Minor back pain has many different causes. Some of these causes --- such as general stiffness or soreness due to weak back muscles --- can be fixed by intelligent application of exercise. Others, like pain from a major spinal injury, can actually be made worse by the wrong kind of exercise.
Flexibility and Strength
A program of exercise that improves flexibility and strength in the back can greatly improve your back health. It will reduce pain from general soreness and overwork by treating the conditions that cause that pain. If you suffer from minor lower back pain, the key for this kind of exercise is to start slow. Use low-impact exercises that work your back muscles without overly straining them. Some examples of this kind of exercise include swimming, water aerobics, tai chi and yoga. Some exercises to avoid include powerlifting, jogging and dry-land aerobics.
Atrophy
Many seniors accept the gradual deterioration of muscle strength --- including the back --- as an unavoidable aspect of aging. However, research reported by Miriam Nelson, author of "Strong Women Stay Young," notes that this deterioration can be held off for much longer than previously believed. Weakness in the back --- and the pain that goes with it --- can be forestalled for decades with a program of regular exercise. For these purposes, exercises with a long range of motion that engages multiple muscle groups is the best tool for the job. Some workouts using dumbbells fit this bill, as do whole-body workouts such as yoga, tai chi and some dance programs.
Physical Therapy
If you have suffered a serious back injury, physical therapy can restore the tissue strength, muscle mass and skeletal alignment necessary to avoid lifelong back pain. Specific courses of physical therapy vary widely according to the details of the injury, the severity of the injury and the physical condition of the patient. If you are undergoing physical therapy exercises, perform them exactly as recommended by your therapist and do them as often as instructed. While undergoing physical therapy, it's best to avoid other exercise programs until you get the go-ahead from your doctor.
Peripheral Muscles
The forces that cause back pain don't only affect, and sometimes don't even come from, a problem with your back muscles. Weak abdominal muscles might mean your strong back takes an extra load, leading to back pain from daylong extra work. If you're doing exercises to reduce or avoid back pain, you should seriously consider working out the muscles of your abdomen, chest, neck, hips and rear.
Risks
Back pain is a serious issue involving complex and vital body systems. If you experience back pain on a regular basis, your first stop should not be the gym. It should be your doctor. Your doctor may confirm your suspicions and recommend a course of exercise --- or he might identify a serious problem that exercise might have exacerbated. As with most workout programs, you should check with your doctor before beginning any new course of back exercise.
References
- "Strong Women Stay Young;" Miriam Nelson; 1998
- "Brawn"; Stuart McRobert; 2007
- Kerry Collette; Yoga Instructor; Hillsboro, Oregon
