Lower back pain can be agonizing. Without an efficient and healthy lower back, every moment spent sitting or standing can be challenging, leaving us hopelessly wondering if the pain might ever lessen or vanish. Pain from an unknown origin is also quite worrisome, since we can’t rid ourselves of it if we aren’t sure what causes it, often wondering if expensive drugs or surgeries might do the trick.
There is hope, however. Unless resulting from a serious trauma such as a break, most lower back pain can be lessened or eliminated completely and naturally by a good postural program and a regular exercise routine.
The lower back supports more weight than we may realize, especially when relaxed. During every moment spent upright, the head, shoulders and even the arms apply vertical pressure on the lower back and spine.
Much of this support is provided by the lower back’s arched inward curve toward the body. Incredibly stable structures, arches efficiently support heavy loads and, in a classic case of function following form, appear frequently in modern and ancient architecture.
Unfortunately, we often compromise this natural support in many ways that feel completely relaxed, and without even knowing we do so. We do things that pull our vertebrae out of alignment, thus reducing or eliminating the natural arch and causing back pain.
The spine’s hundreds of muscles are often not toned enough to maintain a natural posture, causing us to slouch as the weakened muscles fail to bear our weight. Sometimes we try correcting the problems ourselves without fully knowing how, without strengthening the weakened muscles and in turn straining. This creates tension, which only tires us further and makes the problem even worse.
When learning to improve your posture, you must adopt methods that help the body find a comfortable stance, one that can be maintained for long periods, and that strengthen your body so the new positions feel as normal and relaxed as did your previously inefficient posture. By teaching yourself better habits and learning to use the new posture naturally, your chronic pain will slowly diminish, or may even disappear entirely. Before long, aspects of your life that were challenging and painful will instead be natural and pain-free.
A thorough postural improvement regimen will include lower back pain exercises and must strengthen weakened and unused muscles so they aren’t easily fatigued. It should also increase muscle flexibility via stretching. Learning to relax is as important as is building strength, as unnecessary tension inhibits good posture and causes its own share of bad habits. Body awareness is the final piece of the puzzle, helping you spot inefficiencies before they develop into new habits which must be fixed again later.
All four of these elements are crucial for a good postural program. Neglecting one may seem like a fast path to improvement, but over time the aches and pains will return as your body settles into its old, familiar habits. These four principles support and re-enforce each other, working together to not only lessen existing problems, but to prevent new ones from developing later.
Better posture is not only important for pain management. It’s great for confidence as well. Those who stride through life standing straight and with heads held high are often treated with distinction, seen as inspirational. Striving to improve your posture is not only simple, but can have effects in many areas of life beyond naturally eliminating pains that may have plagued you for years. It is only a few steps away.