1. Stretching
The most common types involve hugging your knees to your chest.
Ever have pain when you sit for a long time or put on socks? This stretch could be crushing the front of your disc(s)… right where it’s damaged. (1)
It feels good for 15–20 minutes because you’re relaxing tight lower back muscles. But the pain from your disc returns with a vengeance. (2) (3)
This can be a vicious cycle for the misinformed patient who thinks they’re getting relief.
Depending on your type of back pain… limiting your flexibility is likely your best way to speed recovery. (4)
2. Core Strengthening Exercises
Sit ups are the most common. The US Army ended sit ups for new recruits when it realized that it was causing 56% of training injuries. (5)
It’s not just sit ups. Many popular bending and twisting ab exercises can delaminate discs. (6)
Recent studies suggest that core endurance, not strength, is what protects our backs. (7)
This is why it’s surprisingly common to see strong guys, who have ripped abs and bench press 300 lbs, throw their backs out picking up something as light as a sock.
3. Pain Pills
They allow you to re-injure your back without knowing it… prolonging recovery.
Research suggests over-the-counter pills contribute to liver and kidney damage. (8) Prescription drugs have far worse consequences.
A better alternative is natural pain-free postures for your specific back condition. This will help give you relief while you heal.
4. Back Rollers & Backward Bends
This feels good because it expands the front of the discs where they’re normally pinched.
But it can contribute to facet joint problems for many types of back conditions. (9) (10)
You could be grinding the cartilage in the back of your spine, which is particularly bad if you’re over 40. (11)
5. Extended Rest
“Use it or lose it” rings true for our backs.
Studies show that too much rest can extend recovery times and weaken the supporting muscles that keep your spine in tight alignment.
Your discs swell up with water when you rest too long. That’s why our backs are stiff in the morning.
There are several pain-reducing strategies you’ll learn that make returning to activity much easier.
6. Ergonomic Chairs
Our backs are made to move… not to stay compressed in the same lopsided position for hours.
Many of these expensive chairs lock you into a set position, making it difficult to change sitting postures.
Poor sitting habits can contribute to degenerative arthritis, sciatica, and disc herniations.
The answer is not to simply stop slouching and pull your shoulders back.
You can’t stop sitting, but you can adopt active sitting techniques that have been shown in clinical studies to help reduce pain and disc compression. (12) (13)
7. Unnecessary Surgery
Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation followed 1,450 patients with disc degeneration, herniation, and/or nerve disease. About 50% had spinal fusion surgery while the other half did not.
Two years later, only 26% of the surgery group were able to return to work versus 67% return for the non-surgery group. In addition, 41% in the surgery group had an increase in painkillers. (14)
Mayo Clinic states, “Back surgery can help relieve some causes of back pain, but it’s rarely necessary.” (15) (16)
