Dealing With Lower Back Pain

One of the most common problems I hear about from bowlers is lower back pain. In fact, over 80% of the general population suffers from lower back pain and it is one of the leading causes of missed work days. It can be a frustrating issue to deal with and bowling can aggravate the issue even more, leaving you feeling immobilized in pain.

The most common mistake made in dealing with lower back pain is resting it. More often than not, people use lower back pain as a reason to not exercise. I’ve heard things like, “I can’t squat because I have lower back issues,” or, “I can’t deadlift because of my lower back.” The reality is that squats and deadlifts are two of the BEST things you can do for the lower back in most non-specific low back pain situations.

Of course, there is an extensive list of severe issues that can cause low back pain, including disc herniation, kidney stones or kidney issues, cancer, spinal degeneration, and so on. Because of this, first and foremost it is crucial to go to your doctor and have everything checked out if you are experiencing pain. The recommendations in this article are going to be for those who have already done this and who have been diagnosed with a non-specific back pain, either chronic or acute. In this scenario, you may have received a muscle relaxer or medication to help relieve the pain, but these will not create the change needed to make the pain go away for good. If this is the situation you fall into, here are some of my recommendations.

More movement and strength training

Many low back issues stem from simply sitting too much. This includes desk jockeys, travelers sitting in cars or on planes, and people who are in too much pain to want to get up and move much. Rather than ...