Back Pain Relief Exercises Can Hinder Recovery If Done Incorrectly

Exercise should make you feel better not worse. At one point or another you probably experienced doing the wrong exercise because instead of it doing your body good, you ended up with an injury. It is important that we exercise according to what our body needs and it is always best to consult an expert.

Don’t get fixated in the “no pain, no gain” principle because when there’s pain, it doesn’t necessarily mean the exercise was done properly. Even back pain relief exercises can hinder recovery. Of course, it’s normal though that we experience the pain especially a day or a couple of days after we started our new exercise routine.

There are different back pain relief exercises that you can do but these should be advised by your doctor and/or physical therapist. Bear in mind, you want back pain relief and not to worsen the situation.

Back Pain Relief Exercises Can Hinder Recovery

“Oh, my aching back” is a familiar refrain to Marty Ungs, a physical therapist at Rock Valley Physical Therapy in Des Moines.

 

Sometimes the sore backs and aching joints Ungs treats are due to disease, but often they’re a result of “user error” — people either exercise too hard, too fast, or they don’t check with an instructor before they try a new routine.

 

And that business about no pain, no gain is false, Ungs says. When done properly, exercise should make you feel good, not sore.

 

Cross-training is one way to avoid soreness, says Nicole Frangopol, the wellness specialist at Des Moines University’s Wellness Center. Mix cardio with strength training, she says, instead of doing the same routine every day. If you begin to feel pain during an exercise, stop, she says. A little soreness after a run might be normal, but acute pain, redness or swelling are ways your body tells you something is wrong. It may take a visit to a physician to find out the underlying reason for your distress.

 

Dr. Marc Molis, a physician who is board-certified in sports medicine, says a good warm-up is critical. Warming up increases the blood flow and gets you ready to exercise. When you’ve finished exercising, bring on the ice, Molis says, to calm your body down.

 

Molis, who practices at Urbandale Family Physicians and Sports Medicine of Iowa, says many of his patients jump from winter couch potatoes to would-be marathon runners. Start with a plan, he says, so you don’t overtax your muscles. And if you do sustain an injury during sports or exercise, see a doctor if the soreness doesn’t clear up within a week or so. You may inadvertently be doing more harm than good.

 

“Listen to your body,” Molis says. “Know your goals, and start slow.

 

Even seemingly gentle exercises, like yoga, can cause problems if done incorrectly. Beth Damm, a registered yoga instructor who practices in Urbandale, says you have to discipline yourself to go slowly, building up to more difficult movements.

 

“It can be dangerous if you move too fast,” she says. Before beginning a yoga program, talk with your instructor about any health problems you have, such as degenerative discs or osteoporosis. That way they can design a program that is right for your body.

 

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Exercise is good but appropriate and proper exercise is better. See how even back pain relief exercises can hinder recovery? You wouldn’t want to do your body more harm than good, would you? Everything starts with a plan, so start with a plan and as Molis says, “Listen to your body, know your goals, and start slow.” You may also look into mixing up your exercise routines. Check with your doctor or therapist how you should go about this.

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