Back pain is one of the most common civilisational diseases of our time. You’re stuck in front of the computer all day, then you’re stuck in traffic in the bus or car, eager to get back in the armchair and watch your favourite TV show… Your physical activity level is close to zero… you don’t exercise, you don’t do yoga, you don’t work out. Yet you wonder why your back is starting to hurt. And the more you rest, the more it hurts… It’s all due to weakening of the spinal muscles. The pain makes you move less and less, which weakens the muscles even more. You’re in a vicious circle. The good news is that there is help!
The role of the spinal muscles
Healthy and strong spinal muscles are largely responsible for a straight posture and pain-free posture. If they’re strong and trained enough, they’ll hold your weight, keep your vertebrae from stacking up and pushing on nerve exit points and causing pain.
When these muscles weaken, spinal curvatures increase and the nerves between the vertebrae that are close together get “pinched” in the gaps between the bones.
Severe pain develops. This causes the spinal muscles to tighten reflexively. If the pain persists, the muscle stiffness increases. Over time, the muscle itself starts to hurt.
It’s a vicious circle: root pain and stiff muscles “bidding” on each other to increase your pain.
How can back pain be eliminated?
There are little things that can help. For example, changing your sitting position at work. Adjusting your chair correctly, raising the monitor to eye level, etc. can reduce strain. However, this is not a solution to muscle weakness.
Also, pain medication is a pipe dream! Medication does nothing to eliminate weakness in the muscles that support the spine. That’s why the pain comes back as soon as you stop the medicine. Moreover, taking painkillers for a long time has been proven to cause side effects! They can cause gastrointestinal complaints, stomach acidity, stomach ulcers, even stomach bleeding and bone marrow damage in severe cases. You should consider using it!
Regarding lower back pain and lumbago.
The solution is very simple: strengthen your spinal muscles!
Regular back-strengthening gymnastics and physical activity are the real medicine. They only help in the long term if used regularly. However, you can only start exercising once the acute pain is gone.
Therefore, in the days after the onset of back pain, you can benefit from muscle stimulator devices. The stimulator relaxes and also strengthens the affected muscles.
The effects of the muscle stiffness relieving treatments are felt immediately. However, strengthening the muscles of the spine takes time. After 2-3 weeks of treatment, you will start to feel the improvement. Expect real results after 8-10 weeks of persistent treatment (this requires at least 30-40 minutes of stimulation once a day).
In a few weeks you can achieve such a good effect that you can gradually start to take up physical activity. Attention! If you neglect exercise and muscle strengthening, your muscle strength will quickly decline and your symptoms will recur. So it’s worth maintaining muscle strength – it will help you to stay symptom-free for longer.
If you are prone to back pain, regular exercise (such as yoga) should be part of your life.