When you hurt your back, your natural reaction might be to immobilize yourself, rather than risk triggering further instances of the severe pain. In the earliest stages of a back injury, this is the right response.
However, the quickest road to recovery includes returning to activity when it’s safe to do so. Movement and exercise can be powerful tools to help you recover from back pain.
At Westside Pain Specialists, we often include physical therapy and exercise as part of your treatment plan. This can include some forms of weight training, depending on your injury and its severity.
Is it safe to lift weights with back pain? Dr. James Nassiri and his team say yes, as long as you choose weight resistance exercises that don’t trigger additional pain.
Virtually everyone experiences back pain at some point in their lives, around 80% of the population. For the lucky ones, it’s an occasional and manageable issue brought on by overexertion or strain.
For others, it’s a chronic companion that often hovers, aggravated by:
Regardless of the causes of your back pain, staying active and mobile is usually helpful in both recovery and future prevention.
Note that sometimes, back pain stems from injuries that may need treatment and healing time before resuming activity. In particular, fractures of the spine could require a greater amount of recovery before hitting the weights. Always follow the advice and recommendations of your treating physician.
The primary goal of weight training in general is to develop muscle mass, increasing the strength and support that lean muscle tissue offers your body. Your bones and muscles work together to support your body and provide motion.
Lifting weights reduces fat content while boosting muscle endurance. This gives your skeletal system a boost, since support muscles take away some of the loads that your bones, particularly those of the spine, need to bear. Balancing the load is an important way to fight joint pain.
There are some key points to consider when you’re lifting weights with active back pain. We’ve already stressed the importance of following medical advice and ensuring there’s no physical or neurological reason to avoid weight training. There are a few more concepts you need to consider.
Your normal weight routine might not be suitable when back pain is active. Adjusting your routine under the advice of Dr. Nassiri is your best starting point to establish the right technique, type, and frequency of weight exercise.
If you’re new to weight training, start with small amounts of weight and build slowly, backing off any time a weight load triggers back pain. Experienced lifters may wish to scale down from their regular weight values and build back up.
Weight machines may add a measure of safety by maintaining form and postural support.
Adding low-impact aerobic activity is a great way to extend the benefits of lifting. Walking and swimming promote blood flow that supplies the nutrients your strengthening muscles need to develop.
It is safe to lift weights when you have back pain as long as you’re choosing the right techniques and intensities. Contact Westside Pain Specialists to develop the personal recovery plan that’s right for you.
Call our nearest office in Beverly Hills or Rancho Cucamonga, California, to schedule a consultation today.
