Why exercise can relieve back pain? Contrary to many people’s beliefs that physical activity can exacerbate low back pain, exercise, and physical activity usually help relieve low back pain.
After months of living at home, many of us find that we have back pain that we did not have before. There can be many reasons for this; These include increasing stress during dating, less mobility, and spending more time in one position.
You may think that you should rest if you have back pain, But exercise can help relieve pain and protect you from future back pain. This is because our spine is designed to move, bend, and lift, and these activities keep our bones and soft tissues strong and flexible.
Why exercise can relieve back pain?
Regular exercise helps to improve strength, endurance, and flexibility, and helps us get through acute back pain sooner; This is why physical activity is widely recommended as one of the ways to manage back pain.
Why physical activity is effective in relieving low back pain
Exercise and physical activity are widely recommended for people with pain, But researchers are still researching how and why it works, and want to determine how much exercise is best for relieving pain.
The traditional view of how exercise helps relieve pain focuses on the effect of exercise on the structures around the spine. For example, exercise is said to help reduce pain by increasing muscle strength in the spine and abdomen.
These ideas are supported in part by research, But they do not fully explain why exercise can relieve back pain. There is growing evidence that exercise leads to beneficial changes in some functions of the nervous system.
Exercise directly affects how we experience pain by reducing our sensitivity to harmful stimuli. In a study of painless adults, a period of intense aerobic exercise (such as cycling or running for 15 minutes) was able to produce these pain-relieving affects approximately 30 minutes after exercise.
The pain-relieving effects of exercise are the result of several interacting mechanisms, the most important of which is the release of the body’s natural analgesics such as endocannabinoids, adrenaline, noradrenaline, endorphins, and serotonin. These chemical signals not only directly help reduce pain, but also have additional benefits in improving mood. The latter is an important advantage; Because the experience of pain is directly affected by the thoughts and feelings of the person and his sense of control over pain.
Another key mechanism that is thought to play a role in reducing pain involves the formation of new and useful connections within the nervous system. This process is called neural flexibility. These structural changes in the nervous system are slower than the chemical changes that occur as a result of exercise, But it is thought to reduce pain in the long run.
The search for the exact mechanism that causes the soothing effects of exercise to continue; But the good news is that exercising helps activate these pain-relieving effects, even when there is pain.
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Fortunately, no special exercise is needed to relieve back pain. A combination of physical activity (the sum of the movements we do daily) and exercise (regardless of the type) can be helpful.
Of course, this does not mean that you should immediately start running or lifting weights to treat low back pain. You need to adjust the activity to your current abilities and gradually increase its intensity to prevent injury.
Most importantly, do activities that you enjoy and are more likely to stick to. This will help reduce pain better and can prevent recurrence of low back pain.
There are also many simple ways you can increase your daily activity; For example, go up and down stairs every few hours. Try to reduce or even use a standing table when lying down.
Low back pain is rarely caused by a serious problem. This discomfort is usually the result of simple sprains or strains that resolve within a few weeks. Being active and exercising is the best thing that can be done and is a priority over medication or surgery. Even if your back pain is persistent and lasts for months or more, increasing physical activity and exercise is one of the best ways to manage it.
