Protecting the Lower Back

Except for severe accidents, the most common case of lower back pain happens when an intervertebral disc bulges out (herniates) and presses on the spinal nerve. This bulging out of the disc is often caused by uneven compression of the disc due to excessive bending or twisting of the spine, especially when the spine is under compression. Incidentally, the bending or twisting of the lower spine is controlled by the tilt and rotation of the pelvis. Because excessive anterior pelvic tilt will cause hyperextension of the spine, and excessive posterior pelvic tilt will cause excessive flexion of the spine, the safest position is “neutral spine” which causes neither anterior nor posterior pelvic tilt. It is no surprise that some of the most effective measures for protecting the lower back involve maintaining neutral spine and avoiding excessive compression forces.
Risk factors and How to Mitigate Them
Inflexible Hamstrings and GlutealsThe hamstrings and gluteals are the primary extenders of the hip joint and most of them are attached to the pelvis. If they are too tight, they will tend to pull the rear of the pelvis downward and cause a posterior pelvic tilt. This increases the risk of injury for someone who has to bend over for any reason. In addition, tightness in the gluteals and hamstrings limit the ability to bend at the hips. This is a major problem because if someone has to pick up an object from the floor, and he/she cannot bend the hips far enough, he/she is likely to do the rest of the bending with the spine. The obvious solution is to stretch the hamstrings and gluteals regularly. Whenever stretching these or any other muscle groups, it is ideal to stretch them for at least 20 seconds.
Inflexible Psoas and Latissimi DorsiThe psoas are among the major hip flexors, while the latissimi dorsi (plural) function to pull the upper arms down by the sides. The psoas are attached to the lumbar spine and if they are too tight, they can pull the lumbar spine forward and hyperextend it. The latissimi dorsi also have attachments at the lumbar spine. If someone is reaching upward, inflexibility in the latissimi dorsi and the psoas can combine to severely hyperextend the lumbar spine. As is similar to the first situation, the obvious solution here is to regularly stretch the psoas and the latissimi dorsi.
Weakness of the Abdominal Muscles and the Spinal ErectorsThe abdominal muscles and the spinal erectors function to stabilize the spine and prevent it from bending or twisting to any excessive degree. This ability is often referred to as “core stability”, and it is a major factor in protecting the lower back. In addition, the transverse abdominals and internal obliques compress the abdomen and increase the inner abdominal pressure which pushes up on the diaphragm and takes much of the compression loads off the spine. Power lifters and other athletes who lift extremely heavy weights often use weight belts to augment this function. It is therefore clear that weak abdominals and spinal erectors allow the spine to bend and twist into abnormal positions while doing almost nothing to relieve the compression forces. Strengthening the abdominals and the spinal erectors are the obvious solutions to this problem. In addition, keeping the abdominals pulled in (also known as the “drawing in maneuver”) will activate the transverse abdominals and internal obliques. Not only will this reduce the chronic compression of the spine, but it will also strengthen these muscles and increase their resistance to fatigue.
Poor posture, Improper Working Conditions, and ObesitySpending long hours in a slumped over or hyperextended position creates chronic stress on the intervertebral discs without giving them enough rest for recovery. Obesity is also a major risk factor for lower back problems because the chronically excessive compression and bending stresses create similar conditions. In addition, the sedentary lifestyle that leads to obesity is not conducive to strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles in order to resist these excessive loads. Maintaining proper posture throughout the day is important. If your job forces you to maintain abnormal postures, then try to take regular breaks to give your back a rest. Also, an obese person would do well to go on a proper fat loss program.
There are obviously many factors which can cause lower back problems, and combining these factors will drastically increase the risk. However, there are also many things that we can do to reduce the risk. Although we can never completely eliminate the risk of lower back problems, a healthy lifestyle can certainly reduce the chances of injuries.