Chronic Low Back Pain And What To Do To Feel Better

Chronic low back pain happens to almost every one of us nowadays. It can happen to anybody even those with an active lifestyle. Some mild, while others can be quite bad. For many reasons, it’s not uncommon to experience chronic low back pain nowadays. In fact, it is almost as common as a cold we catch on every once in a while and we’d desperately do everything we can to feel better.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans experience low-back pain now and then, and that figure doesn’t justify the kinds of suffering they have to endure- either acute or chronic low back pain.

Unlike acute lower back pain (i.e. the common pain) where the pain generally lasts for less than 3 to 6 months, a chronic low back pain (CLBP) sufferer has to endure continuous streaks of pain for an unknown period.

Back pain can drastically reduce the quality of life. Many people who experience back pain become less involved in work, exercise, and social activities. Back pain, especially when it is chronic, often has a large impact on an individual’s relationships, endocrine system, and role in the family and the community. A combination of these effects, and the back pain itself can have an enormous impact on psychological health. –Virtual Medical Center 

The cause for the latter is usually unidentifiable.  The two main kinds of CLBP include:

• Chronic pain due to an identifiable pain generator caused by an injury, for example.
• Chronic pain with no identifiable pain generator; even after the injury has healed, pain persists.

While most lower back pain subsides, some didn’t. The constant pain eventually led to a lifetime of needle pricking sensation behind your lower back and that’s when your condition has officially become severe.

To date, there is not enough of substantive evidence for CLBP long term cures, until recently. Roopika Sodhi, a master of physiotherapy student from the University of Canberra hopes to discover “the long-term effects of Pilates exercise in people with chronic low back pain."

In the meantime, alternative remedies are proposed to ease and manage the pain. Pilates included.

But like any diligent practice, it takes awhile to see results, although clients should feel better within one session.

As you continue to take on Pilates as a form of alternative healing, here are a few Pilates workouts your back will thank you for.

If you’re in the Pilates studio and you have the Reformer, this is one routine you can execute:

Master Instructor Trainer Wayne Seeto demonstrates the Mid-back Series in Prone on the Cadillac / Trapeze Table from the MERRITHEW^™ STOTT PILATES^® Rehab Program.

If you’re at home, and you do not have any equipment, a mat will suffice for these moves:

Whatever your preferences and circumstances are, whether you’re working out at home or find time to hit the studio, these workouts shall be a good start for you to improve your chronic low back pain and manage your discomfort from now onwards.

Give it a go and see how it goes. After practicing for awhile, and you find that you’re unsure of these movements or need professional help, contact us and we’ll be glad to assist you.