Got this question asked in my clinic this week that I wanted to share with you (it’s a common question I get asked often on the topic of back pain)…
“Trupti, I’m desperate to get back into shape after suffering with a bad back for long time. Can you continue to stay fit and active when long standing back pain still gets in the way? Physical Therapy is a great help, but I want to do more by myself while I’m receiving treatment, I’m just scared, a bit nervous and don’t know what type of exercise is safe…”
– Victoria, 48, Woodley Park
I understand that the thought of doing ANY type of exercise at all when you’re in some form of pain might seem a little scary and worrying…
You don’t want to run the risk of making it any worse in case it turns into an injury and puts you out even longer. But I’d like to put your mind at ease and let you know that just because your back is causing you issues right now, you don’t have to keep yourself stranded on the sofa until you wake up one day to find it has magically disappeared.
You see, even though Physical Therapy is great and really helps to ease your pain, it can never be a full blown cure alone. The real long-term success at overcoming things like back pain lies within what YOU do in-between and after your Physical Therapy sessions.
Let me explain…
Most bad backs happen because they’re not strong in the first place, so in order to get your back strong your lifestyle and the types of activities you do play a huge part in your recovery.
A lot of us have jobs that involve sitting at a desk all day. I know Victoria works as a Policy Analyst and her back pain came on as a result of sitting for long periods of time without regular breaks to move around, and then going home at a night to sit yet again for a few MORE hours before going to bed!
And seeing as your back isn’t made to sit, sitting puts a lot of pressure on the spine.
So the long-term solution?
Regular posture style exercises to increase muscle control and strength with PILATE’s routines and CORE CONTROL TYPE of EXERCISES.
(And not only does PILATES help to ease back pain, it also makes you more flexible and toned too! Win-win :-))
Pilates style exercises are great for people like ‘Victoria’ who feel frightened and nervous about returning to exercise after a bad back, because it involves exercises designed to strengthen and control the muscles in your back – allowing you to return to other types of exercises like running, cycling and gym classes, much quicker!
But let me just point out that there’s a huge difference between “exercising” (running, golf, cycling…), and doing exercises like Pilates.
Things like running are great to improve your cardio and the length of time you can maintain being active without feeling tired, but without strengthening exercises like Pilates, there’s a greater risk of injury. So we must build a strong foundation first, and then add in other activities.
So the answer to Victoria’s question is – yes, you certainly can continue to remain fit and active even if you’re suffering with back pain.
The solution lies within the long-term commitment you make to the other things you do outside of your Physical Therapy treatment and in-between sessions. Be consistent with doing Pilates style exercises for 3 months, and then when you notice a difference you can start adding in other gentle exercises as an addition to make sure your bad back doesn’t creep up on you again!
For more tips like this for easing back pain:
CALL ME AT 202-670-8874. I am happy to talk to you on the phone for a FREE 10-15 minute consultation and if we are the right fit, COME in for a FREE IN-PERSON 30 minute CONSULTATION. I am also happy to send you a hard copy of my free special report with 7 top tips to keep active with less back pain.
Committed to Restoring Your Great Health!
Trupti graduated with a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from UNC- Chapel Hill in 2001. She has furthered her studies with numerous post-graduate courses focusing on the Neck, shoulder, knee, and back, with a strong emphasis in manual therapy. Recently completed courses in Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy Seminars (Levels 1- 5), has afforded her an excellent way to relieve pain and help people get moving, active and healthy quickly and effectively.
With 20+ years of experience in Physical Therapy, Trupti has practiced in various orthopedic and sports focused clinical settings, in both the Raleigh-Durham, NC and DC regions. She has been Director of multiple Physical therapy Clinics in DC and also worked with some renowned specialists at Georgetown University Hospital in DC. During her years of service, Trupti has had the privilege of caring for a wide variety of clients: from school-aged children to retirees; from homemakers to business professionals; from weekend warriors to professional athletes.
Trupti is an avid fan of the outdoors, art, traveling and of course the Tar Heels. She enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew.
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