We’ve all felt a twinge in our back at one point or another. You may feel a bit of lower back pain after sitting for long periods of time or twisting your body the wrong way from exercise. That means that many cases of lower back pain are normal and don’t require medical attention.
But when you feel persistent lower back pain while you’re doing something simple like walking, you might have a condition that needs medical attention.
Possible reasons why your lower back hurts while walking
It’s important to listen to your body. If you feel like your back pain isn’t easing up, making it difficult to walk or stand, then be sure that you talk to your doctor about potential causes. This is especially true if the pain is coupled with symptoms like incontinence, weak legs or a numb groin.
If you feel lower back pain while walking, a few possible reasons are:
- Muscle strain.
- Sprain from stretched ligaments.
- Arthritis.
- Sciatica.
- Kidney issues.
- Spinal stenosis.
- Degenerative disc disease.
- Herniated disc.
7 treatments for lower back pain
The good news is that lower back pain often fades over time, especially if it’s not linked to a serious medical condition. But if your back pain flares up every time that you do something as simple and necessary as walking, then you’ll want to manage the pain as quickly and effectively as you can.
There are plenty of treatments that can help to alleviate your pain. Here are seven options that you can try:
- Rest — If your back is hurting, sometimes the best thing you can do is to lie down for a bit and give it the rest it needs to heal.
- Get supportive shoes — Wearing shoes that support your feet can go a long way in preventing lower back pain, especially while you’re walking.
- Use hot and cold compresses — Alternating between hot and cold compresses is a classic (yet effective!) method for pain relief.
- Avoid heavy lifting — Picking up heavy objects can exacerbate your lower back pain, especially if it stems from a strain or sprain.
- Get mattress support — The importance of a supportive mattress shouldn’t be underestimated. A mattress that provides proper support for your back can go a long way in preventing lower back pain.
- Pain relief drugs — If you need relatively quick pain relief, especially if you’re walking sizable distances, try taking an anti-inflammatory medicine like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin.
- Exercise — Proper exercise and stretching can help relieve some of the tension that’s causing your back pain. But it’s also important to consult with a physical therapist to ensure that you’re doing exercises and stretches that aren’t worsening the cause.
Physical therapy treatments if you have chronic back pain
If you have a condition that’s causing persistent and worsening back pain while you walk, then you might be dealing with chronic pain. For pain to be considered chronic, it must be felt in your back for at least 12 consecutive weeks.
Chronic back pain can be frustrating to deal with, but there are several physical therapy methods that can help to alleviate it:
- Manual therapy — As the name implies, manual therapy is a technique that refers to a physical therapist using their hands to maneuver joints and muscles. This can help to alleviate the tension in your soft tissue that’s causing the pain in your lower back.
- Dry needling — This technique involves thin needles being inserted into the skin of the affected area. The needles cause muscle contractions, which can loosen up the tight fibers in your lower back.
- Strengthening exercises — Your physical therapist can walk you through stretches and exercises that can improve your mobility that might be affected by your lower back pain. They can also reduce the tension in your stiff muscles, alleviating some of the pain.
There is a wide array of techniques that your physical therapist can do to help you with your lower back pain. Be sure to book an appointment at one of our physical therapy clinics to learn about the exercises and methods best for your ability and pain level.
Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for lower back pain while walking
At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we’re proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need.
Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that’s close to you and that can help you address lower back pain while walking.
Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform.
Come find help for your injury or chronic condition today!
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