If you believe your back pain is holding you back from exercising, we at Innovative Pain Solutions want to kill that notion and give you the push you need to get out there. We recognize that you might hear or read conflicting opinions about whether or not swimming will help or hurt your back. We have knowledge about different kinds of injury treatments.  As a pain doctor Orlando trusts, we take our recommendation seriously, especially considering how much people here love to swim! 

Pain Doctor Orlando Looks To Get You Up and Running — Again

Doctors are quick to tell people that they should include regular exercise into their routines to promote overall good health and longevity. However, if you are suffering from degenerative discs or other chronic back pain, your options for physical activity might feel limited. 

As pain management doctors, it is our experience that patients who perform gentle, low-impact exercise can ease pain and improve motion over time. Walking is a popular choice, but swimming has double the benefits for your body since it enables you to elevate your heart rate up to cardio-burn level, without the impact. By comparison, if you were to try to take your walking speed up a few notches, you increase the impact on your joints. 

Though water creates resistance on your muscles as you move through the water, which strengthens them with repetition. The motions involved with swimming automatically engage more muscles than most other forms of exercise, so you can build up not just your back muscles but many that offer support to the back, such as the glutes and abdominals.

Let the Water Work With You, Not Against You

In the water where we weigh less, our spines do not work nearly as hard as they do when we are standing upright or walking on hard surfaces. 

You will find great relief from your degenerative disc disease from doing light stretches or aerobics in the water. Pain management doctors recommend the gentle backstroke because it promotes a neutral spine. Other strokes such as the crawl stroke or butterfly risk hyperextension

If the backstroke is not your strong suit, you can pursue water aerobics and still strengthen muscles in the core and lower back.

Check With Pain Management Doctors First

Through regular exams and tests, your doctor will have an indication when you are strong enough to swim. We recommend you start slowly, reintroducing motions and stretches your body is already familiar with. 

And be humble enough to ask for help or use flotation devices as needed! No amount of pride is worth worsening spinal conditions. Your pain management doctors would be so disappointed if you made your situation worse while trying to make it better, so take it easy out there! 

Contact Us

If you have questions about the level of physical activity you are ready for, give us a call at Innovative Pain Solutions or message us through our online portal. We are here to be the pain doctor Orlando counts on to keep on kickin’!