Realistically.....
How long does it take to see improvements with low back pain?
It depends on severity, adherence to a program of exercise and external factors or lifestyle strategies that are put into place to work on.
Exercise is the go to strategy along with lifestyle modifications to intervene as soon as possible to break the cycle of pain.
Often it is inactivity that caused the discomfort or pain in the first place..... weakened muscles, weakened core region, sustained awkward posture and so on.....
Multiple issues can also be at play such as being overweight, being stressed or anxious, repetitive patterns of movement, awkward angles, being in a sustained position for long periods of time..... underactive muscles, overactive muscles..... spasms.....
The body needs to be 're-grounded' or 're-balanced' to begin improving. There is no point diving into an exercise program without knowing where the pain is, what is it like? Is it worse at night? Is there something you can think of that triggers it?
We look at your pain level, we re assess several weeks down the line to mark any improvement.
Sometimes low back pain can be mild such as stiffness or ache and some clients have never had a medical diagnosis because they've admitted themselves to me..... they need to do some exercise. They know the answer having been physically active in a previous life so to speak.
They may have an ache or a muscle twinge with no warning flags that would prompt me to refer them to their doctor. 👈
They simply want to counteract the daily posture in prolonged positions for example.
Other cases however are more serious with high pain levels, intricacies of medication side effects..... and strengthening can be the order of the day post surgery as another example. In some cases we have a 'pre hab' situation where a surgeon may require muscles to be strengthened prior to surgery. Why?
To aid the healing process post surgery. Each individual is different, and therefore an assessment is a basic requirement before exercise.
Low back pain can be anywhere from the costal margin (lower ribs) to the gluteal folds (top of thigh area) with many contributing issues. Chronicity (longer than three months) is the enemy here..... so back pain is best 'tackled' soon as possible.
There is often a fine line sometimes with what has to remain in the 'medical arena' as oppose to what a program of appropriate exercise can typically deal with effectively.
Assess.
Re-balance.
Re-build.
Any queries? Don't hesitate to get in touch.
info@grahamfit.com