Combat Back Pain

When I was younger I would look at extreme adventurers climbing rock faces, repelling down waterfalls, and paddling through class 5 rivers, and I would dream about being able to do what they do. I used to think that only "rich" people get to do those things because all the gear and training costs so much. But then my brother decided to start indoor climbing at the local climbing gym and (easily) convinced me to tag along. It was then that I realized two things: that I loved to climb and that it really was quite affordable. That was over 5 years ago and I never looked back. Climbing has been so much for me, including a stress relief, an inspiration for self improvement, and a positive social environment. If you've never climbed, I challenge you to try it before the end of the month! For me and my fellow climbing buddies, climbing combines strategy, physicality, and the thrill of heights (most of the people I know started climbing because they were afraid of heights so that's no excuse).

Just over a month ago I was climbing a route indoors that wasn't particularly hard but included an overhung section. Now, good technique when climbing dictates that you want to keep your hips close to the wall in order to keep most of your body weight on your feet so that you don't tire out as quickly. While I was doing this, I squeezed my glutes to keep my hips in and I felt a sharp pain in my sacroiliac joint (SI joint). The sacrum is the bone at the base of you lumbar spine (extreme low back). The SI joint is a joint that connects the sacrum to the pelvis and isn't supposed to move much at all. When I tensed the muscles surrounding the area I caused the sacrum to shift and strain the SI joint. This caused muscle pain and joint stiffness for a few weeks.

Sadly, most people will eventually experience a form of back pain. Whether this is caused by a direct injury like mine, a chronic injury, or an unknown situation, there are things you can do that may help relieve the pain and stiffness. I'm talking about non-serious back pain here just to be clear. Here are some of my own secrets to combating my back pain and stiffness that I hope you can use too!

1) Strains to joints, ligaments, and muscles tend to cause inflammation. By taking anti-inflammatory drug, such as, IBU Profen and icing the area will help to decrease inflammation and promote healing. When icing, never put ice directly on the skin, and only keep the ice on for about 15 minutes. You can even alternate warmth and ice every 10-15 minutes.

2) Contrary to western beliefs in the last century, bed rest is the worst thing you can do for back pain. If you can't move at all then you should probably see a doctor. If you can move, try to keep moving in safe ways as often as you can. This helps to keep the vertebrae lubricated and to prevent muscles from seizing up.


A great movement to do is to alternate arching your back like an angry cat, and reversing the posture by lifting your head and tail bone up to the sky. It is best if you couple this movement with breathing. Breath out through your nose as you pull your naval in towards your spine, tuck your head and tailbone in, and arch your spine. As you breath in through your nose and expand your lungs, lift your head and tailbone up to the sky and let your spine hyper-extend to a comfortable position. You can continue to do this for as long as you want.

3) Stretches that target spinal movement will also help to prevent back pain on a daily bases as well as combat it. Depending on the type of back pain you have, some or all of these stretches might be too intense at the beginning, but I guarantee they will feel amazing to those of you who are in the "stiff" phase and no longer in the"pain" phase.

Spinal Twist - Lie on your back with bent knees. Let your knees drop to one side while you keep both your shoulder blades on the floor and look towards your extended arm. With every breath try to relax deeper into the twist. Body twists not only provide your spine with a soothing rotation, but they also promote relaxation by calming your nervous system.

Side Flexion - Sit comfortably and reach one arm overhead. Have the intention of trying to grad at the opposite side wall as you root your sit bones into the floor to really open up your side body.

Forward Bend - A more advanced stretch that can be modified by starting in a sitting position with legs stretching out in front of you. Keep your knees soft (not locked) and let your upper body and head relax and hang down. This stretch requires a decent amount of hamstring flexibility, so if your hands don't reach the floor, you can bend your knees as much as you need to until they do, or take the modified stretch - Sit and Reach.