Occasional instances of a tight lower back is not necessarily connected to something serious. However, you need to pay attention to your body and work on reducing and preventing tension in your lower back. If it keeps happening on a regular basis, it could lead to something more serious.
Tightness in the lower back can occur for a number of reasons. Two of the primary causes of a tight lower back include:
- Sedentary lifestyle — Sitting at a desk or on your couch for hours upon hours is bad for your back. Sitting for hours every day without much physical activity leads to weaker muscles that tend to become tight quickly. Additionally, sitting with poor posture strains your lower back muscles, which can cause pain and exert an increase of pressure on your spine.
- Overexertion — Poor posture, lack of rest or simply exceeding your limits during any physical activity can lead to a tight lower back. For example, picking up a heavy object off the ground with poor posture can lead to back pain. Pay attention to your body and rest or adjust your posture before pushing yourself in physically demanding activities.
How to prevent a tight lower back
A tight lower back is not always preventable due to the nature of chronic conditions that may be the cause, such as arthritis or a herniated disc. However, there are some measures you can take to help reduce and prevent a tight lower back related to strain or a sedentary lifestyle, including:
- Exercise — Gentle, daily exercises and stretches can engage your back, core and leg muscles that support your lower back. This may be as simple as doing some stretches and going for a walk around the neighborhood.
- Improve your diet — Maintain a healthy diet rich in lean proteins, unsaturated fat, whole grains, and colorful fruits and vegetables. Avoid saturated fats, processed grains and eating too much red meat. Doing this helps you maintain a healthy weight, which reduces stress on your lower back. And, it helps reduce inflammation in the joints that can contribute to lower back pain.
- Drink more water — Water nourishes the muscles in your body and helps lubricate the joints, which can help reduce tightness in your lower back.
- Quit smoking — Smoking doesn’t just harm your lungs and heart health. It affects your entire body. Smoking limits the amount of oxygen and other nutrients your heart can deliver to the rest of your body, which affects your lower back as well.
- Take a break — Do you have a job that requires you to sit all day? Make sure to get up at least once per hour for 10 or 15 minutes to stretch and move around. This can help keep your muscles engaged to help keep pain at bay.
Visit Panther Physical Therapy for lower back pain treatment
Tight lower back pain is common in American adults. It’s time we make it less common. If you suffer from frequent tightness in your lower back, our team at Panther Physical Therapy can help. We can provide a personalized treatment to help you reduce and prevent lower back pain. Contact our team for more information about tight lower back pain or to schedule an initial appointment.