Lower Back Pain Rehabilitation
11 comments| by Ryan Huxley
A major part of my job with Surfbodysoul is to rehabilitate surfers of all age and ability to overcome the effects of debilitating lower back pain.
Lower back pain is a general term used to describe a wide range of lower back injuries, from acute disc injuries to facet joint compressions. Rather than get bogged down in the technical aspects of each specific type of injury today, instead I will explore the principles of rehabilitation I use with every surfer I see with lower back pain. These principles have also been carefully considered in the creation of the Surfbodysoul program range with the purpose of keeping your lower back strong, flexible, functional for surfing, and pain free. So lets examine the factors that lead to lower back pain and how to overcome or prevent it from occurring:
Posture
Prolonged poor posture places excessive strain on the pain provoking structures of the lower back such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs and cartilage. Poor posture can occur while sitting, standing or lying. Adopting a slouched position while sitting is extremely common. A firm straight back chair will provide more support than sitting in a soft recliner or couch. The use of a lumbar roll encourages the normal curve (lordosis) in the lower back. Place the lumbar roll just above the belt line in the hollow of the back. Standing with an excessive arch in the lower back (hyperlordosis) will also place excessive stress on the structures of the lower back. When laying you need a firm, comfortable mattress. If the bed has a tendency to sag the mattress should be placed on the floor. To have your posture assessed see a trusted Physiotherapist. Alternatively contact me at ryan@surfbodysoul.com for more information.
Daily Activities
It is extremely important for me to understand the daily activities of a client and the stresses this places on the lower back. For example one of my builders may spend much of the day bending forwards, lifting and twisting repeatedly. This will place an entirely different stress on the lower back compared to a truck driver, lawyer or hospitality worker. Clients required to repeatedly perform tasks low down should lower themselves to the level required whilst maintaining as straight a back as possible. Lifting lighter loads regularly is better than lifting heavy loads. It is important to use correct technique when lifting light objects, not just heavy ones.
Surfing Technique
Poor technique when surfing can increase stress on the structures of the lower back. If you think you may fall into this category your technique can be assessed with the aid of a coach and any necessary corrections made under supervision. This is a process I am engaged in regularly with my Pro surfers. If you are in Byron Bay I recommend seeing vintage pioneer Rusty Miller, recently voted in the top 10 surf schools of the world by 'National Geographic'.
Muscle weakness
If you are fairly sedentary, surf sporadically and suffer lower back pain chances are you have generalized muscle weakness. In a fit, active surfer it is more common for me to find weakness in specific muscles or muscle groups. The gluteal (buttock), core and hamstring muscles are often the main culprits. If I do find muscle weakness I immediately prescribe Pilates conditioning exercises. Adequate buttock strength is required for pelvic control. Lack of pelvic control often leads to excessive arching in the lower back and pain.
Specific Muscle Tightness
Specific muscle tightness contributes to lower back pain. Commonly tight or shortened muscles include erector spinae, psoas, Illiotibial band, hip external rotators (outer buttock muscles), hamstrings, thighs and calves. These muscles can increase pressure and create irregular movement in the hips, pelvis, and lower back. Therefore it is essential to maintain adequate flexibility in these muscles, usually through a variety of Yoga postures and sequences.
Poor Core Muscle Control
As discussed earlier surfers with lower back pain demonstrate abnormal function and weakness in the core stabilizing muscles, particularly the multifidus and transverse abdominus muscles. As part of the Surfbodysoul assessment process I always assess the function of these muscles. If weakness is detected it is imperative to commence base level core stabilizing exercises under supervision to ensure my client is recruiting the right muscles. Only when my client can independently contract and strengthen these muscles will I add more dynamic variations to their program.
Remember this article focuses on the primary causes of lower back pain, and aims to explain the principles to overcome it. There is no broad recipe of general exercises that will absolutely cure complex lower back pain. This is why I conduct 1 on 1 assessments and Skype consults to ensure my clients get a personalized screening, with the right exercises being prescribed at the correct stage of rehabilitation.
I look forward to seeing you on the mat or in the water!
About the Author
Ryan Huxley is the co-founder and program creator at www.surfbodysoul.com, a website that provides safe, effective, holistic, scientific e-book exercise programs catering for surfers of all age, level and experience. Ryan is a qualified Physiotherapist, Exercise Physiologist, Advanced Yoga and Pilates instructor. His list of pro surfing clients includes Fergal Smith, Chippa Wilson, Anthony Walsh, Liz Clark, Paige Hareb, Paul Morgan & Rusty Miller.
Did you diagnose Paige Hareb cause of back pain ?
"I thought it was just a muscle in my back and have been to physios, chiropractors and doctors. I've pretty much had every test, but not the right ones."
Hareb said no-one had the answer so she went to Warriors rugby league team doctor John Mayhew, who diagnosed the problem straight away.
"Basically the tube that connects my right kidney with my bladder was twisted and the fluid wasn't getting through properly so it was stuffing up my kidney," Hareb said.
Lower back pain is a general term used to describe a wide range of lower back injuries, from acute disc injuries to facet joint compressions. For the improvement of muscle mass we can do some fresh vegetables as well as natural vitimins.
For many years I suffered from intense back pain which sometimes could not move. I practiced judo for more than 15 years of my life and at the end, back pain took me to all kinds of physical activity. A year ago my pains have disappeared thanks to this all-natural treatment I found on internet which anyone can do at home. At least this treatment cured me completely. Hopefully it will be helpful for you as it happened with me.
My back pain comes from the severe scoliosis I have. There's no fixing it, but I do find a lot of relief from using a back wrap called BFST (blood flow stimulation therapy). My pain bouts usually could last a good couple weeks, but now with the wrap it usually only lasts a couple days.
I think one of the best things you can do with rehabilitation is relearn how to stand and sit. Posture can attribute to much of the pain that we have in our backs, so by fixing our posture, it can really take the pressure off of those points that we use so much. Since your whole body rotates around your back, it's the most important part of your body to keep healthy.
I really like that you emphasized the importance of good posture. There are a lot of exercises that you can do in order to get rid of lower back pain. However, the easiest way to solve that issue is by sitting and standing up straight. Do you have any other pieces of advice when it comes to getting rid of lower back pain?
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that posture can have a big effect on your back. I started a desk job a few months ago, and I'm starting to have some problems with my lower back, and it's making it difficult for me to sleep through the night. I'm going to be visiting a professional to get it checked out, but I'll definitely try to pay more attention to how I'm sitting to see if that helps. Thanks for the great post!
I like that you mentioned that bad posture places and excessive strain on the pain-provoking structures. I think that if you are having back pain then you might want to fix you posture. I think that a lot of people nowadays are sitting in really bad posture most of the time. I think that if you start sitting in with good posture then you might have an easier time when a little pain comes within your back.
This was a great reminder that I need to have better posture through out the day. My back is always so sore, and I think a lot of it is my fault because of my choices in posture. It sounds like I might need to invest a better chair, so that I can work on that. Thank you so much for sharing!
I had no idea that poor posture can cause extensive damage to your back because of the strain it places on your lower back. Although poor posture is often overlooked, it seems like something to be aware of to prevent future problems from occurring. It may be a good idea to see a physiotherapist to have your posture evaluated.
How can you sort out back pains from bodyboarding on a shore break then getting smashed into the sand while you play so many other sports and are active all of the time.