Pain In Back When Bending Forward
There are many different causes of back pain when bending over. Stiffness and minor pain may be a sign of muscle strain, while severe shooting pains could indicate sciatica. A herniated disk, meanwhile, can lead to weakness and numbness in one leg. Almost 40% of adult Americans experience some degree of back pain.
Contents
- 1 Why does my back hurt when I bend forward and backward?
- 2 Why does my upper middle back hurt when I bend over?
- 3 Is it OK to stretch a back strain?
- 4 Should I stretch a strained back?
- 5 Is bed rest bad for lower back pain?
- 6 Is walking bad for lower back strain?
- 7 Why does my upper middle back hurt when I bend over?
Is it normal for my back to hurt when I bend over?
Why do you get back pain when you bend over? – Bending over is a particularly common cause of back pain. This is because many people bend from hips and waist rather than the knees. This stretches the muscles and ligaments in the back, puts strain on muscles, and causes the discs between your vertebrae to move back.
Back strain occurs when the muscles and ligaments that support the spine become stretched and weakened so they can’t provide the same level of support. Strain can be caused by over exercising, twisting awkwardly, stretching too far or lifting a heavy object incorrectly. These sensitive muscles will hurt when stretched, but the tissue and bone surrounding them will also hurt because they are not being properly supported If you have previously injured your back, whether recently or some time ago, the muscles and ligaments in your back may still be damaged or sensitive. This means that as your back stretches when you bend, these damaged tissues may become irritated and inflamed. Slipped disc. A disc, or more correctly an intervertebral disc, is a pad of tissue that sits between the vertebrae, or bones, of our spine. They give our spine a great level of flexibility and prevent the bones from rubbing together. The movement of discs is natural – as we bend, the spaces between the front of the vertebrae narrow, and the spaces at the back widen. This pushes the disc backwards. Excessive bending can cause these discs to move too far backwards, and they may press on a nerve in your back, causing a sudden painful shock – this is known as a slipped disc. In some cases pain can extend down through the legs or up into the neck.
Strain, injury and slipped discs can often be caused or made worse by too much bending. This could be due to your job, if that involves frequent bending down or crouching, such as a gardener, or even primary school teacher. It could also be caused by your gym habits, for example bending forward to touch your toes or to lift weights.
Why does my back hurt when I bend forward and backward?
The lowdown – If you experience lower back pain when arching backward, it could mean anything from a strained muscle to a spine fracture. Although you can manage some symptoms at home, you should also consider contacting a relevant health professional, particularly if the pain is not getting better.
How long does a back strain last?
Recovery and Outcome – Back muscle strains typically heal with time, many within a few days, and most within 3 to 4 weeks. Most patients with mild or moderate lumbar strains make a full recovery and are free of symptoms within days, weeks, or possibly months.
Why do I suddenly get a sharp pain in my lower back when I bend over while pregnant?
What Are Some Causes of Back Pain During Pregnancy? – There are several reasons why you may experience back pain during pregnancy. Sone of the most common causes include:
Weight gain: As you gain weight during pregnancy, the spine has to support that added weight. That change causes lower back pain. The weight of the growing baby and uterus can also put pressure on the blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis and back, causing pain. Changes in hormones: During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called relaxin that allows ligaments in the pelvic area to relax and joints to loosen in preparation for giving birth. The hormone can cause ligaments that support the spine to loosen as well. This, along with the shifting of joints, can lead to instability and pain. Changes in posture: Poor posture, excessive standing or sitting, and bending over can trigger or increase your back pain. In addition, while you’re pregnant, your center of gravity shifts forward as your uterus and baby grow, causing your posture and the way you move to change. This can result in strain and pain. Stress: Stress can cause muscle tension in the back, resulting in back pain or back spasms. You may experience an increase in back pain during stressful periods of your pregnancy. Chronic back pain prior to pregnancy.
Why does my upper middle back hurt when I bend over?
Many things can cause upper and middle back pain. These include poor posture; overuse or injury of the muscles, ligaments, or discs that support the spine; a vertebra fracture; pressure on the spinal nerves from problems such as a herniated disc; and osteoarthritis.
Why does my lower back hurt when I walk hunched over?
