When we suffer an injury to an area of the body, we often try to protect the area and give it some time to heal. Oftentimes we protect our body by limiting the use of the injured area, but protecting an area and resting an area are not always the same thing. Rest may be a great option, but in many cases, controlled and protective movements actually do more good for your body than rest alone. In today’s blog, we explain why movement is key if you’re dealing with chronic back pain.
Move Your Bad Back
It’s worth noting that this is general advice for a number of common mild forms of back pain. For a treatment plan catered to your specific type of injury, seek out a specialist and get an individualized diagnosis. But if you’re dealing with degenerative disc disease, a muscle or ligament strain or back stiffness, movement may be just what you need. Here’s why.
- Increases Blood Flow – Movement helps to push healthy oxygenated blood through our bodies, which helps with the healing process. Moving and getting your heart rate up pushes more healthy blood to the structures that need it most.
- Increased Range Of Motion – Whether your discomfort derives from your inhibited range of motion, or you’re just annoyed that you aren’t as flexible as you used to be, movement exercises can help to reverse this trend and increase your range of motion. Targeted movement exercises can also help to prevent problems like scar tissue development after surgery, and it can help to strengthen injured soft tissues that are working to recover.
- Strength Improvements – Too much sitting and waiting for healing to run its course can lead to muscle stagnation and atrophy. Your body builds muscle and endurance by managing the stress that comes with physical activity, and while you still want to make sure that movements don’t put too much pressure on your spine, your spine will recover faster if it’s actively working to get stronger with movement exercises.
- Healthy Weight – If you’re not doing a lot of moving while you’re recovering from an injury, it’s easy to put on a little weight. It may not seem like a big deal, but every extra pound translates to more stress that your body has to help disperse. Movement will help play a role in maintaining a healthy body weight.
- Better Balance – Staying active and participating in movement exercise also helps to improve your balance, which is especially important for older adults. Falls can have devastating consequences, and back pain can throw off your gait and your balance. By working to correct your back pain by staying active, you’ll also be reducing your risk of injury from a fall.
So if you are dealing with mild back discomfort, stay active but avoid overstressing your spine at the same time. Movement can help drive home recovery, but only when conducted safely. For assistance with movement exercises or for a diagnosis, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
