Lower back pain in the eldery
It is now known that acute lower back pain tends to occur less frequently in each person once we pass the age of 55. So if you are over 55 (or even a little younger), you may notice that you experience a more persistent ache in the lower back than you previously had but that you no longer have the acute and severe episodes that affected you when you were younger. Nevertheless, this aching can cause significant problems, especially if you are forced to reduce activity. The human body thrives on activity and decays with prolonged inactivity. It is undesirable for any of us, regardless of age, to reduce our levels of activity. Only if reduced activity is forced upon us by significant health-related problems should we exercise less.
A health professional may tell you that you have “degenerative” changes in your back or that you have arthritis and will “just have to live with it.” While it may be true that your back has worn somewhat with aging, it certainly is not true that you will “just have to live with it.” It has been found
that many people who have spinal joints that are worn with age have never had back pain, and we now know that the wear is not, by itself, a cause of pain.
In my experience, there are few people who would not derive some benefit from this book’s advice about posture or the exercises, or both. Every older person should carry out the advice on
the correction of the sitting, standing, and lying postures.
Not all of you in the older group will be able to perform each exercise as advised, but all of you should try. I have found that age is not necessarily a barrier to the successful application of the exercises. Although there are some who may not succeed because of weakness or disability, most will be able to advance at least partway through the recommended program.
