Could what you’ve been told about low back pain be based on old science? The rehab world loves neat answers. “Your core is weak” or “You have a disc bulge, so avoid bending.” Simple, yes. True? Often not. At Resilience Rehab & Performance, we take a different path. Our Pain Codex method uses the latest research. Importantly, we focus on movement – not rest – as the key to healing. Additionally, you’ll learn proven moves that help you get back to what you love.
Breaking Free from Outdated Low Back Pain Advice
What Low Back Pain Actually Is (And Isn’t)
Most people get low back pain (LBP) at some point. It might feel like an ache, throb, or sharp pain. Furthermore, it can show up in one spot or spread to your buttocks or legs.
Here’s what might shock you: doctors call most back pain “non-specific LBP.” No single part is “broken” – instead, many factors play a role in your pain.
Think about this: a 2022 study looked at elite football players with no pain. Yet surprisingly, 83% showed “problems” on their scans (Carmody et al., 2022). These players had “damaged” backs but nevertheless felt great!
Even more telling, doctors trying to find pain causes from MRIs alone do worse than a coin toss (Hall et al., 2021). Consequently, using only scans to guide treatment rarely helps.
A Typical Low Back Pain Story
Here’s what many weekend warriors go through:
A man sits too much due to work. Meanwhile, stress builds over a big project. Later, he rushes to football training and misses warm-up. He quickly puts on his boots and jumps into a drill. Suddenly, while moving, he feels a twinge in his lower back.
Afterwards, he feels pain when he bends – a grabbing feeling at certain angles. In contrast, leaning back feels better, but not if he goes too far. Overall, the pain stays on his right side with no leg issues.
This is classic non-specific LBP. Although it feels scary, it often clears up with the right care.
Beyond Myths: What Science Shows
Pain science shows us a more complex view. Specifically, pain isn’t just about damage. Rather, it’s a guard system from your nervous system.
Old methods focus too much on “damaged” parts. The Pain Codex, on the other hand, does something else. Initially, we slowly bring back moves your body can handle, then build your strength.
People with back pain often show these patterns:
- Flexion issues: Pain while bending forward
- Extension issues: Pain while bending backward
The 3-Stage Exercise Approach to Low Back Pain
Instead of random moves, we offer a clear plan. This plan respects your pain while building strength.
The goal isn’t to avoid moving – it’s to find moves your body accepts, then build from there.
Stage 1: Finding Your Baseline
First of all, find moves that don’t cause much pain. Subsequently, these become your starting place:
Gentle Pelvic Tilts
- Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat
- Rock your pelvis back and forth within a pain-free range
- Try 2 sets of 10, done 2-3 times each day
Cat-Cow Breathing
- Get on hands and knees
- When you breathe in, gently arch your back (cow)
- When you breathe out, gently round your back (cat)
- Stay where it feels safe
- Do 10 reps, 2-3 times daily
Modified Child’s Pose
- Start on hands and knees
- Move back toward your heels only as far as feels good
- Hold 20-30 seconds while taking deep breaths
- Do this 3-5 times
The goal isn’t to push through pain but instead to find safe moves. As a result, this helps train your body to trust moving again – a key step in healing.
Stage 2: Building Movement Capacity
After finding pain-free moves, slowly add more:
Bridge Progressions
- Start with tiny bridges, lifting hips just a bit
- Slowly lift higher as you feel better
- Next, add short holds at the top
- Later, try one-leg versions
- Work up to 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
Controlled Bending
- Stand with hands on a table, bend forward slightly
- As you feel better, gradually bend more
- Work toward reaching lower spots
- Eventually try deadlift-type moves
- Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps
Rotation Work
- Begin with seated gentle turns
- Move to standing turns
- Afterwards, add turns in lunge stance
- Finally, try using a ball for turns
- Do 2-3 sets of 8 per side
Stage 3: Functional Integration
Lastly, bring these moves into your daily life or sport:
Squat Steps
- Start with box squats at a height that feels good
- Gradually lower the box height as you gain strength
- Work up to full squats, then add weight
- Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Hinge Growth
- Begin with hands on a bench while hinging
- Progress to light Romanian deadlifts
- Then try standard deadlifts
- Work up to 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Rotation Power
- Start with gentle ball tosses
- Subsequently move toward faster turning moves
- Additionally, add sport-based turning moves
- Build to 3 sets of 6-8 per side
When to Be Careful With Low Back Pain: Our Traffic Light System
While moving helps most back pain, some cases need more care.
So instead of constantly overthinking, you can use our simple traffic light system:
Green Light (Safe to Move)
- Pain with exercise that doesn’t stop you
- Morning pain doesn’t last more than 4 days
- There wasn’t a significant injury mechanism (i.e. it came on gradually/randomly)
- None of the symptoms are spreading to legs
Orange Light (Move with Care)
- Pain without injury, but still able to do things
- Morning pain that gets better once you move
- Sleep is fine
- No leg symptoms
Red Light (Get Help)
- Pain wakes you at night
- Numbness, tingling, or odd feelings in back or legs
- Leg weakness with back pain
- Can’t do normal tasks
- Pain goes past your buttock
- Fast weight loss with back pain
Special Notes for Different Groups
Young Athletes (Under 16)
Though less common in teens, ongoing back pain needs a check-up. In particular, growth spurts, overuse, hip issues, or genes might play a role.
Weekend Warriors Coming Back
If you’re starting again after time off, build up slowly. Indeed, doing too much too soon often causes back pain.
Those with Stress Issues
Watch for pain that grows with high training loads. For instance, signs include morning and night pain that hurts your sleep. Certainly, this might be a stress injury that needs help.
Using Your Exercise Plan: Key Rules
Follow these tips for best results:
- Start with what feels okay now, not what you think you should do
- Pick steady, mild work over rare hard workouts
- Moreover, slowly add more as you get stronger
- Know that some mild aches during progress are normal
- Furthermore, how you feel the day after matters more than during the workout
Ending: Writing a New Back Pain Story
The Pain Codex Model marks a big shift in thinking about back pain. Specifically, we see pain not as damage, but as a body signal you can retrain.
Through slow steps of safe moves and growing strength, you can beat back pain. In fact, many people come back stronger than before their pain started.
Most people with back pain heal fully. Your back isn’t broken for good. Instead, it just needs the right plan to rebuild trust in moving and gain strength.
