back pain or have at any time in the past this article is for you.
If you’ve been fortunate enough never to have a back issue keep reading because this article will tell you how to continue staying pain-free.
Back Health Benefits of Walking
Walking strengthens the spine
Walking conditions the muscles that keep the body in the upright position
Walking facilitates strong circulation
Walking pumps nutrients into soft tissues and draining toxins
Walking improves flexibility and posture
Walking Nourishes the spinal structures
Walking increases flexibility in your back and legs
Real Cost of Back Pain (The Downward Spiral)
37 Million Americans live with chronic pain which is defined as having pain for more than 6 months.
60% of people in chronic pain exhibit slight depression (livable)
Helplessness
Guilt
Withdrawal
Difficulty sleeping
Loss of appetite
Short term memory and concentration are impaired by chronic pain
Over time, slight depression can turn to a more serious depression
My Back Pain Story & Why I Started Walking
My story mirrors the real cost of back pain. Regular readers of this site know that I was a runner and suffered a serious disc injury which kept me out of work for four months and required 3 epidurals to relieve the pain.
I suffered all the symptoms described above and was on a “downward spiral.” I felt helpless as I was laying on the floor trying to find relief from the pain, guilty for not being able to work, I withdrew from social engagements as they were too painful to attend, and the slight depression part was real.
My orthopedic doctor told me to stop doing anything, rest, and go to pain management for some epidural treatments. You can’t I get a quick appointment for pain management. I begged to get an appointment (2 more weeks and that was just the consultation). Then another 2 weeks before the first treatment (they had a cancelation so I took that appointment. Otherwise it would have been 6 weeks of more pain).
Overall, it was nearly 3 months of inactivity and pain “after” getting the official diagnosis. It wasn’t until the third treatment that I felt relief before I could finally move on with my life.
Still hesitant about reinjuring my back, it was another two months before I thought seriously about exercising, and I thought long and hard about how to avoid getting hurt again. I was following my orthopedic doctor's advice to “take it easy”.
I vowed, “never again!” I started walking to get back into shape to run again.
But to my surprise, I loved walking! Read my post 11 Reasons to Love Walking.
How I Treat Back Pain Now
In a previous post and video, 21 Benefits of Walking for Health and Fitness, I mentioned that since walking, I have not missed time walking due to a walking injury.
Now, I’ve gotten hurt in other ways like the time I squatted down to help a student with a computer problem and 10 minutes later when I stood up, I had a huge pain in my right knee that lasted a few weeks. Or the time I badly stubbed my toe getting out of bed. I don’t consider those walking injuries, just poor posture, and poor judgment.
Sweet Relief!
Then there was the time I was on vacation (day 2 of it) and I bent over, incorrectly I may add, to put my sneakers on and it felt like someone hit me in the lower back with a baseball bat.
Here’s what’s interesting about what walking can do for your back. After my “back went out” bending incorrectly for the sneakers, I crawled on all four’s inside the house (we were on vacation at the Jersey Shore) and had my family bring me an ice pack to lay on and leave me be for a while.
I didn’t want this injury to ruin the rest of the week. I just need to let the wave of pain pass and begin my walking “treatment.”
Click Here for Free Download: More Back Pain Information and updates on my next book
Looking back at why my back “went out,” reveals why physical movement is so important. We were away, and I was sitting all day the previous day at a concert, then sitting on the back deck at night with the family, having a great time, telling stories and hanging out on our first day away.
Here’s how I treated and overcame this lower back injury… I began walking. First, I needed to stand upright so I crawled on all four to the deck outside, shuffling along an inch or two at a time. I’m glad only my dad was there at the house and he has a flip phone so he couldn’t video this hilarious situation of me moving an inch at a time to get to the deck railing to support myself upright.
After that, the game plan was to just keep moving. I knew the muscles need to loosen up and the circulation to the muscles caused by walking is more beneficial than laying down for two or three days which is what I would have done in the past.
