Back pain: Why exercise can provide relief and how to do it safely

After many months in lockdown, a lot of us are finding that we’re experiencing back pain that we hadn’t been bothered by before. There could be many reasons for this, including increased stress during the pandemic, moving less and spending more time sat in one position.



Why physical activity works


The traditional view of how exercise helps relieve pain has focused on how exercise impacts the structures surrounding the spine—for example, by increasing the strength of the muscles in the spine and abdomen. While these ideas are supported in part by research, they don’t explain fully why exercise can relieve back pain.



These pain-relieving effects are underpinned by several interacting mechanisms—most notably the release of the body’s naturally-produced pain relief agents, such as endocannabinoids, adrenaline, noradrenaline, endorphins and serotonin—within the nervous system and via the circulatory system. These chemicals signals not only help to reduce pain directly, but have the added benefit of improving mood. This is an important benefit as the experience of pain is known to be influenced directly by one’s thoughts and feelings and by our perceived control over pain.



Get moving

Thankfully, there’s no specific type of exercise or activity needed to alleviate low back pain. The combination of physical activity (the cumulative amount of movement we get daily) and exercise—regardless of the type—can be helpful.

But this doesn’t mean you should just start running or lifting weights expecting it to cure back pain. It’s important to tailor what you do to your current abilities and build up intensity gradually to avoid injury. Most importantly, do things you enjoy and are likely to stick with—this will better help alleviate pain, and hopefully prevent it from coming back.

There are also plenty of simple ways you can move more daily by interspersing short bouts of activity throughout your day—such as walking up and down your stairs a few times every couple of hours. Try to reduce the time spent in one position, or even consider a standing desk.

Back pain is rarely caused by something serious. Typically, it’s the result of simple sprains or strains and will settle within a few weeks. Staying active and exercising are the best things that we can do—and are typically recommended over opting for injections or surgery. Even if your back pain is persistent and lasts a few months or more, increasing physical activity and exercising is one the best ways to manage it.