Back Pain
This happens in gyms everyday of the year, everywhere in the world.
People are doing sit ups either on their own or in a class setting.
You are not alone, if sit-ups cause you back pain.
I see patients every day that ask me the same question.
So heres, the deal:
When you perform a situp it places a tremendous amount of pressure on the spinal discs.
The Spinal discs are made up mainly of 2 separate structures.
1. An outer layer called the Annulus Fibrosus. Think of a circular layer of rubbery material that is designed to withstand compression and tension and torsion.
2. An Inner layer called the Nucleus Pulposus, Think of the jelly inside a donut. This is made up of a large amount of water.
When we are younger, our discs can handle all kinds of loads and abuse as they are very flexible, hydrated and resilient as well the discs have a direct blood supply to them to prived healgin, water, oxygen and nutrients.
However, at the age of 16 years old, that direct blood supply is no longer. The discs then need to rely on something called spinal Imbibition. This is a slight amount of loading and then unloading of the disc through the day as we sit, stand, bend, twist and turn. This spinal imbibition provides the crucial water, oxygen and nutrients the disc requires to remain healthy, hydrated and strong and resilient.
As we get into our mid 20'3, early 30's and 40 year olds to 60 years olds then discs have by this time undergone a significant amount of tension, loading and unloading, torsion and stress and strain of life, exercise, sports, thousands and thousands of hours compressed in a seated position.
So now, the outer layers of that disc start fraying, stretching more than they should, are becoming more brittle and in many cases they begin to tear. As they tear, it HURTS and then starts causing the inner jelly like structure to leak through the outer area. This also HURTS!
And many times it HURTS ALOT! This is called a disc bulge, herniations, protrusion, extrusion, these types of terms.
So, how does this relate to your pain when you perform sit-ups?
Let's break down what actually happens when we perform a sit up:
1. We create what's called spinal flexion and specifically, lumbar flexion, which then increases the pressure within the spinal discs.
2. The inner jelly-like structure then pushes into the spinal nerves which are very pain sensitive, this HURTS!
3. The disc compression then can cause a good amount of additional pain and then the low back muscles tighten as a reaction to this pressure and more PAIN!
Now, add on multiple repetitions of this and to top it off many group setting classes have their members perform multiple situps and other spinal flexion abdominal exercises at the END of the class when they are fatigued and form and stability is compromised.
This is why sit-ups hurt your back.
Next post will be what to do instead of sit-ups, this is something I do daily BEFORE my workouts and does NOT hurt at all and provides strength, stability and power.
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