Lower back pain can be agonizing
Without an efficient and healthy lower back, every moment spent sitting or standing can be challenging, leaving us hopelessly wondering if the pain might ever lessen or vanish.
It could be due to sciatic nerve pain, or just poor posture. Pain from an unknown origin is also quite worrisome, since we can’t rid ourselves of it if we aren’t sure what causes it, often wondering if expensive drugs or surgeries might do the trick.
There is hope, however. Unless resulting from a serious trauma such as a break, most lower back pain can be lessened or eliminated completely and naturally by a good postural program and a regular exercise routine.
The lower back carries more weight than we may realize, even when our bodies feel relaxed and appear to be at rest. The head, shoulders and even the arms apply vertical pressure on the lower back and spine during every moment spent up-right, even when we sit.
Much of this support is derived from the lower back’s inward curve toward the body , forming an arch. Arches are stable structures capable of efficiently supporting heavy loads and, in a classic case of function following form, feature heavily in modern and ancient architecture.
Unfortunately, we often unknowingly compromise this natural support in many ways that feel completely relaxed. We do things that pull our vertebrae out of alignment, thus reducing or eliminating the natural arch. If the vertebrae are improperly aligned, back pain develops.
The musculature of the spine is often not developed well enough to maintain a natural posture, causing us to hunch. Sometimes we act to correct the problems ourselves without fully knowing how, unintentionally straining and causing tension that only makes things worse.
A proper posture program
A proper posture program, including lower back pain exercises will teach your body to find a comfortable stance, one you can hold for long periods, and train your body to hold it that way. By maintaining good and efficient posture, the pain you have long experienced will slowly diminish, or may even disappear entirely. What was once agonizing will then feel relaxed and natural.
A complete postural adjustment program should strengthen disused muscles so they aren’t fatigued when assuming efficient posture. It should also include stretches to increase flexibility. Relaxation exercises are also important, as tension can also inhibit good posture and encourage developing new bad habits. Finally, body awareness is essential to identify inefficiencies before they cause new pain and introduce new problems that must be corrected later.
All four of these criteria are essential for a good postural program. Without one, you may feel better at first, but over time the aches and pains will return as your body settles into its old and inefficient routines. When combined, however, these four types of exercise support and re-enforce each other. They’ll help you to not only acquire new good habits, but to maintain them, and to prevent inefficiencies from developing.
Better posture is not only important for pain management. It’s great for confidence as well. Those who stride through life standing straight and with heads held high are often treated with distinction, seen as inspirational. Striving to improve your posture is not only simple, but can have effects in many areas of life beyond naturally eliminating pains that may have plagued you for years. It is only a few steps away.
