Lower Back Pain
By Daniel Jang
Lower Back Pain
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Are you suffering from lower back pain? There is a high chance that you are not alone. Lower back pain has a lifetime prevalence of 84% in the general adult population across the globe. It is also one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions in Australia that affect not just older people but younger people as well. It is safe to say that learning about lower back pain might be a worthy investment.
Contributing Factors
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There are many anatomical structures that make up the lower back, including nerves, muscles, ligaments and tendons that could potentially be a source of pain. Individuals have varying symptoms - some people might feel a band like pain/tightness across the whole lower back while other people might feel it more to one side, deep in the back, in/near a spinal joint or even into the glutes and hips.
What external factors might be contributing to lower back pain? Although the conversations around high levels of lower back pain and a sedentary lifestyle are being debated there are studies showing that a sedentary lifestyle including prolonged sitting time and especially driving time were significant risk factors for lower back pain in adults.
Things that can help
Starting simple, try breaking up sitting time for your lower back. One study tracking desk workers found breaking up sitting time lowered disability scores and had a small to moderate affect in decreasing pain as well. One pro tip is to set reminders on your laptop or PC for you to break up your sitting time with a short walk. Getting up from your seat at least every 50minutes and having a 10 minute break is recommended.
If that is difficult to accommodate a short walk around the office or/and standing at your desk for a few minutes could be done instead. If you absolutely can not get up from your seat there are a few exercises that can help off-load your lower back and help prevent your lower back muscles from getting overused, fatigued and sore.
Some exercises you can do from the convenience of your seat.
- Gentle pelvic rocks in sitting
- Trunk rotation in sitting
- Lat stretch on desk
- Hamstring stretch in chair
Some exercises if you have access to a mat or floor
- Cat/camel
- Knee rock
- Bird dog
- Thread the needle or bow and arrow
It might also be worthwhile to optimize your work space, such as have your monitor screen at optimal height, have a chair with good lumbar support and make sure you aren’t slumped forwards in a neural tension position(for more pro tips feel free to check this blog on workplace ergonomics https://www.synergyhealthgroup.com.au/ergonomics).
Hopefully after this short blog you feel a bit more confident staying on top of your lower back pain.
If you have tried a few things and your lower back still doesn’t quite seem 100% it would be wise to get it checked by a qualified health professional for any underlying problems.
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​​​Need some help relieving that lower back pain? Or getting the right exercises to help improve the condition of your spine and muscles? Daniel is ready and waiting to help you with your recovery. If you would like to make an appointment, click here to make an online booking, or call (07) 3211 8775 to speak with our friendly reception staff.
