Back Pain and Load
Bed rest for lower back pain worsens outcomes. This has been firmly established for a long time, yet the advice to "lie down" survives all refutations.
5 min read
Rest does not heal
For non-specific lower back pain, maintaining usual activity yields better outcomes than rest. This is one of the most consistently confirmed findings in this field, and it has remained unchanged for thirty years.
What increases load on the disc
Movement in general is not dangerous; a specific combination is: axial load on the spine combined with flexion under that load. Squatting with a rounded back and standing weighted bends fit this description. The same range of motion without axial load is safe.
What to use instead
- Leg press instead of barbell squat: loads the thigh, but not the spine.
- Seated row instead of bent-over row: the back is supported, preventing flexion under load.
- Hyperextension and core stability exercises instead of weighted crunches.
When you need a doctor, not a program
Leg weakness, numbness in the groin area, urinary dysfunction, pain after a fall, or night pain with no relief in any position are not reasons to pick a different exercise. These are reasons to see a doctor, and our system explicitly advises this in such cases.
This is not medical advice. If you have pain or a medical condition, a doctor decides your workout load, not an app — and we'll tell you directly when that's the case.