Certain exercise can help relieve back pain, but others have the potential to do more damage. What are the benefits of exercise for back pain and how can it help prevent problems in the future? Hélène Hofmangets some answers from the experts
Up to 80 per cent of the population will experience a bout of back pain at some point in their life. In most cases, experts say that being active will help maintain your flexibility and strengthen your muscles, protecting you from further strains and sprains.
"Lots of people experience back pain and just get on with it," says Miriam Downey, chartered physiotherapist with a special interest in back pain at the O'Neill Sports Medicine Clinic in Dublin.
"A small percentage fear exercise and, as a result, they are more likely to develop chronic back pain. Most complain about the pain but keep going - that's the way to do it. Although there's no proof, it is very likely that activity can also protect you from future back pain," she says.
If you have experienced a sudden bout of back pain, you should wait a few days until the pain subsides and you regain mobility to begin an exercise routine. However, if back pain is a recurring problem, the sooner you get active the better.
"People shouldn't just accept back pain," says Philip Phelan, chartered physiotherapist and VHI's fitness and injury expert. "Exercise will often help but it's a very individual thing and you should check with a physiotherapist to see which ones will suit you.
"You can't just say that all exercise is good. For example, someone with back pain could go out and play tennis, which is a single-sided sport. If that's all you do you will strengthen muscles only on one side of your body. That may cause problems later," says Phelan. "A physiotherapist can help you decide on the right programme and build a good solid foundation."
High impact activity such as running, jumping or lifting should be avoided and physiotherapists often recommend exercising in water, which will take some of the weight off your joints. The front crawl can be particularly beneficial to relieve stiffness as it extends all the muscles in your back.
Exercising will also help you identify the source of pain.
"People avoid movement that is painful and may not know they've lost some movement," says Ruth McGee, chartered physiotherapist specialising in back pain. "People doing yoga or Pilates or some kind of activity are more likely to realise that than people who are inactive.
"It's important to make people aware that if they can't do something, they need to ask why and address the reasons they can't.
"Many are too quick to say, 'It's because I'm getting old' for example. Or 'it's just part of life' - it's not and it needs to be checked out," she explains.
In many cases, an exercise routine tailored to strengthen certain muscles can be the solution.
According to McGee, the most important thing is to avoid sustained positions.
"Backs love movement, so your daily and even weekly routines need to be diverse. You also need to exercise every day for about 45 minutes. Research is recommending a lot more exercise these days and with back pain you must be especially proactive."
She advises introducing simple exercises into your office routine, such as walking to the water cooler every 20 minutes, making the effort to take a phone call standing up and checking your posture against a wall.
"Walking is a good general exercise depending on your diagnosis.
"That's the most important thing: your diagnosis. If someone with an unstable back does yoga or even breaststroke, they can really do damage to themselves.
"In these cases they need one-on-one scripted exercise," she says.
"Bed rest is clearly a myth now; it does more harm than good and will really slow your progress rate. Research shows if you go back to work as early as possible you will recover faster.
"If you're active, you will get your normal life back faster," says Mc Gee.
Next week: Exercising while pregnant