The Guthrie Spine Center

Returning to Normal Activity After Back Pain

If you have been experiencing back pain but are now strong enough to return to normal activity, you can now safely begin a specific, gentle exercise program to condition your body and your back muscles. This program will increase your back’s ability to help you do the things you want and need to do.

As you begin to recover, the goal is to try to prevent back problems from returning or, if they do return, from being severe. Success will depend upon two factors. The first is the condition of your protective muscles. The second is the activities you ask your back to tolerate.

Start with a simple, safe exercise such as walking, stationary bicycling or swimming to build your general stamina. If you have been inactive, you may need to begin slowly and gradually increase your activity each day. Your health care provider will make specific recommendations for safe exercises that do not stress your back. Exercise helps because it:

•Trains the muscles that protect your back.

• Conditions your whole body.

• Stimulates the body to make its own powerful painkillers.

• Allows you to do more things more comfortably.

Remember that an increase in discomfort in an already painful back is common. But safe exercises should not harm your back. Safe exercises are good for you and your back, but you may still feel some discomfort when you first start. After muscles become better conditioned, the soreness goes away.

Almost everyone experiences back or neck pain at some point in life. If it happens to you, take advantage of the Guthrie Spine Center’s multi-disciplinary approach to treating back pain. With a self-referral or a referral from another physician, Guthrie spine care clinicians can quickly assess and treat your back pain. You’ll see the first available spine care physician, whether it’s a chiropractor or neurologist, and this physician will assess your situation, recommend treatment, and follow your case. Once enrolled in the Spine Center, you’ll have follow-up visits every two weeks to assess your progress and make sure that your course of treatment is working. The Spine Center provides easy access to the care you need, and you benefit from the variety of physician specialists consulting about your case.

Building Exercise Tolerance

•Begin as soon as possible.

•Try to maintain your daily activity as close to your normal level as possible.

•Gradually build up to 30 minutes of activity without stopping.

• Once you can tolerate 30 minutes of activity, establish a target heart rate that will help you to condition your muscles, heart, and respiratory system.

•Your health care provider may recommend some specific exercises for your back.

Although your recovery may seem slow, your symptoms will continue to decrease as long as you remain active. However, your back may never feel as "young" as it once did. This happens to many of us by age 30, most by age 40, and just about everyone by age 50. Back problems often are the first sign of aging. While some people may be able to resume strenuous activity after back problems as they get older, it usually needs to be at a slower pace. Most people need to "shift gears" and make changes in goals and activities as they grow older. Even at a slower pace, exercise will help you to be able to tolerate more of your daily activities. Once you have had an activity-limiting back problem that lasts more than a few weeks, there is a 40 to 60 percent chance of having another back problem within the next few years.

However, symptoms usually are not as severe in future episodes as in the first episode.

Your health care provider may have suggested ways to modify your daily chores to reduce the chance of irritating your back. Such changes at home or work are usually temporary. They are intended to give you time to improve the condition of your protective back muscles so that you can resume most normal activities.

This information is reprinted from:

Bigos S, Bower O, Braen G. et al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December 1994.