Weight Lifting May Cause Back Pain

Without focusing on proper form, any type of exercise can cause injury. However, weight lifting is particularly notorious for causing back pain. The high incidence of weight lifting and back pain has been attributed to incorrectly lifting weights, physical exhaustion and improper posture.

There are certain types of back pain that can be caused by weight lifting, such as:

• Strained and injured ligaments in the upper back
• Intercostal muscle strain of the upper back
• Lumbar strain, which is the injury to tendon and muscle in the lower back
• Misalignment of the spine causing long-term back and neck pain

These types of back pain can be severe and result in immobility until the injury has healed or been treated by a qualified chiropractor.

How to Prevent Back Pain While Weight Lifting

To protect your back from injury, follow these important tips whenever you are working out with weights:

• Keep your abdominal muscles tense. By tightening your core muscles, you will improve your posture during weight lifting and will  not inadvertently use your back to lift the weights. Once you can no longer tighten your muscles, it’s time to end the workout.
• Heavier isn’t better. You can accomplish just as an effective workout if you use lighter weights while bending and leg-lifting to incorporating other muscle groups and reduce the risk of injury.
• Stop your weight lifting session prior to reaching the point of exhaustion. Once you are physically exhausted, your back is extremely prone to injury as you tend to lift with your back.
• Add calisthenics to your exercise routine. Calisthenics are a type of exercise that focuses on various bending, jumping and twisting movements, which use your body weight as resistance versus using weights. It has been shown to be extremely effective in achieving high levels of flexibility, increasing muscular fitness and improving endurance, which are all necessary to avoid back pain resulting from weight lifting.

Sport Injury Treatment in Longview, WA

If you are suffering from back pain, it may be the result of weight training or a host of other issues, such as misalignment of the spine or disc degeneration.

Our team at Family Chiropractic Care in Longview, WA takes great care in providing the best wellness care plans for our patients. It’s wise that you seek the advice of a seasoned chiropractic professional to diagnose the cause of your back pain, suggest any needed lifestyle changes and create a treatment pain to decrease your pain. Schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Still today by calling our friendly staff at.