07/15/09 Many people with back pain are tempted to limit their activity, fearing that a workout will make the problem worse. But a new study shows they may be better off doing more exercise, not less, to help relieve back pain.
Exercising four days a week appears to be the magic amount, according to Canadian researchers from the University of Alberta, who presented their findings at the 2009 American College of Sports Medicine conference in Seattle.
Scientists studied 240 men and women with chronic lower back pain over a 16-week period, splitting them into groups who exercised with weights two, three or four days a week. There was also a control group that did not exercise at all.
Participants in the study were doing exercises like machine leg presses, leg curls, free weight bench presses, free weight arm curls and abdominal crunches.
Researchers found that those who worked with weights four days a week had 28 percent less pain, 36 percent less disability and 28 percent better quality of life, defined as general physical and mental well being, than those who hit the gym only two or three days a week.
The level of pain decreased by 18 percent when people exercised three days a week and by 14 percent if they hit the gym two days a week. The quality of life rose by 22 percent for those working out three days a week and 16 percent for two days.
The lead author of the study, Robert Kell, PhD, an assistant professor of work physiology in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, says these results are important because there is often a fear-avoidance cycle at work with people in pain where they choose to stop moving.
“This seems like common sense because then the pain stops,” Kell says. “However, if the person proceeds along this path they become very de-conditioned or sedentary, which commonly worsens their condition over time and leads to other health problems. In order for rehabilitation to work, the person with lower back pain or arthritis needs to push through the initial pain. If they do this, the pain will generally subside over time and subside to a greater degree than if they rested.”
The doctor sent me to an orthopedic doctor.
I brought my Xrays with me. After the Ortho= doctor took some kind of Xrays, he agreed with my physicion.When I saw an image of something that looked white and straight, the doctor who knew our daughter is a Heart Transplant nurse, level 4, he asked her what she saw. She said it was my spinal cord, and it looked good. The doctor said yes, and asked my daughter what is good about it.? And she said, Mom wont have to worry about getting osteoperosis.He said my daughter was correct.
Before I started having back pain, I had fron 1996, to the year 2000, 22 laser surgeries, on and off for diabetic type two Rhetonopathy.My diabetis is in very good control. my A1C for my physical in june was 6, and the one three months before was 5.7
i take on a sliding scale of Lantus insulin, between 60 units down to 55. Any higher, or lower, I call my physicion.
I have had diabetis for 40 years.
I am thinking here, what more.??? lol
Oh, yes nearly
forgot. Another side effect that can come up, as another side effect from the laser surgeries, is Glaucoma. Guess who got it.? ME>!!
I have been taking eye drops for a few years, and then my Optomalogist was not happy with my numbers; although when I saw his partner for the first time, She said that in the twenties, mine numbers were 20=21, she said they were still in normal range.
Then, the next time I saw my own doctor, he said there was now a laser for Glaucoma. He said that it only took less then fifteen minutes, and hardly hurt. He was right, but as far as he was concerned, to keep it well under control.they had what is called a therapy for Glaucoma. Another laser, that dident hurt, and it was a piece of cake.
It worked. My points next time were 9 and 11.
Then, he put me back on the drops.those are xalaten drops, eyes doing well for now.
No heart problem. They say good heart, and lungs. I am a non smoker. I have never had a drink, of any alcohol in my life.
Crazy as it may seem, I am always being told how young I look at my age. People told me that when I was in my late twenties. I do not have a wrinkle on my face, and have a porcelon complection.
I think the arthritis in the spine, is the worst culprit pain when it reaches higher.
I miss so many things. I do what I am able, and do not do whai I Cannot.!!!!
Is there anyone you know of that can provide me with suggestions.? The patches, that the doctor prescribed, had such horrible side effects, that in the first paragraph there was stroke, yep I take hypertension pills from the age of 18. I am 5-feet9 and when we married my wieght was 115.
Now I am at 174. I lost 40 some pounds, on The Seattle Sutton salt restricted diet. They serve no red meat. Only Chicken, and turkey.
Twenty five years ago, I decided to stop all red meat. I have really done well there. But wait. When my sugar goes way down to like 60, and a few times a 47 49, and a 54. So if below 70, I will take some small pieces of the dark chocolate with peppermint. The bag is 8 ounces, and i usually have 4 ounces.
I am so sorry that I just kept going on and on.
Thank you very much for allowing my comment, although to me it seems like a paper back. lol By the way, when I read above about the avoidence cycle, oh, can I relate to that.
One of the side effects was a depth problen while walking.If there is a curb I see it 90 percent as flat. That alone in so agravating.
I went to the physical therapy for a while. I did rather well. my upper body strength has always been excellant. As I explained to the physical therapist about the balance problem, she put me on wooden wedges, and had me stand, and go left to right all alone, and I was so scared.
I continue to do the streaching exercises twice a day. my husband reads them to me, and I do them as shown on PT<>literature. It feels good after that.
The first time I did these same excercises in PT, it took 40 minutes.
Now I can do each exercise well, within 9 minutes.
But when I walk outdoors, I walk like a toddeler, and worse now because of the spinal arthritis.
I am most comfortable sitting in a lumbar chair. I enjoy the computer. listening to audio books. music is something that is secondary to breathing for me.
I find things to do that are within my limits.
Doing small things in our large home. We have had cleaning ladies for fifteen years.
I feel so sad. My husband of 50 years has been, and is still verbally abusiove to me.
I pray a lot, and that helps.
I have twin grandaughters who are 13, and I used to be so active with them..
I do go out, like to dinner with family.
I hosted a baby shower here at home for our youngest son, and aughter-in-law. She will be delivering a baby boy next month. So, there are still wonderful times, at my age, with multituds of problems.I had to downsize quite a lot. When I have a lousy ay with spinal pain, I just think of the Actor, Chris Reeves. Then I feel lucky, and say a prayer for him.
Thank you for allowing my comments.Sorry if there are typos, or other mistakes.
Regards
Noel
Noel
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