It is now almost universally recognized and accepted that sport is not only a physical activity, but also a mental healing.
Because the endorphins and serotonin hormones released during sports make you feel happy. However, some mistakes or incorrect movements during exercise can cause more harm than good.
Low back pain caused by incorrect movements is one of the most common such problems. Since the lumbar region is the center of gravity of the body, any pain that may occur here affects the whole body in general.
Therefore, prevention of low back pain during sports activities is of great importance.
What is Low Back Pain?
Low back pain is pain that is felt as aching, hurting, burning or stinging, sharp or blunt. In some cases, its location can be pinpointed, while in others it is scattered and not easily identifiable. It can be light or heavy, it can exhibit ups and downs.
The pain may originate from bone, cartilage, muscle, joint capsule, ligament, disc or vessel and the exact cause cannot always be established. In some cases, the pain may persist even after the underlying cause of the pain has disappeared because the nerve endings that were once stimulated continue to send signals. Stress is also an important cause of low back pain, which can make it difficult to identify the source.
Low back pain, no matter from which tissue it originates, can cause problems such as leg pain, numbness, warmth and incontinence if the related tissues are displaced or enlarged and thickened and become compressive on the nerves.
What are the Causes of Low Back Pain?
The load on the nerves in your spine or the discs in your lower back during sports is among the first causes of low back pain. In addition, excessive force on the tendons and muscles or excessive tension on the ligaments can also trigger low back pain. The lower back is most exposed to these strains during weight training.
Factors such as lifting more weight than the body can carry or is ready for, prolonged weight training, lifting the weight incorrectly, etc. can cause aches and pains in the lower back. Combined movements without warming up can also cause pain in the lower back.
For example, repeatedly bending forward and sideways, straining the lower back while bending backwards, and twisting put strain on the muscles in your lower back. In stretching-based sports such as Pilates, yoga and the like, not settling into the movement correctly or straining muscles that are not sufficiently stretched beyond their capacity can also cause low back pain.
Relationship between Low Back Pain and Activity
It is generally believed that one should avoid daily activities and spend time lying down. However, especially in acute pain, it is recommended to stay active ‘as long as tolerated’. Continued activity improves blood flow, reduces inflammation and muscle tension.
People often report feeling better after simple cardio exercises such as walking. Activities such as weight lifting, competitive and contact sports should be avoided.
Cold or hot application will be useful in different situations. Hot application can also increase muscle relaxation. However, the contribution of these practices to long-term recovery has not been fully demonstrated.
Ways to Prevent Low Back Pain
- One of the most important ways to prevent back pain is not to overexert your body and to know the limits of your body. The waist should not be loaded more than it can carry and the waist should not be strained too much.
- Warming up before training and stretching afterwards can significantly reduce physical pain. Just like a car, speeding up without warming up or stopping without slowing down can damage the whole body, especially your back and neck
- If you are following a training program aimed at increasing muscle mass and body strength, starting with simple exercises, progressing to more difficult ones as your muscles develop, and gradually increasing your sports routine will prevent damage to your lower back.
- Using the right equipment during sports and, most importantly, choosing the right shoes for the training you will do will make you more comfortable.