Protecting the Back

At some time in their lives, virtually everyone is going to sustain a back injury. It can range from an everyday muscle strain to a larger problem like a herniated disc. Why are low back problems such a common malady? Just as there are many reasons for the injuries, there are also many ways to prevent them.

Something that many people don't consider is that from an evolutionary standpoint, we are not too far evolved from walking on all fours and using our arms to help with locomotion. As we mature as a species, the genetic traits that help us survive will outlast those that don't. Throughout evolution our vertebrae and pelvises have gotten wider and thicker to support upright posture, and our muscles have adapted. But we're not perfect yet-it stands to reason that we will encounter some challenges along the way.

Also consider that whereas our lives used to be highly active and physical, now we are quite sedentary. In the early years of human development, we had to hunt and gather our food and roam the countryside looking for food and shelter. Now we sit in the car and drive to the grocery store for a microwavable meal that we eat while sitting on our comfy couch watching television. We have gone from a life in which existing was the only exercise we needed (or had time for) to a culture in which we actually hire people to whip us into shape in our spare time.

If we haven't used them, our muscles become deconditioned; sometimes they even have a hard time fighting gravity. Our abdominal and low back muscles are sometimes called postural muscles, because their primary job is to fight gravity and keep us upright. But we have to consciously perform isometric contractions of these muscles to make our posture perfect. If we don't, we slouch. This improper posture leads to overly lengthened back muscles, shortened abdominal muscles, muscular fatigue, and injury (especially if you are calling on these muscles to do hard work like picking something heavy off the floor or playing 18 holes of golf). What if you don't keep these muscles tight throughout your strength-training sessions, even if you are not working specifically on them? If they are not strong enough to provide support during unloaded situations, then loaded situations become a recipe for disaster.

Body mechanics is how you use your body in all situations, from sitting at the computer, to playing with your children, to lifting weights. Injuries rarely occur when you use excellent technique and optimize your body mechanics. With good technique, it is impossible to lift more weight than your body is capable of lifting or to perform so-called cheating movements that could result in injury. Using your back as a lever when you are reaching down to pick something up, as opposed to bending at the knees and letting your strong thigh muscles take the burden, puts enormous pressure on the intervertebral discs and the long, thin spinal erector muscles that are not designed to withstand such forces. Repeatedly bending over from the back, day after day, is usually the cause of herniated discs. That bent-over position puts so much pressure on the low back discs that eventually they fracture and spill out into the spinal column, where they impinge on other tissues and nerves.

Finally, you must be aware of your body weight and how that weight is distributed. Is it any wonder that pregnant women complain of low back pain? They are carrying extra weight directly centered over their abdominal region. In order for their bodies to maintain a normal upright posture, they have to shift their center of gravity. This adjustment forces the low back into constant hyperextension, shortens the muscles, and impinges the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. The same holds true for any extra weight that we hold on the belly, so take care to keep your midsection trim.

The bottom line in preventing low back injury is this: Stay active; stay strong, especially in the core; stay aware of your body and the way you use it at all times (i.e., use your legs to lift); and stay lean.