Earlier this month I presented at the IDEA World Fitness Conference. It is a conference I’ve had the privilege of presenting at for quite a few years. Fitness professionals from around the globe come to learn and connect.

One of my presentations this year that was filmed by IDEA to share with others was,”The 25 Things Your Client Must Know About Lower Back Pain”.

I thought I would share with you the list of items in the presentation. Of course during the presentation each topic was discussed and explained in detail. But I’m sure you’ll find some great tips from the list alone!

1. A bad back is not always a weak back.

2. A weak back can be a precursor to a bad back.

3. Muscle endurance is initially more important then muscle strengthening for your back.

4. Acute episodes of back pain respond better to ice than heat.

5. Positive finding on an MRI often have less to do with your pain than you might think.

6. Stretching alone is an incomplete answer to solving your back problems.

7. Your body adapts to exercise, so doing the same “back” exercises for months or years has diminishing returns.

8. Chronic back pain can be months or years in the making.

9. Sleeping on your stomach is good for some people.

10. Lower back pain can be caused by your feet.

11. Lower back pain can be caused by your neck.

12. Never roll out of bed and immediately stretch in the morning.

13. Pulling your knees to your chest may be bad for your back.

14. Lumbar supports when sitting are helpful.

15. More serious medical problems sometimes mimic lower back pain.

16. Stretching your hamstrings when you have sciatica can make the symptoms worse.

17. Pregnancy and monthly cycles with increased hormone production can decrease the stability of the sacroiliac joint in women leading to LBP.

18. The best back exercises are those that are designed for you following an evaluation.

19. An old injury to another part of your body can contribute to your back pain.

20. Lying on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees and legs supported can passively mitigate back pain.

21. Repeated work or recreational postures or movements will lead to imbalances in your body and impact the back.

22. Back surgery can almost always be rescheduled.

23. If medication is your only intervention, you’ll be medicating for life.

24. Hinging from the hip can spare your back.

25. Good spinal ROM is not correlated with an absence

Is there anything you’d like to add to this list?