Back Pain

QUESTION: I have started having some low back pain after changing my exercise routine. The pain is not limiting but aggravating. What should I do?

ANSWER: Low back pain is most commonly due to muscle strain. Most commonly, ruptured discs cause more leg pain than back pain. It is possible, if the muscles in your lower back are in spasm, that you will notice some tingling into your leg or legs. Your back pain is probably secondary to increased demand on your hip or back muscles from the exercise. It is possible that you may not be doing the exercise correctly and are putting undue stress on your back.

First, you should decrease the intensity of your workout and stop any portion of your workout that seems to aggravate your back while performing it. Second, be sure you are doing the exercise correctly. Third, check your hamstring (muscles in the back of your thigh) tightness. Hamstring tightness results in increased stress on the lower back with any forward bending. If you are tight (most of us are), begin a more deliberate stretching regimen to improve your flexibility. Fourth, work on your abdominal strength through sit-ups and other exercises that do not stress your back.

If your back pain worsens or if you do not see improvement in four to six weeks, check with your physician.

WRITTEN BY: Brent M. Johnson, M. D.