#3: Lose Weight – It’s not necessarily a piece of advice that people want to hear, particularly if you are in search of a quick fix to treat low back pain with walking, but if you are struggling with carrying excess weight, particularly in the abdominal area, losing weight can be one of the most effective ways to decrease back pain,
- Walking itself will certainly help you towards that goal, as any amount of physical activity will burn calories, but also focusing on eating a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and perhaps engaging in other, less painful forms of exercise may be optimal.
- Depending on your fitness level and the severity of your lower back pain when walking, you might consider adding exercise bike workouts, swimming, the elliptical trainer, or deep water exercise to your routine.
Strength training can also be a great way to burn calories, boost metabolic rate, decrease body fat, and strengthen the muscles in your legs and core, making walking all the more comfortable. Certain spinal conditions are degenerative, and there may be some amount of inescapable low back pain when walking, but in most cases, working with your doctor or physical therapist to find solutions that make walking more tolerable can be a great step towards enjoying each and every step you take,
What are early signs of a disc out of place in your back?
What are Herniated Disc Disorders? – In between each of the 26 bones, called vertebrae, that make up your spine are discs. These discs are made up of a jelly-like substance and act as cushions for your spine. A herniated (or slipped) disc occurs when all or part of a disc is forced through a weakened part of the spine.
Pain that occurs on one side of the body. Sharp pain in one part of the leg, hip, or buttocks and numbness in other parts. You may also feel pain or numbness on the back of the calf or sole of the foot. The same leg may also feel weak. These are usually indications of a slipped disc in the lower part of the spine. Pain when moving your neck or deep pain near or over the shoulder blade. You may also feel pain that moves to the upper arm, forearm, and fingers and numbness along your shoulder, elbow, forearm, and fingers. These are common symptoms when you have a slipped disc in your neck. The pain of a slipped disc often feels worse:
After standing or sitting At night When sneezing, coughing, or laughing When bending backward or walking more than a few yards
Do you feel a slipped disc immediately?
Slipped disc symptoms – You may not have any symptoms of a slipped disc. If you do, pinpointing the location of your pain may help determine where you have a slipped disc. You may feel pain, numbness and tingling in different areas of your body. It depends on which of the three spinal regions the slipped disc is located in.
Foot pain: A slipped disc in your lower back can push on your sciatic nerve. This causes shooting pain through your leg to your toes. Weak leg: Nerves run from your spinal cord to your legs. This is why a slipped disc in your lower back can cause leg problems and pain in your buttocks, thigh and calf.
Neck and upper back pain are often due to a slipped disc. A slipped disc in your upper back (cervical region) causes symptoms like:
Numb hands: A slipped disc in your neck area may press on nerves that affect the feeling in your fingers. Shoulder and arm problems: A cervical slipped disc can cause multiple symptoms in your shoulders or arms, such as weakness, numbness and tingling.
A slipped disc in your mid back (thoracic region) causes symptoms like:
Pain when laughing: If you have a slipped disc in your middle back, laughing causes your core muscles to tweak your back’s nerves. Leg problems: A thoracic slipped disc causes multiple symptoms in your legs, such as sensitivity, weakness, numbness and tingling.
It’s possible you have a bulging disc. But, if these symptoms don’t go away within six weeks, it’s time to see a doctor.
Is it OK to stretch a back strain?
Treating a Pulled Back Muscle in 8 Steps – No matter where a pulled muscle is in the body, the steps to treat it are generally the same. However, it’s important to talk to a medical professional before treating an injury because symptoms of other injuries, such as disc problems or a broken bone, may resemble strains and sprains. After talking to a professional, try the following steps: 3
- Apply cold. Cold helps reduce inflammation, which is the primary source of pain in the first few days. The faster you can apply cold to a pulled back muscle, the faster you may reduce pain, help control swelling, and start the healing process. Apply a cold pack for 15-20 minutes as soon as the injury occurs. Take a break of at least 20 minutes between each cold application.
- Use compression. Applying compression bandages or using an active compression system may help reduce swelling and edema so the damaged tissues can repair themselves more quickly.
- Rest. Right after a muscle strain, it is important to limit your activity level and avoid movements that increase pain. After the initial pain subsides, returning to previous level of activity may help prevent the muscles from growing weak.
- Stretch. According to Kojo Hamilton, MD, as you return to activity, gentle stretching exercises may improve tissue healing by bringing more blood flow to the injured area. Applying heat to the area prior to stretching may also be beneficial. Ask a doctor about the right stretches for your condition.
