Pain in the Back: What To Do and How To Prevent It

By Melissa Williams

Back pain plagues more women than men and is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the physical therapist. Curious about your back pain? Here are our solutions.

A muscle strain is a tiny tear or a stretch in the muscle fiber. The fix? Get up and move. If you sit too long you put excess pressure on your low back and you shorten and tighten your hamstrings, which will exacerbate your back pain. An excellent option from yoga: Cat/Cow.

And then there is the lovely toll aging takes on your back. Cartilage and joints wear done
(due to gravity and wear and tear) and cause back pain and deterioration of range of movement. The cure? Activity. You have to move it or you lose it.

Strengthen your back muscles using Table Top Leg Lifts (see below) and you’ll find you have more stamina for daily activity.

Table Top Leg Lifts

Come to your hands and knees, with your knees beneath your hips and your hands beneath your shoulders. Draw your belly into your spine and actively lift your right leg. You want to keep your hips level, and your toes pointing down toward the floor. Keep the belly drawn in to the spine. If you feel stable, extend your left arm directly in front of you. Keep your gaze forward. Stay here for five seconds and switch sides. Repeat 5 times.