Squats and deadlifts are how I cured my back pain. I recognize that I tend to have a missionary zeal about this subject because I think it has had so many benefits for me...but seriously, if you don't have any health issues that prevent you from doing so, you should be lifting heavy weights with a barbell. Your clothes will fit better, people will be more attracted to you, you'll have more confidence, and you'll be amazed at how strong you become. If you're a healthy adult male under 40, 1 hour a day for 3 days a week will get you to "pick up 400 pounds off the floor with relative ease" within a year.
The author mentioned in this article, Esther Gokhale, wrote a book several years ago with the somewhat goofy title <i>8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back</i>, which I can't recommend enough, especially if you suffer from back pain. It really transformed the way in which I think about my posture and ergonomics in general.<p>One of the things she touched on in the book, which the NPR article seemed to miss, was a hypothesis that poor posture in the Western world is the result of a cultural shift in the early 20th century. Particularly that slouching and unnatural postures were a sort of rebellious statement against the Victorians for 1920's youth.<p>Bad ergonomics and posture became so hip that they found their way into furniture design - something that became very clear to me after having a herniated disc and a vintage mid-century couch in my living room..
>Everyone knows that weak abdominal muscles can cause back pain. In fact, Mummaneni says, stronger muscles might be the secret to Gokhale's success.<p>Don't really need to say anything else. Get into weight training and stick to it.
As one that is in and out of PT fairly frequently, I can tell you how absolutely FRUSTRATED PTs and orthos get by people that have lower back pain and want some medication or special chairs or stem, as opposed to buckling down and strengthening their abdominal muscles.<p>Weak abs = lower back pain. For most cases. In my early years playing football, I used to get lower back pain from the contact. I was weightlifting regularly, but always skipped my ab exercises because I hated them. One year I was like, screw it, I'm going to do these. Abs got strong, back pain disappeared.<p>This posturing stuff engages your core and helps keep the spine supported properly. If you want faster results, get in the gym and get an abdominal routine going.
Plus look at toddlers and some Asian cultures. They can squat full dept with no problem. My toddler can squat and stand up without issue. I can - but I've retrained myself and opened up my hips/hamstrings and worked on core strength. baby's mama cannot perform a full depth squat let alone with any weight on the or front rack position. The old Asian lady down the street can and does when she does her gardening.<p>I think that coupled with a lot of people have at least mild APT because of a weak core is the major issue. It causes hip strain.
I took Esther's course in 2013, and it's had a huge effect on my life.<p>Getting into the correct position involves moving some muscles I didn't know I had, but, once achieved, it feels amazing. Sitting feels like being massaged. I can twist my neck further. When I practice karate, all my movements become faster and easier. The only problem is keeping the posture once achieved, as all your old movements can cause you to revert (and yes, it takes some core strength, but that's a small part).
"An acupuncturist in Palo Alto, Calif., thinks she has figured out why."<p>Acupuncture is know to work (even if you put the needles randomly) Please bring me a scientist :)
Back pain in the industrialized world is overwhelmingly psychogenic. It's Tension Myositis Syndrome as described by Dr. Sarno. Given only x-rays images, spine specialists completely fail to identify the individuals who report back pain. <i>Most</i> people with no back pain have various structural abnormalities.<p>These people getting back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome were all getting ulcers 60 years ago. Then the idea that ulcers are just an infection took hold so the psychogenic manifestations of stress shifted.