How long should I wait to workout after a back injury?
Crescent Moon asked:
I have a problem with my lower back/tailbone area which made it very difficult to walk for awhile. I already made it worse the other day by getting on the treadmill too soon. I am afraid that if I start exercising to soon after the pain goes away that I will make it worse again, but I can’t stand all the lying around! I need to exercise! Any advice?
I have a problem with my lower back/tailbone area which made it very difficult to walk for awhile. I already made it worse the other day by getting on the treadmill too soon. I am afraid that if I start exercising to soon after the pain goes away that I will make it worse again, but I can’t stand all the lying around! I need to exercise! Any advice?
(Before you say “See a doctor”, I must note that at the moment I do not have health insurance and will see a doctor as soon as that happens, and I realize this is not a substitute for such action.) 
Solve Your Credit
February 14th, 2009 at 9:11 am
if I were you I would go to webmd.com atleast u know someone on there is a real doctor
February 14th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Avoid exercising vigorously at this point because that would worsen your back problem. A short walk would be fine. Also, if you want to exercise, target other areas of your body which would not be affected by your back, say, your upper extremities, calves, etc. Another thing is, apply hot packs to ease the pain or liniments. And go see a physical therapist (like me!) ^_^
February 14th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Don’t do anything till the pain has gone away. Pain is your bodies way of saying “STOP OR YOU WILL CAUSE SERIOUS LONG TERM DAMAGE!!!”
You should then start out with gentle exercise that doesn’t place stress on your back (ie NOT the treadmill!!), and that will help rebuild the core muscles around the base of your back.
Try swimming, or gentle stretching exercises like yoga, pilates etc. Or even just walking.
Also you need to stretch a lot, every single day, so your back doesn’t stiffen up.