Lower back pain

[IcarusFlies]

I’ve had pain that started as coccyx pain postpartum when I went back to work and was sitting all day, and in the past 2.5 years has now progressed to constant back and often pelvic pain. The only advice I’ve managed to get is to strengthen my core.

If anyone else has transformed their back (I’m only 32!), what exercise do you do and how often and how long did it take to help?! At my wits’ end. I have a knee issue also (unrelated) so am a little limited by that also.

I’d image you have tight glutes! Really stretch these out, hopefully feels better in days!! I have the same!!

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/how-to-stretch-glutes#stretches-to-try

Yoga worked for me, but friend also swears by pilates

Pilates and a new mattress worked for me, where years of physio and other exercise didn't.

This video explains anterior pelvic tilt, very common after pregnancy. I had lower back pain constantly after having my DS.

I do yoga, especially exercises recommends to stretch the front of the hips, and I make a conscious effort to tuck my tailbone in and under when I’m walking/standing.

My back pain has definitely got better since I’ve been doing it consistently.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=02NnYmtsQsM

I find this particular sequence is really really good for whenever my back flares. (Just ignore the woobits if that's not you! The stretches are really good, and easy yet effective!)

Thank you so much for the quick replies! I don’t even know where to begin, but I’m going to try each of these in turn and see if anything helps.

Tight glutes, ha, you wouldn’t say so to look at me but I suppose it’s possible! The anterior pelvic tilt sounds very plausible indeed…

I used to have a really bad back pain, the physio said I had a "flat back" with very little curve. The thing I found helped a lot of exercises which strengthen, not just stretch the lower back, so like bridge, superman exercises in pilates... Also hanging from a horizontal bar (can have your toes/fee touching the floor slightly so you're not using all your arm strength) really helped to decompress the spine.

See a chiropractor, he will tell you why it is hurting and find out what is going on and give you a plan. I managed to get my chiropractor sessions on private health insurance. Mine was my glutes also, so now do Pilates and use prickle balls in the glutes, so nice 😊

I think you need to see a physiotherapist. They’ll look at your overall posture. Yes to glute stretching but also glute strengthening and hip flexor work as well.

You might look at simple mobility exercises such as lying flat on your back arms outstretched just below shoulder height . Feet flat on the floor knees bent. Let your whole back spread out over the floor.

Then, leaving your shoulders flat on the floor, bring knees to chest and roll them over to your right side while turning your head to your left. Then roll knees to left, turning your head to the right. Breathe out as you drop your knees to the floor, breathe in as you bring them back to the centre. Try to keep the whole of your shoulder girdle relaxed and sinking in to the floor.

As you develop mobility’s d flexibility, you can do it with just one knee up to your chest and keeping your opposite hip on the floor, pull your knee across your body or right knee, pull across your body with your left hand while turning your head to your right.

Have you been to an osteopath or physio?

I got a personal trainer who knew about back pain and she helped me to strengthen my core over quite a long period of time - think a year at least. But that's partly due to me struggling with consistency - I probably could have done it more quickly if I was more consistent and trained outside of sessions.

Really there is no easy way out of it - the advice to strengthen your core is the right advice. How you do it is up to you, but it will require effort and consistency over a long period.

Also, as soon as I stop exercising for a week or two, the pain comes back, so you really have to see it as a whole lifestyle change rather than a sticking plaster.

Pilates is good but if you have a weak core then you might struggle with even basic pilates classes. For me it was much better to see a 1to1 personal trainer as she gave me the right level of exercises for my body which I was able to do. A pilates class is generic and really it was too hard for me at that point, and would not have done me any good.

Yoga might help with stretching out and a bit of relief in the short term but it's not going to strengthen your core. You need to do some strength work.

I would highly recommend you see a personal trainer if you can afford it - it changed my life!

How much exercise/ movement are you doing at the moment? - That might help people know what to recommend as it could be lack of movement that is contributing to your back pain if you have a desk job.

Oh and one final recommendation - get yourself one of these (or similar) It's an absolute lifesaver for short term relief.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3100110?clickPR=plp:1:27

I was in such pain I could barely move and felt sick. I found this NHS back pain pilates video online and did it twice. In two days, the pain was gone. Can't promise the same, but definitely worth doing. The exercises are all so easy.

Oh, the link didn't work.

Apparently you have to watch it via the NHS website.

I went to the osteopath when DS was a baby in order to get walking without a limp again. After a few sessions, I realised that the pelvic/ hip pain had gone, but the limp was still there and I had to train myself to walk with a more even gait as the limp had become habit. It was a bit awkward for a couple of weeks, but I managed to get the muscles firing more evenly again.

I still go every couple of months to get realigned and deal with niggles. I also do strength work and yoga and tend to feel better the more that I do.

Definitely see a chiropractor, it has been life changing for me