- Pain medication. Pain medications do not assist with the healing process and should only be used, in the short term, to provide relief with normal activities of daily living. If you feel that you need pain medication, consult with your physician to determine the type and dosage that is appropriate for your specific situation. Use medication sparingly because pain is actually an important indicator throughout the recovery process.
- Perform strength exercises. As the pain subsides, try adding strengthening exercises in addition to stretching. Allowing the muscles to weaken with too much rest may actually slow recovery and increase the chances of future injuries.
- Get a massage. You can further increase blood flow to the injured tissues with a light massage.1
- Apply heat. After the first few days, alternating cold therapy with the application of heat may help reduce pain and increase circulation. Try a 20-20-20 rule: 20 minutes of an ice pack followed by a 20-minute break, then 20 minutes of heat. Repeat as necessary, allowing 20 minutes between hot or cold therapy.
For strains in lower back muscles, treatment might also include light, low-impact exercise to help maintain range of motion and build muscle strength.3 Walking, cycling, and swimming are some good options for staying active while recovering from lower back muscle strains.
After recovering from a pulled back muscle, help prevent future injury by practicing good posture and properly warming up before activity.5 Game Ready provides both therapeutic cold and active compression to help reduce pain, control swelling, reduce edema, and pump freshly oxygenated blood to healing tissue, all of which can help facilitate a return to normal activity.
You can rent a system for use at home or find a provider near you to start your recovery today.
Should I stretch a strained back?
What should you try to find relief? – “When you’re dealing with lower back pain, doing regular stretching exercises can help maintain your posture, strengthen your back and abdominal muscles and improve flexibility,” says Dr. Kumaraswamy. “You should also continue to be active because movement relieves muscle spasms and prevents loss of muscle strength.” Over-the-counter medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications or acetaminophen, may provide some added relief, as can certain pain-relieving creams, gels, patches or sprays.
- Alternating between ice and heat can also help.
- If you have to sit or drive for long periods of time, place a small pillow, lumbar roll or rolled towel behind your lower back,” says Dr.
- Umaraswamy.
- If your pain persists for a few weeks despite conservative treatment, it’s best to see a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, so you can get on a path toward recovery.
You should also see a specialist if:
Symptoms wake you up at night Back pain moves into your legs Back pain is from an injury You experience numbness, tingling or weakness in your legs
How do I know if middle back pain is muscular?
Back Pain Symptoms – If you’ve strained a back muscle, you may experience a dull pain and stiffness in your back, with an overall feeling of aches and pains. Symptoms include:
Pain that gets worse when you move, especially when bending or stretching Difficulty standing up straight Swelling or bruising in a specific area Sharp or achy pain, usually limited to the lower back and buttocks area Spasm-like pain or cramps
To identify the cause of back pain, Dr. Van Dien says that looking at the absence of symptoms can also be helpful. “When patients come in with back pain, and the pain is of muscular origin, generally that exam is void of any sort of findings that would suggest that there’s a nerve-based problem or something more significant going on,” he explains.
Fever, chills or night sweats Unexplained weight loss New bowel or bladder problems Pain that spreads down the legs Pain that lasts more than a few weeks Severe pain unrelieved by rest Weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
If you are experiencing any of those symptoms, it’s best to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. “We don’t want you to ignore these symptoms. It’s extremely important to have a doctor evaluate you and rule out anything more serious,” says Dr. Van Dien.
Can you let a back strain heal by itself?
We all ask a lot from our backs. We bend, we lift, we slouch – it’s enough to make a back complain. These injuries are painful, but they can also be temporary. “Ninety percent of low back pain resolves within one year,” says Dr. Anthony Romero, a Cottage Center for Orthopedics affiliated surgeon.
- With proper care, most people can look forward to a quick recovery.” What are sprains and strains? Healthy backs are strong and flexible, thanks in large part to the muscles that support the spine and the tough, fibrous ligaments that hold the vertebrae together.
- Unfortunately, these tissues can’t always handle the pressure of everyday life.
Excess stress on your back can stretch or tear the ligaments. This is called a sprain. A strain is a stretching or tearing of muscle or tendon. It doesn’t really matter whether you have a strain or a sprain. If your back hurts, it hurts. Your doctor may not even be able to tell the difference between the two.
- Fortunately, strategies for relief and prevention are equally successful for each type of injury.
- Who is at risk for back sprains and strains? Repetitive, forceful movements can easily injure the back.
- People who do a lot of bending, lifting and twisting are usually no strangers to back pain.
