You’re lucky if you haven’t suffered a backache recently. It’s common…make that very common.
In any three-month period, 25% of adults will suffer at least one day of back pain. Over the course of a lifetime, about 85% of us will experience back pain at some point.
My story: As a spinal surgeon and a former back pain sufferer, I’ve examined this malady from all angles. What I have discovered is that contrary to our culture of “pop a pill” or “go under the knife,” the best course of action starts with discovering your “hidden” core.
If I told you that you needed to strengthen your core, you might assume that means doing crunches to work on your abdominal muscles, or abs. While washboard abs are the most visible and easily trained part of your core, they are only part of a larger muscle group that makes up the core.
In fact, strengthening your abs without also working on your hidden core can make back pain worse. That’s because unbalanced core muscles cause an unstable spine.
The muscles you don’t see: Your core is a group of muscles that encircles your midsection—front, sides and back. And most of the muscles lie deep inside your body—hidden from view. Taken together, these muscles form an internal brace around your spine, holding it erect, protecting it from damage. In order to reduce or limit back pain, you need to strengthen all your core muscles equally.
The workout I’ve developed targets all the inner muscles that make up your body’s natural support system. Don’t worry—even if you’re not in great shape, you can start by doing the exercises at your own pace. However, do each of the exercises below so that you’ll strengthen all the muscles equally to keep your spine in balance.
Here’s the drill: Perform the exercises three times a week…and focus on maintaining proper form. Even if your back is aching, do the exercises if you can—they often give some immediate relief and help prevent future flare-ups.
Give it time: It may take three to four weeks before you notice significant pain reduction.
Important: These exercises can be safely done by most people, but check with your doctor first. See your doctor right away if you have back pain and severe leg pain (a sign of sciatica) or you have a history of cancer (back pain could be a sign that cancer has spread).
Exercise 1: Front plank. This exercise focuses on the muscles at the front of the core—the rectus abdominis (the abs) and the transverse abdominis—and the obliques, which are on the sides of the core.
What to do: Start by lying on your stomach on a carpet or mat. Place your hands on the floor at about the level of your ears, with your elbows bent and close to your sides.
Slowly lift your body off the floor using just your forearms and rising up on your toes. Your elbows and hands should remain on the floor. Keep your back straight by contracting your front abdominal muscles. (If you cannot lift your body as described, try supporting your lower body from your knees rather than your toes.)
Breathe normally…and hold the position for 10 seconds. As you are able, increase the amount of time you hold the position. A minute is a good goal for most people.
Exercise 2: Side plank. This strengthens the sides of your core—the internal and external obliques.
What to do: Start by lying on the floor on your right side, with your feet together. Prop yourself up on your right elbow, with your right hand and forearm flat on the ground and your forearm perpendicular to your body. Put your left hand on your left hip. Contract your abdominal muscles, and raise your hips off the floor until your back is straight.
Breathe normally, and hold the raised position for 10 seconds. As you are able, increase the amount of time you hold the position to 60 seconds. Repeat on your left side.
Exercise 3: Birddog. This exercise strengthens the back muscles that support your spine, including the multifidus muscles and the erector spinae muscles.
What to do: Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists below your shoulders (hands facing forward) and your knees below your hips. Stabilize your spine by tightening your abdominal muscles.
Simultaneously extend your right arm straight forward and your left leg straight back until both are parallel to the ground. Remember to keep your back and neck straight, without sagging or arching.
Hold this position for two seconds, then return to the starting position. Repeat, using the other arm and leg. Do the cycle five times. As you are able, increase the amount of time you hold the position each time for up to 10 seconds.
If you have back pain, you’ve likely been advised to do only low-impact aerobic exercises and avoid running. I disagree. After years of examining runners, I noticed that their disks (and spines) tend to be healthier than those of nonrunners. Unexpected, right? But it makes sense.
All weight-bearing exercises stimulate bone cells so that the bones themselves become stronger. Similarly, disks also improve with high-impact exercise—the cells that make up the gel of a disk proliferate, retaining more water and becoming “fuller,” which cushions the bones of the spine, reducing pain.
If you want to try running (and it doesn’t cause you knee or hip pain), start slowly. Walk for one mile—and three times during that walk, run for 20 to 30 seconds. Thereafter, double the number of times you run until you’re running more than walking. Try to work up to at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
