Category Archives: Low Back Pain

A position you’ll see in the Five Tibetan Rituals for prevention and treatment of back pain

Fanatic Cook posted some (potentially) myth-busting videos featuring Dr Stuart McGill that may challenge your preconceptions about core exercises.

He [Dr McGill] says that a flexible back or a strong back are not protective of back injury. In fact, they are associated with more injury. The muscles of the back are meant to stabilize, to prevent movement. This is true for abdominal muscles and others of the core or torso. However, since back and stomach muscles are in constant use, they need to be maintained to provide endurance.

Now I don’t feel so bad about not being able to touch my toes by bending over at the waist. I regained the ability to do that eight years ago by following the Core Performance program. But that regimen took about five hours a week—more than I wanted to invest long-term

Source: How To Strengthen Abdominals Without Injuring The Back | Fanatic Cook

Chronic low back pain patients were some of the most difficult to manage back when I had an office-based medical practice. From The Australian:

Most cases respond to simple physical and psychological therapies aimed at keeping people active and able to stay at work, according to a series of papers published in The Lancet.

Instead experts claim many back pain sufferers are wrongly being treated in hospital emergency departments, referred for scans or surgery, encouraged to rest and stop work, and prescribed powerful opioid pain killers.Co-author, University of Sydney author Professor Chris Maher said millions of people across the world are getting the wrong care for low back pain.

“More care does not mean better care. More aggressive treatments for low back pain have little proven benefit and have the potential to make things significantly worse for patients,” Professor Maher warned.

“Evidence suggests that low back pain should be managed in primary care, with the first line of treatment being education and advice to keep active and at work.”However, in reality, a high proportion of patients worldwide are treated in emergency departments, encouraged to rest and stop work, are commonly referred for scans or surgery, or prescribed pain killers including opioids, which are discouraged for treating low back pain.”

Source: Back pain being mismanaged, warn experts

I suspect back extension exercises are a key preventative measure.

One of the article’s quoted experts said it’s important to address obesity. I’m doing my best.

Steve Parker, M.D.

The Old Spartan thinks so.  If memory serves me, James Steele II is also an advocate.