Spine Docs Are Sharing The 1 Thing They’d Never Do If They Already Had Back Pain, And It Makes So Much Sense

Instead of a BLT, follow Jenkins’ personal method for lifting instead:

• Directly face what you’re lifting instead of turning or twisting toward it. Then shuffle around to adjust, still facing forward and keeping your spine straight.
• Use your legs — not your back — to lift, and engage the abdominal muscles at the same time.
• When picking something up off the floor, stabilize yourself. Put your hands on something nearby if you can, and put one leg out straight behind you, which will reduce the amount that your spine bends.

Engaging your core is key to protecting your back. The core muscles, namely the abdominals, work with back muscles to stabilize the back itself, Jenkins explained.

“Muscles opposing from both the front and the back give a balance of support, and they prevent any and all of the spine levels from moving too much when a force is applied to them,” he said.

He recommended that back pain sufferers keep their back and abs as strong as their body will allow.

“I find that my back tends to hurt less when I do my core exercises regularly,” he said. “Sometimes if I have forgotten for a week or so, my back will remind me. And then once I start doing the back exercises again, I feel better.”

Core moves like plank variations, bridges, and dead bugs are all stabilizing exercises you can try. These might be done on your own, or with the help of a trainer or physical therapist, depending on the extent of your injuries and pain.

You can engage your core far beyond the gym for extra stability and protection, though, especially if you find yourself in a BLT-type situation. Simply contract your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button toward your spine. With practice, it might even become a natural posture for you.

“If you are lifting, keep the load close to the core and use the legs,” said Dr. Meredith Warner, an orthopedic surgeon, an author, and the founder of Well Theory. “One way to help your back out is to get strong quadriceps muscles. This allows you to use your legs to lift more easily.”

She added: “For loads a bit away from the core that must be lifted off a floor, putting a leg behind you as a counterbalance helps, too. This works if one has balance, obviously.”

Twisting by itself is a natural motion for the spine and critical to human function, she noted.

In addition to the back and abs, consider adjacent muscles that you need to strengthen.

“Hip strength is important as well,” Warner said. “Strong hips can take some stress away from the lumbar muscles.”

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