In the United States, between 12% and 14% of adults over the age of 18 visit their doctor solely for back pain. However, roughly 33.9% of individuals report having some form of back pain, in addition to their chief complaint for the visit. Back pain is the most common reason people visit the doctor. Lower back pain is the most commonly reported source of back pain. All sources of back pain affect an individual’s ability to work and participate in activities of daily living. It goes without saying that daily exercise is also a challenge for these individuals. Putting things into perspective, understanding the anatomy and physiology of the spine—specifically the lower back—is important for personal trainers.

It is inevitable that you will encounter a client with low back pain. The healthcare profession understands that most back pain is caused by something mechanical. There is a very good chance that a growing number of healthcare providers will recommend regular physical activity to their patients. With that said, personal trainers need to have an understanding of mechanical dysfunction in order to create exercise programming to this referral population. This short video is a crash course in understanding the anatomy and some physiology to the back. I hope this gives you some insight into programming to prevent and rehabilitate back injuries.

Feel free to contact me with any questions that you have question.