Lower Back Pain? It’s Not the End of Your Workouts!

Lower
back
pain
sneaks
up
on
a
lot
of
people,
and
let’s
be
honest—it’s
frustrating.

You’re
in
the
middle
of
your
workouts,
feeling
strong,
and
suddenly,
a
sharp
or
nagging
ache
puts
the
brakes
on
everything.
The
immediate
reaction?
Panic.
“Did
I
herniate
a
disc?
Do
I
need
surgery?

Should
I
stop
working
out?”
Before
you
throw
in
the
towel,
let’s
break
something
down.

Lower
back
pain
is
NOT
a
herniated
disc
or
something
requiring
months
of
rehab.

Many
times,
the
problem
is
much
simpler—something
that
can
be
fixed
quickly,
and
sometimes
in
just
one
session
with
a
good
chiropractor.

Why
Lower
Back
Pain
Doesn’t
Always
Mean
Something
Serious

The
body
is
smart,
but
it
also
tends
to
overreact.
A
little
stiffness
or
tightness
can
trigger
a
pain
response
that
makes
it
feel
way
worse
than
it
is.
Many
people
assume
that
lower
back
pain
equals
a
herniated
disc,
nerve
damage,
or
a
long
road
to
recovery,
but
most
of
the
time,
it’s
something
much
simpler.

Common
Causes
of
Lower
Back
Pain
That
Aren’t
a
Herniated
Disc

• 
  
  Tight
  Muscles
  –
  A
  stiff
  lower
  back
  can
  result
  from
  tight
  hips,
  hamstrings,
  or
  glutes.
  When
  those
  areas
  aren’t
  moving
  properly,
  the
  back
  takes
  on
  more
  strain
  than
  it
  should.
• 
  Joint
  Restrictions
  –
  Sometimes,
  small
  joints
  in
  the
  spine
  get
  stuck,
  limiting
  movement
  and
  causing
  discomfort.
  This
  is
  something
  chiropractors
  can
  often
  fix
  in
  minutes.
• 
  Muscle
  Imbalances
  –
  If
  some
  muscles
  (like
  the
  core
  or
  glutes)
  aren’t
  doing
  their
  job,
  the
  lower
  back
  compensates,
  leading
  to
  pain
  and
  stiffness.
• 
  Nerve
  Irritation
  –
  A
  pinched
  or
  compressed
  nerve
  can
  cause
  sharp
  or
  radiating
  pain,
  but
  it’s
  typically
  not
  as
  severe
  as
  people
  think
  and
  can
  be
  resolved
  with
  adjustments
  and
  movement.
• 
  Posture
  and
  Movement
  Habits
  –
  Sitting
  too
  long,
  lifting
  with
  bad
  form,
  or
  moving
  in
  a
  way
  that
  puts
  too
  much
  stress
  on
  the
  lower
  back
  can
  create
  pain
  over
  time.

How
People
Make
It
Worse
Without
Realizing

• 
  Stopping
  All
  Activity
  –
  Many
  people
  think
  the
  best
  solution
  is
  to
  rest
  completely.
  While
  avoiding
  painful
  movements
  is
  smart,
  complete
  rest
  can
  make
  things
  worse
  by
  allowing
  stiffness
  to
  set
  in.
• 
  Relying
  Only
  on
  Painkillers
  –
  Medications
  may
  mask
  discomfort,
  but
  they
  don’t
  solve
  the
  underlying
  issue.
• 
  Ignoring
  It
  for
  Too
  Long
  –
  A
  small
  issue
  can
  turn
  into
  a
  bigger
  one
  if
  left
  untreated.
  The
  sooner
  you
  take
  action,
  the
  faster
  you
  recover.

Chiropractic
Care:
The
Game-Changer
for
Back
Pain

Chiropractic
adjustments
restore
movement
where
it’s
needed,
often
relieving
pain
instantly.
When
joints
in
the
spine
get
stuck
or
misaligned,
they
create
tension
and
inflammation.
A
good
chiropractor
can
unlock
those
areas,
helping
everything
move
freely
again.

Many
people
spend
weeks
trying
to
stretch
or
massage
their
pain
away,

when
one
visit
to
a
chiropractor
could
fix
the
issue
in
minutes.
I’ve
seen
cases
where
someone
went
from
barely
being
able
to
bend
over
to
feeling
completely
normal
after
a
single
session.
If
you’re
wondering
what

chiropractic
actually
is
and
how
it
works,
it’s
worth
learning
how
adjustments
help
realign
the
spine
and
restore
proper
function
to
the
body.

