Why are women the more frequent sufferers? Because high heels or pregnancy can shift your weight forward and increase the curve in your back, which leads to back pain. Men who carry excess pounds in their bellies also have their weight shifted forward and, as a result, are more likely to experience lower back pain than other men.

If you have trouble with your back-either from the causes mentioned above or from a birth defect, stress, illness or injury-exercise can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Exercise is typically the main treatment for lower back pain. If you do the right exercises, you can improve mobility and minimize pain; if not, you could be in big trouble. The rule is if you suddenly develop pain in your back, you should rest it. If after a few days the pain continues, see a physician.

When exercise is prescribed, simple stretching exercises, for example, can relax tension in the muscles along the spine. Other exercises can strengthen the abdominal and gluteal muscles, among others, to provide your spine with additional support. "Back trouble" is a rather broad term for many very specific problems: a tear or pull of muscles or ligaments, a muscle spasm, compression or degeneration of a disc, degeneration of a bone, curvature of the spine and even tension. You could also be experiencing an infection in some other part of the body that produces what is called a referred pain along the back, even if the source of the problem isn't in your back.

Many of these troubles can be eased considerably (if not reversed) simply by adjusting the way you move. Chronic lower back pain can usually be alleviated by: 1) losing weight, 2) exercising to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic region above the spine, 3) improving your posture, 4) controlling stress instead of letting it control you (easier said than done, we know).

A certain amount of exercise (aside from walking to your car) is essential to maintaining muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness, not to mention burning off calories. The most important thing you can do is assess the cause of your lower back pain and implement some stretching and strengthening exercises to aid in the recovery and prevention of recurring back problems.

A simple exercise treatment used for most lower back disorders is to decrease the curve in your back by tilting your pelvis forward. To do this, you must perform exercises that shorten your abdominal muscles and stretch the muscles in your back.

Lower back stretch
Lie faceup with a pillow under your head, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh. Contract your abdominals. Pull your knee to your chest and hold for 10 seconds. Lower that leg to the floor. Repeat with the opposite leg. Perform this exercise 5 times with each leg. Increase this exercise once your body adapts to the stretch.

Pelvic tilt
Lie faceup with a pillow under your head, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press the small of your back toward the ground and squeeze your buttocks together. Place your weight on your shoulders and heels. Keeping the small of your back flat, raise your hips a few inches. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Relax and repeat this exercise 10 times.

The key to a healthy back is having your own personal workout program, tailored to your individual needs by your health care professional. In return for your investment of just a few minutes of exercise each day, you'll be rewarded with results that may last a lifetime.

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