Reflection On Back Pain

Around the time I turned twenty-two this year I started to experience constant back pain for an unknown reason. Now I always knew back problems ran in my family, but I always assumed that it would not apply to me. I could not have been more wrong. After three weeks of enduring constant back pain I finally broke down and made an appointment to meet with my doctor to find out the problem. After some x-rays and a physical exam later, my doctor told me I had a case of slight scoliosis in the lumbar region of my spine. While numerous options were made available to me the one my doctor most recommended was to strengthen the muscles in the core to help my back.

My current fitness level when I started this assignment was at the beginner level since

After reading an article on WebMD they recommended training the back muscles no more than three times a week completing each exercise after five repetitions with breaks in between them (Smith, 2004). They also recommended stretching every day for about ten minutes in order to improve flexibility and improve muscle endurance (Smith, 2004). Some of the exercises suggested were the opposite arm and leg raise which involved raising the right and left leg off the floor while stabilizing the back muscles. Another was bridging which involved lying on your back with your knee tilted while flexing your abdominal muscles. The most important thing that all the articles stated was the importance of repetition and keeping to the workout schedule. Scoliosis Research Society also recommended that in order to improve back problems it is important to have good posture (Scoliosis, 2011). While they also suggested core training they also said it was best to wear a posture brace that helps strengthen the back muscles and makes the shoulders work in order to maintain proper posture throughout the day (Scoliosis,