What
Happens
During
a
Chiropractic
Visit?

• Assessment
  –
  The
  chiropractor
  checks
  how
  you
  move,
  where
  you’re
  tight,
  and
  what’s
  out
  of
  place.
• Adjustments
  –
  Using
  hands
  or
  tools,
  they
  realign
  joints,
  release
  tension,
  and
  improve
  mobility.
• 
  Soft
  Tissue
  Work
  –
  Some
  chiropractors
  also
  use
  massage,
  stretching,
  or
  other
  techniques
  to
  loosen
  tight
  muscles.
• Movement
  Advice
  –
  Often,
  they’ll
  suggest
  exercises
  or
  small
  tweaks
  in
  your
  workout
  routine
  to
  keep
  the
  pain
  from
  coming
  back.

Real
Talk:
Does
It
Work?

For
many
people,
yes!
There
are
countless
cases
where
someone
thought
they
were
doomed
to
months
of
recovery,
only
to
feel
100%
better
after
one
adjustment.
Others
need
a
few
visits,
but
the
key
takeaway?
It’s
often
way
simpler
than
people
think.

Don’t
Quit
Working
Out—Adjust
Your
Approach

Staying
active
is
one
of
the
best
ways
to
recover
faster.
The
key
is
to
be
smart
about
it.

How
to
Keep
Moving
Without
Making
Things
Worse

1.
Modify,
Don’t
Eliminate

If
a
movement
hurts,
don’t
force
it—but
don’t
assume
all
workouts
are
off-limits
either.
Swap
out
exercises
that
aggravate
the
pain
for
ones
that
feel
good.
For
example:

• Replace
  barbell
  deadlifts
  with
  
  Romanian
  deadlifts
  or
  kettlebell
  swings.
• Swap
  heavy
  back
  squats
  for
  goblet
  squats
  or
  box
  squats.
• Do
  more
  hip-dominant
  movements
  instead
  of
  overloading
  the
  lower
  back.

2.
Focus
on
Core
and
Glute
Strength

A
strong
core
takes
pressure
off
the
lower
back,
and
strong
glutes
support
the
pelvis
and
spine.
Work
on:

• Planks
  (front
  and
  side)
• Glute
  bridges
  &
  hip
  thrusts
• Dead
  bugs
  &
  bird
  dogs
• Pallof
  presses
  (anti-rotation
  core
  work)

3.
Prioritize
Mobility
Work

Stiffness
typically
leads
to
pain,
so
keeping
the
hips,
hamstrings,
and
spine
mobile
is
crucial.
Some
great
ones:

• Cat-cow
  stretches
  for
  spinal
  mobility
• 90/90
  hip
  switches
  for
  better
  hip
  function
• Thoracic
  rotations
  to
  free
  up
  the
  upper
  back

4.
Move
More,
Sit
Less

Sitting
for
long
periods
stiffens
everything
up.
Break
up
long
sitting
sessions
with
short
walks
or
stretches.
Even
standing
more
during
the
day
can
make
a
difference.

The
Mental
Side
of
Back
Pain

The
worst
thing
you
can
do
is
let
fear
control
your
recovery.
Many
people
assume
the
worst,
which
keeps
them
from
seeking
simple
solutions
like
chiropractic
care
or
making
small
exercise
adjustments.

Things
to
Keep
in
Mind:

• Pain
  doesn’t
  always
  equal
  damage
  –
  Sometimes,
  it’s
  just
  the
  body
  telling
  you
  something
  needs
  attention.
• 
  Movement
  is
  medicine
  –
  Staying
  active
  (safely)
  speeds
  up
  healing.
• One
  visit
  to
  a
  chiropractor
  could
  change
  everything
  –
  Don’t
  wait
  months
  in
  pain
  before
  trying
  something
  that
  might
  fix
  it
  in
  minutes.

Final
Thoughts:
Your
Back
Is
Stronger
Than
You
Think

Lower
back
pain
doesn’t
mean
the
end
of
workouts
or
an
injury
that’ll
haunt
you
forever.
In
many
cases,
it’s
a
fixable
issue
that
just
needs
the
right
approach—some
adjustments,
better
movement,
and
a
little
patience.

So
don’t
panic.
Don’t
stop
training.
And
don’t
assume
you’re
broken.
Most
of
the
time,
the
solution
is
easier
than
you
think—you
just
need
to
take
the
right
steps.