“Back Pain Remedies: Walk More”

Looking for a cure for lower back pain? Chronic low back pain got you down? Want to help your chiropractor or therapist ?

Take a walk.

Walking is great exercise for the lower back. Each step uses the lower back, butt and abdominal muscles to keep them fit.

How to walk more:

• Park further from the store when shopping
• Park further from the office at work
• Take a walking lunch
• Get the family out for an evening walk after dinner
• Go to a mall on a rainy day
• Take your poodle out for a stroll
• Go to the zoo
• Or an amusement park

When NOT to walk

• When you have sciatica
• When you can’t comfortably stand straight
• When walking causes more than minor discomfort for your back
• When it’s too hot
• When you have back spasms

By adding extra walking minutes each day, you are conditioning your core muscles that support your back. This will lead to increased strength and endurance which has been shown to reduce back pain.

Cause of Lower Back Pain: Bulging Disc Herniation

Intervertebral discs are “spacers” between the spinal bones. They provide room for the joints to move allowing flexbility of the spine. They also provide room for the nerves to exit from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.   

Discs are usually filled with water and are quite flexible, almost rubbery. Due to lifting injuries, repeated physical stress, automobile accidents, etc the outer disc fibers (annulus) become damaged allowing water to escape from the disc. In time, the disc become more and more dehydrated and beghins to weaken. Just like a car or bicycle tire that’s sidewall is weak, a bulge forms. The bulge may put pressure within the canal that nerves pass through causing not only back pian, but also butt, thigh, leg or foot pain (sciatica).

The disc bulge may worsen and the outer fibers may actually tear open and allow inner disc material (nucleus) to protrude outward (herniation) into the nerves or spinal cord. In most instances, a herniation like this will cause back pain and sciatica, but also serious physical signs such as loss of muscle strength in the legs, shrinking of leg muscles (atrophy) and/or loss of reflexes. See video tutorial of disc herniation here: http://www.CureForLowerBackPain.com

Diagnosis of disc bulge and herniation are by careful phsyical examination and confirmed conclusively on MRI scan. Plain x-rays will NOT show disc bulges or herniation. A seemingly normal x-ray may show up as a severe herniation on MRI.