There are only 3 ways to damage your back

Surprised by the title?  Whether you have a problem with disc, muscle, ligament, bone, fascia, tendon or all of these, there really are only 3 ways to damage these tissues, and therefore only 3 ways to damage your lower back.

Peak load – external or internal.  If someone kicks you in the back, or you fall onto your back, that’s external peak load.  If you lift something really heavy, that’s internal peak load.  Either of these can tear tissue.

Cumulative Load.  If you do something again and again, even if it only involves a modest load, that’s cumulative load.

Sustained Load. If you stay in one position for a prolonged period of time, that’s sustained load. Gravity is still exerting a force on you when you’re lying down, and this type of sustained loading – along with sitting – is one of the biggest problems people have.

So 3 ways to damage your back – peak load, cumulative load, and sustained load.

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSIDER HOW YOU COULD APPLY THIS KNOWLEDGE IN MANAGING YOUR OWN BACK HEALTH.

Although there are 3 ways to damage your back, there is one simple way to reduce the risk.  Make sure your back is stronger than any load that it’s likely to experience – peak, sustained or cumulative.  To do this you have to put repeated loads on your back, AND give it recovery time.  This is just what weight lifters do.  They load their bodies to the limit, then give them time to recover and grow stronger.  Then they do it again.  This is what you’ll be doing in the Daily Gym activities.

Click here for Lesson 2 in the online course for lower back pain and sciatica.

Click here for Lesson 4 on the online course for lower back pain and sciatica.