Slowly and steadily, I made my way back and forth along the railing until my back and legs loosened up enough for me to stand without the railing. Then it was to just keep moving up and down the block. I was hunched over at first, but gradually made my way around the block, and finally, according to my Apple Health app, I was able to crawl, shuffle, then walk 7 miles during that long hot day. I was moving comfortably and could resume normal activity on the vacation.
While I was sore for the next 2 days, by forcing myself to walk, I put into place all the above mentioned back health benefits of walking.
How to Begin Walking After a Back Injury
Slow and steady wins the race
Listen to your body
Walk on a flat pavement until you have put some “miles on your legs”
Gradually add walking uphill to your routine.
Caution: avoid hills until you get stronger as the forward lean can put additional stress on your body.
Read: Walking for Health and Fitness
How to Take Control of Your Back Health
Walking and stretching play a big role in keeping your back healthy and pain-free. I recently discovered Dr. Steve Young’s program, Back Pain Breakthrough. It is eye-opening in its simplicity and common sense.
I will say that had I had access to his program 3½ years ago, I would not have needed the epidurals, would not have lost time at work, and I would have avoided the “downward spiral.”
Instead of doing nothing for months, I would have started walking and doing these very mild, yet effective stretches.
There are both anatomical and behavioral reasons for your lower back pain. But mostly it comes from sitting too much for too long in an incorrect posture.
Anatomically, 90-percent of lower back pain is caused by a bulging disc pushing back against the nerves in the spinal column. Think of what happens if you press down on one side of a jelly donut. The Jelly squeezes out of the back. Your disc bulges out in much the same way.
Behaviorally, it’s how you position and use your body. If you sit incorrectly, you are applying massive forces on your spinal column. Then other body systems must compensate for this imbalance and, over time they wear down and contribute to the pain.
From my research and personal experience, “millimeters matter”. It doesn’t take much for poor posture to start you on the downward spiral that I experienced. Over time your spinal cord pain receptors start to increase as your brain and spinal cord work in unison to make you NOTICE the pain telling you that something is wrong and it needs to be ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.
Dr. Steve’s program addresses the root cause of your back problems, explains in clear, concise detail on how to treat your back quickly, and how to prevent back pain in the future.
The Back Pain-Breakthrough Program is a back saver that I highly recommend!
Get more information on the Pain-Breakthrough Program. You’ll get more back pain treatment information and updates on my next book release about how to overcome back pain through walking.
FAQ
What is better for treating back pain ice, or heat?
If the onset of pain is sudden as in you’ve bent over incorrectly and your back “gave out”, then ice is the way to go.
Applying ice is the triple crown winner of pain relief!
Ice is a pain killer!
Ice improves circulation as your body attempts to warm itself
Ice relaxes the muscles when used for 20 minutes or more
A 20 minutes session of applying ice is a great start point to becoming back-pain free.
How to Apply Ice
The first time you need to apply ice, fill a zip locking bag with ice then put that bag into a second zip locking back. Lay down on the bag with it against the painful area. Pay attention to how your skin feels by checking the site every 10 minutes.
After your first 20 minute session, place the bags in your freezer for use after your next round of icing.
I know what your saying… oh that is so uncomfortable to lay down on a bag of ice or an ice pack. Yes, it is, but just the initial “shock” of the cold is rough. After a minute or so that feeling goes away. Focus on the relief you will feel 20 minutes from now.
*Exception to the ice solution is if you have arthritic joint pain. Then apply heat via a heating pad.
Sign up for more back information and updates on my next book release about how to overcome back pain.
Walk on,
Frank S. Ring
Author: Walking for Health and Fitness, Fitness Walking and Bodyweight Exercises, and Walking Inspiration.
PS My first Walking for Health and Fitness blog post will give you a comprehensive overview of this awesome fitness exercise. Begin your walking for health and fitness journey today!
