Guys, I turned 40 last week and it would have all been fine and what not if I hadn’t JUST thrown my back out. Like, really thrown my back out…
I’ve been training clients with back pain since day one of my career and I’ve learned alot about what to do, what to avoid, etc…But this experience was truly humbling…after barely being able to move for the first three days post injury, I really had to scale back with workouts for a bit. Which, for someone with a bit of a hardcore/type A personality, was a *bit* HARD.
But alas, I’m writing to you pain free and feeling strong. I came out on the other side of a back injury and you can too. Along the way, I really relied on my twenty years of experience as both a trainer and Occupational Therapist- let’s just say this experience offered a good “refresher” course…let’s discuss ⬇️⬇️
🛏 When dealing with an acute injury, it’s so key to rely on good body mechanics and energy conservation. Log roll out of bed, bend with your knees and use your core for, like, everything. Position items you use daily at torso level, avoid excessive bending/twisting/rotation and plan your activities to eliminate excessive movement with your pain is at its worst.
🚶♂️🚶🏻♀️That being said, MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE. A sedentary day rarely does more good than harm- our bodies NEED to move! Blood flows circulation improves, pain decreases…and so much more happens when we move. I started with walking, gradually increasing my distance over the week post injury. And I walked several times a day…it really got easier with each subsequent walk.
💊 Manage pain. Now, you guys know that I am not a fan of most pharmaceuticals in the long term, but I know there’s a time and place for using them. I personally decided to manage my back pain without any over the counter meds or prescriptions, but everyone has to make that decision for themselves. Regardless of whether you decide to use meds or not, DO NOT forget about other pain management modalities. For muscular pain like mine, I find heating pads, gentle stretching, hot showers, cbd and adaptogens to be powerful tools. That, and remembering that pain is, in this case, temporary. Ooh- and let’s not forget about the power of breath work and meditation 🧘🏻♀️🧘
🏋🏻♀️🏋️♂️ When ready, progress workouts carefully. Post back injury, I have found it’s very helpful to start with the core- pelvic floor work, then adding in yoga, followed by Pilates. We’ll often need to modify some moves (and which ones to modify can vary friending on the injury), but it doesn’t mean an entire workout is off limits. Next, I started to add in bodyweight resistance training, light cardio and, finally, strength training with weights. I reminded myself often that I was not going to lose all of my strength gains in a few weeks and that building back slowly was wise. In other words, I had to listen to trainer Jess, not my inner dialogue. 🤷🏻♀️If you’re not sure how to return to exercise post injury, it’s very wise to find a trainer with experience in rehabilitation to guide you.
💦Hydrate. Then hydrate more! Hydration is critical for reducing pain and increasing joint mobility. Once a day, I added my fave watermelon electrolyte powder to my water bottle and I drank atleast half my bodyweight in ounces per day. It helped 🙌🏼
Now, could I have done without this injury? Yeah, that would have been nice. BUT, I am one of those people who believes things do truly happen for a reason and I came out of this injury with renewed perspective and empathy for all of my clients with pain conditions and with a good refresher of stretches and exercises that are both protective and productive for the back 💪
If you have tips for post injury training, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well ⬇️⬇️
Stay strong and healthy, friends!!
~Jess
Jessica's Fitness 