- At the other end of the spectrum, people who rarely exercise are also prone to sprains and strains.
Muscles and ligaments can become weak if they aren’t used. When an inactive person suddenly gets a notion to move a couch or shovel the sidewalk, an injury should hardly be surprising. What are the symptoms of sprains and strains? Sprains and strains usually cause a broad, aching pain across the lower back.
The pain may be limited to one side or the other. You may have trouble bending your back or standing up completely straight. You may also have an occasional muscle spasm, especially when moving around or while sleeping. Spasms can turn the muscles in your back into a hard, painful knot. What can I do to relieve the pain? Given time, most injuries to the ligaments and muscles will heal on their own within six weeks.
The key to recovery is staying active, within limits. Most people who try to return to their normal lives as soon as possible find that their ache gradually fades. Of course, some common sense is in order: If your job requires heavy lifting or other strenuous activities, you may have to limit these activities to give your back a chance to heal.
- Bed rest should be avoided if possible.
- Too much time in bed can weaken your muscles and slow your recovery.
- While waiting for your back to recover, you can ease the pain with over-the-counter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin or ibuprofen (such as Motrin or Advil).
- However, follow the dosage recommendations carefully and don’t take them any longer than necessary.
Talk to your doctor if you need to take pain relievers more than several days. A combination of cold and heat can also help ease back pain. Try putting a cold pack (a bag of ice wrapped in a cloth) on the sore spot soon after the pain first arises. Use the cold pack several times a day, 20 minutes at a time.
When the pain starts to fade, 20 minutes with a heating pad can help loosen muscles and speed relief. A recent review by the Cochrane Collaboration, which promotes evidence-based medicine, found that massage might be beneficial for patients with subacute back pain (lasting four to 12 weeks) and chronic (lasting longer than 12 weeks) low-back pain that is not attributed to a specific disease or condition.
The review found massage appeared especially beneficial when combined with exercises and education. When should I see the doctor? Most people with sprains or strains can safely wait four to six weeks before calling the doctor. The pain will probably disappear long before six weeks, the earliest time most orthopedists would recommend an x-ray.
Some cases call for quicker action. If you’ve had a serious injury, have a fever, have a known cancer history or develop incontinence call a doctor promptly for advice. You should also call your doctor for back pain if you’re experiencing back pain for the first time after age 50, don’t notice any improvement at all after three days, or if you’ve experienced unexplained weight loss.
Constant, intense pain or pain that spreads down a leg or causes weakness or numbness in a leg is also a reason to call your doctor. These are all warning signs that you may have something more than a simple back strain or sprain. What treatments can a doctor provide? First of all, your doctor will try to understand the source of your pain.
- Sprains and strains won’t show up on x-rays or any other test, but your symptoms can paint a fairly clear picture.
- If your pain has lasted for several weeks without a hint of improvement, your doctor may order an x-ray or a high-tech imaging test to check for herniated disks or other injuries.
- Such tests can also detect or rule out spinal infections and cancer.
Your doctor may prescribe stronger NSAIDs to help control your pain. Muscle relaxants help some patients, but they generally don’t work any better than NSAIDs and often cause drowsiness. Physical therapy can be important to quicken your recovery and prevent recurrence.
Core strengthening and pelvic stabilization exercises are particularly helpful. A therapist can also instruct you on proper lifting techniques. Surgery is generally not indicated for chronic low back pain. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, surgery has never been shown to ease low back pain caused by sprains or strains, and may make it worse.
One key point to remember is that surgery is more likely to be beneficial if a back injury causes chronic pain radiating into the legs. Be sure to get a second opinion if necessary. How can I prevent back sprains and strains? Once you’ve had an episode of back pain, the pain is likely to come back.
- Your job is to make sure the attacks are as brief and as far apart as possible.
- A strengthening and stretching program (Pilates or yoga) will help keep the muscles used for lifting in good shape and less vulnerable to strain.
- For extra protection, keep a straight posture when standing or sitting.
- If you lift heavy objects, let your legs, not your back, do the work.
In short, don’t let that strain in your back become a strain on your life.
Is bed rest bad for lower back pain?
Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people visit a health care provider. The good news is that the pain often goes away on its own, and people usually recover in a week or two. Many people want to stay in bed when their back hurts. For many years, getting bed rest was the normal advice.
