Exercise + back pain

[Kaloki]

Anyone here have back problems and figured out a way to get exercise done?

Hopefully next month I'll be going to a back pain clinic which should at least give me some help. But for now, I've got such limited mobility that I'm putting on weight at a horrible rate (despite eating healthily) which is not helping me feel any better.

It's driving me nuts, I'd just got down to my ideal eight before my back went wrong. Any ideas/recommendations?

how about swimming - are you able to do that with your pain?

I can't actually swim. I was thinking that maybe aqua aerobics or something, but have no idea how my back would react. It's such a delicate balance between good exercise and bad exercise right now

that's a shame. I have scoliosis so alot of running & aerobics aggravates my back but swimming is great. I would have thought aqua fit would be fine as the water will support your back to a certain extent. Have you got a gym ball? You can do abs ex for example lie on your back with legs straight out on ball, feet apart, lift bum off floor - use your abs to do it, hold 3 secs & release

That sounds like a good idea actually! Though I'll probably skip using a ball, and lie on a cushion, so my upper back is supported (it's my upper back that is a pain)

I do yoga, and there are people in my group (icl. me) with various physical limitations. I've also heard others recommend pilates (don't have personal experience but might be worth a look). I also do aqua fit and find it very good.

I used to do yoga, but find I can't do the stretches now. Which is gutting because I found it helped with depression too, and just generally gave me more energy. Pilates sounds good though, it's less about stretches isn't it? Or am I just confusing myself?

Kaloki - its a chicken and egg thing but your extra weight will aggravate your back pain and excercise will help you lose weight. That was my experience anyway - even 2 stone overweight was enough to aggravate an old back problem.

What I found a big help was talking to one of the trainers at my local gym. I told him that I had back problems and he showed me a safe way to do back excercises. Most importantly he told me strengthening both my back and my abdominal (stomach) muscles gav me core strength that stabilised my back. That then allowed me to do more aerobic excercise and that helped me feel fitter, eat less as it stabilised my blood sugar and I started losing weight. Changed my diet too.

An excercise mat, a fitness ball, a sponge block under my neck and some simple instruction for an hour was all I needed.

Long slow process but it worked.

Just had another thought, a physio told me about a scheme where you can get an exercise referral, through your GP, and you can get advice and cheap gym sessions with exercises tailored to you by a physio. Might be worth asking your doctor about.

Think you really need to talk to a physio or other specialist before starting any exercise as sometimes it can make things worse.

I had back problems last year and my physio was quite prescriptive about what exercise I should and shouldn't be doing. Strangely, my local pilates class made my back much worse. Anything too high impact was definitey out as was using weights - at least til it got better.

Any chance you could pay privately to see a physio sooner than next month?

"its a chicken and egg thing but your extra weight will aggravate your back pain and excercise will help you lose weight. That was my experience anyway - even 2 stone overweight was enough to aggravate an old back problem."

Oh I know, it's so frustrating!

That sounds good KurriKurri!

I can't unfortunately Doozle, on benefits and moving house so money is tight as possible right now. Hopefully my appointment will come through soon, I was seeing a physio a few months back, but she was completely bemused by my weird back. So had no advice.

I'm hoping that I can go to the back pain clinic and ask them which suggestions on here will actually help my back.

if you buy one of those large balls and rock your pelvis backwards and forwards whilst holding tummy flat and doing pelvic floor exercise it helps strengthen the inner core muscles which support your back. DS2 has a back injury from sport and i have a lower back injury from a car crash ( 3 squashed discs L4,L5 and S1) I do the same exercises.

Strongly recommend swimming - it's never too late to learn! I have history of chronic disc prolapse, surgery has been suggested but I have declined (too scared) and a big part of my conservative treatment plan is loads of swimming. Currently swim 3 miles + a week, keeps me sane and fit and I swear it was when I stopped swimming whilst on holiday that prompted my last disc prolapse (nothing medical to back this up, just my hunch!)

Good luck, hope you find something that suits.

Pilates exercise will strengthen your core muscles in your trunk which helps support your back

and

We've just bought an inversion table which is proving to be fantastic at relieving the pain and allowing more movement.

Is the back pain clinic the one at the Royal Sussex? They were really good with me and showed us all kinds of exercises that do help if done regularly. BUT these weren't the kind of thing that would help weight loss - too slow and gentle (apart from getting you back to a stste where you can do other exercise). Really recommend this book ((www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Keys-Back-Sufferers-Bible/dp/0091814944/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=12623 56601&sr=8-1-fkmr0)).

Tha would be www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Keys-Back-Sufferers-Bible/dp/0091814944/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1262356601&sr= 8-1-fkmr0