Modifying the way you walk to decrease lower back muscle activity is an excellent self- treatment method for relieving lower back muscle strain pain and assist in healing. Learning this subtle, yet powerful walking technique can instantly relieve pain, spasm, and speed up recovery.
The erector spinae muscles of the lower back are often the prime muscles to tear or strain due to repetitive overuse, lifting, or a traumatic slip or fall. Spasm often results as the body attempts to protect these lower back strained muscles from further damage.
Unfortunately, spasm or tightness is often more than needed and is the cause of more pain than the actual damage from the torn muscle fibers and resultant inflammatory process. Low back sufferers often attempt to ease this pain by stretching, which if done too vigorously can only encourage more protective spam, tightness and pain. Learning how to de-activate these erector spinae muscles is often the best approach to ease pain and reduce the excessive immobility of muscle guarding in a lower back or lumbosacral muscle strain.
Walking with different muscle recruitment patterns provides an easy and effective way to accomplish this relaxation of the erector spinae protective tightness in a lumbar strain. The technique is as follows.
Gently tilt your pelvis into a posterior tilt position by tucking your tailbone down and under (trying to tuck it between your legs as a dog does when scared). Your pubic bone will move upward at the same time. This will begin to flatten the natural arch in your lower back. Determine the proper amount of tuck-under by the amount that makes your lower back muscle strain feel the best. Next, add a slight increase in abdominal muscle tension (as if protecting your stomach from a punch to your abdomen). Typically, a slight amount of abdominal tension is sufficient (10-20% of maximal tension), but occasionally with a very protective spasm, more tension will be needed. You will know the perfect amount of tuck- under pelvic tilt distance and abdominal tension by what makes your lower back feel the best at any given time.
Hold this pelvic tilt and abdominal tension as you focus on tightening your buttocks during walking. The buttock should be engaged on the weight bearing leg just before your foot strikes the floor and held until the foot moves behind you and begins its forward motion. If you are having difficulty separating the buttock tension from right to left sides, it is acceptable to hold both buttocks clenched together throughout the walking cycle. With practice, you will eventually be able to separate the buttock tension, contracting one side at a time.
Practice this with shorter stride lengths at first to avoid overusing the erector spinae muscles. The posterior pelvic tilt and abdominal tension provide a strong nerve reflex that relaxes the muscles of your lower back strain. Hold the tilt and tension for as long as you comfortably can before taking a break standing still and then repeating. Alternatively, try holding the tilt and tension for walking cycles of 90 seconds, resting a minute between cycles, and repeating 1-5 times. In many cases, walking for only a few minutes or cycles using this technique can produce remarkable lumbar strain relief.
As your lumbosacral strain improves, gradually extend your stride length and time of the tilt and tension hold. Complement your self-care with ice applications of 15-20 minutes, avoidance of aggravating activities, and follow up with a back strengthening walking and rehab exercise program to avoid future lower back muscle strains.
Dr. Michael C Remy, DABCO, CCSP is a chiropractic sports orthopedist who specializes in custom walking exercises for back pain and spine rehabilitation. His Walk Away Back Pain™ Program offers simple and effective back pain solutions through improved walking movements and techniques.
Disclaimer: The Walk Away Back Pain Program™ and all North Shore Health and Fitness Associates, Inc. ebooks, video series and courses are for general educational and informational purposes only and do not replace professional medical advice. This content does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult with your own doctor before starting this or any new exercise program, or changing your diet or supplements, as these changes may be harmful to your health. Exercise and changing posture and movement patterns carries a risk of injury. You perform these movements, stretches and exercises at your own risk. Stop immediately if you feel pain, numbness, tingling, dizziness or shortness of breath during any exercise. Modify or skip any movement that causes discomfort. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for injury, loss, or damage resulting directly or indirectly from the use of this content. Results vary by individual, and no specific outcome or cure for back pain or any other musculoskeletal pain is guaranteed.