But current studies recommend no bed rest at all and stress that staying in bed longer than 48 hours not only won’t help but it may, in fact, actually delay your recovery. Here’s why: Staying in bed won’t help you get better faster. If you’re in terrible pain, lying down for a day to help ease the distress may seem like a good idea, but moderating your activities and staying active in a limited way is a more effective way to control your symptoms.
Research suggests that if you can find comfortable positions and keep moving, you may not need bed rest at all. Research shows that:
Lying down longer than a day or two day isn’t helpful for relieving back pain. People can recover more quickly without any bed rest. The sooner you start moving, even a little bit, or return to activities such as walking, the faster you are likely to improve.
Long bed rest can lead to slower recovery. Staying in bed for any prolonged period can make you stiff and increase pain. When you don’t move and bend, you lose muscle strength and flexibility. With bed rest, you lose about 1 percent of your muscle strength each day.
And you can lose 20 to 30 percent in a week. It becomes more difficult to return to any activity. As you become weaker and stiffer your recovery takes longer. Who needs bed rest? Almost no one! The only people who might require time in bed are those with unstable spinal fractures awaiting surgery. What can I do for the pain? Hot or cold packs often help.
Some people can get pain relief from non-prescription analgesics or anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). But no medication should be taken for an extended period of time. When should I see a health care provider? You should see your health care provider right away if:
You have severe continuous back pain that lasts longer than 48 hours. You have severe continuous back pain and fever. You have back pain with accompanying pain, numbness or weakness in one or both legs or feet. Your leg symptoms are more disabling than your back symptoms. You have back pain and the onset of numbness in your private/genital region or changes in your ability to control your bladder and bowel function.
Manage back pain with regular exercise and professional help as required If you have an attack of lower-back pain that is severe, continuous and not improving, assessment and treatment by a health care professional who focuses on the back or other musculoskeletal problems may help.
Heat or ice Ultrasound Manipulation (massage and movement)
An active approach, like walking or water aerobics is usually the most effective. Exercise is often the best way to relieve lower-back pain. Check with your health care provider before starting an exercise program. Work with an expert. It may help to work with a health professional (such as a physiotherapist) who can explain which activities are right for you.
Lifting light weights Yoga Walking and using a treadmill Water aerobics
Don’t cause more pain. Avoid exercises that flare up your back pain. But just because you may have back pain with some activities doesn’t mean you have done any harm. A trained therapist can teach you about the principle of ‘hurt versus harm’. As you begin, you may want to avoid sit-ups with straight legs, leg lifts while lying on your back and shoulder presses or bicep curls while standing.
Is walking bad for lower back strain?
A Word From Verywell – Walking is a good way to prevent and treat low back pain, with research showing that it is often better than bed rest. Check with your doctor or physical therapist first. As long as they feel it’s safe, you may find that walking regularly helps keep your low back pain at bay.
- Steffens D, Maher CG, Pereira LSM, et al. Prevention of low back pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis, JAMA Intern Med.2016;176(2):199-208. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7431
- Kim H, Min TJ, Kang SH, Kim DK, Seo KM, Lee SY. Association between walking and low back pain in the Korean population: A cross-sectional study, Ann Rehabil Med,2017;41(5):786-792. doi:10.5535/arm.2017.41.5.786
- Chenot J, Greitemann B, Kladny B, Petzke F, Pfingsten M, Schorr S. Non-specific low back pain, Dtsch Arztebl Int,2017;114(51-52):883-90. doi:10.3238/arztel.2017.0883
- Shnayderman I, Katz-Leurer M. An aerobic walking programme versus muscle strengthening programme for chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial, Clin Rehab,2013;27(3):207-14. doi:10.1177/0269215512453353
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Back pain information page,
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Low-back surgery exercise guide,
- Chen H, Wang H, Chen C, Hu H. Effectiveness of a stretching exercise program on low back pain and exercise self-efficacy among nurses in Taiwan: a randomized clinical trial, Pain Manage Nursing,2014;15(1):283-91. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2012.10.003
- Cramer H, Lauche R, Heidemarie H, Dobos G. A systematic review and meta-analysis of yoga for low back pain, Clin J Pain,2013;29(5):450-60. doi:10.1097/AJP.0b013e31825e1492
By Wendy Bumgardner Wendy Bumgardner is a freelance writer covering walking and other health and fitness topics and has competed in more than 1,000 walking events. Thanks for your feedback!
