Lower back pain after the gym does not automatically mean that you have injured a disc, lifted with “bad form” or damaged your spine. For many people, gym-related lower back pain appears after a change in what their body has been asked to tolerate — such as increasing weight, adding more sets, training more frequently, returning after a break or introducing an unfamiliar exercise. Sometimes there is an identifiable muscle or soft-tissue strain. In many cases, however, lower b

If you have lower back pain, there is a good chance someone has told you that your core is weak. Maybe you were told to do more planks. Perhaps you were given abdominal exercises. Or you have been avoiding heavier lifting because you believe your core is not strong enough to protect your spine. But is a weak core really the reason your lower back hurts? Not necessarily. Core strength can be useful, and strengthening the muscles around your trunk can form part of a good exerci

When lower back pain starts suddenly, it can be alarming — especially if it happens during something as ordinary as bending down, getting out of a chair, lifting an object or waking up in the morning. In many cases, however, sudden lower back pain does not mean that you have seriously damaged your spine. Most low back pain is classified as non-specific, meaning that it cannot be confidently attributed to one specific damaged muscle, joint or disc. The World Health Organizatio