Why does my upper middle back hurt when I bend over?
Many things can cause upper and middle back pain. These include poor posture; overuse or injury of the muscles, ligaments, or discs that support the spine; a vertebra fracture; pressure on the spinal nerves from problems such as a herniated disc; and osteoarthritis.
Why does my lower back hurt when I look down?
Why Does My Middle Back Hurt When I Look Down The mid-back, specifically your thoracic spine, runs from roughly the top of your shoulders at the base if the neck, down past the bottom of where your shoulder blades would align. Pain in this region can be caused for a number of reasons but is usually linked to poor posture or referred pain stemming from an issue in the cervical spine (the neck).
- Furthermore, due to an increase in the amount of people looking down for numerous hours of the day at their smartphone, an epidemic of ‘text neck’ has led to an increase in the amount of people we see suffering from upper back pain.
- We’re exploring the main reasons why upper back pain can occur, and how to resolve these issues early on to prevent a long-term case of back pain from occurring.
It’s very common to experience pain in the upper back, usually between the shoulder blades, from time to time – long days at work can lead to many of us forgetting how important it is to maintain correct posture. Combine that with an evening watching television in bed or on the sofa perhaps with your neck propped up on a pillow, can lead to tightness developing in the trapezius muscle – this runs from your neck down across the inner part of the shoulder and down between the shoulder blades.
If you experience tightness, one of the most useful things we may feel like doing is looking down in order to slightly stretch the muscle and get some relief – but this may be contributing towards stretching an already overstretched muscle. When you lean forward, perhaps hunched forward over your desk, or rounding your back while sitting so that your neck and head are leaning in front, the trapezius muscle becomes stretched as it’s no longer in a straight or relaxed position.
While it may feel more relaxing to slouch, in reality this is actually down to those muscles becoming too weak to hold your body in the correct way it was designed to be aligned. Stretching a chronically overstretched muscle can cause pain to become more severe, not to mention the influence slouching can have on the alignment of your spine in general – which can lead to a whole host of other spinal problems to develop in the long-term.
It could also be likely that if you’re experiencing pain in your mid-back, it could be caused as a result of a dysfunction with the vertebras in the neck. If you neck is out of alignment, this can cause degeneration in the spine to occur more quickly – as more pressure is being put on delicate areas that aren’t designed to sustain the load.
By degeneration, we mean disc dehydration or reduced disc space that occurs as a result of the discs breaking down – with typical symptoms of such changes including a chronically stiff neck or neck pain. If these changes have occurred in your neck, then looking down can squash the discs, causing inflammation and pain to refer down into the mid-back. Treating where the pain is occurring in the mid-back sadly wouldn’t be enough to stave off irritation in the long-term. The only way to solve the problem in the long-term is to target the true cause. If the problem is caused as a result of muscular tightness in the trapezius, preventing it from becoming tight in the first place is the right way to go.
- It sounds overly simple, but it can be a difficult thing to master.
- The muscle is most likely becoming tight as a result of prolonged episodes of bad posture, such as a long day at the office, so the only way to fix it is to correct the posture.
- If the problem is in its early stages, then becoming aware of your posture on a regular basis can help you to keep in check with your body’s position.
Reminding yourself periodically during the day can help you to correct your posture until it becomes natural instinct. Unfortunately at first this can be uncomfortable as the muscles have weakened over time due to not being used to hold an upright, correct posture.
Why does my lower back hurt when I walk hunched over?
#3: Lose Weight – It’s not necessarily a piece of advice that people want to hear, particularly if you are in search of a quick fix to treat low back pain with walking, but if you are struggling with carrying excess weight, particularly in the abdominal area, losing weight can be one of the most effective ways to decrease back pain,
- Walking itself will certainly help you towards that goal, as any amount of physical activity will burn calories, but also focusing on eating a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and perhaps engaging in other, less painful forms of exercise may be optimal.
- Depending on your fitness level and the severity of your lower back pain when walking, you might consider adding exercise bike workouts, swimming, the elliptical trainer, or deep water exercise to your routine.
Strength training can also be a great way to burn calories, boost metabolic rate, decrease body fat, and strengthen the muscles in your legs and core, making walking all the more comfortable. Certain spinal conditions are degenerative, and there may be some amount of inescapable low back pain when walking, but in most cases, working with your doctor or physical therapist to find solutions that make walking more tolerable can be a great step towards enjoying each and every step you take,