A functional recovery program treats back pain

85 percent of Americans suffer from back pain at one time or another. Back pain is the most common cause of disability in adults and results in more than 145 million lost work days per year, at an annual cost of $100 to $200 billion. Pain-relieving medications are the primary treatment, but they only reduce the symptoms and do not treat the cause of the problem.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire offers a three-week "functional restoration program" that includes exercise, relaxation and behavioral counseling. Unfortunately, many of the exercises emphasize flexion and extension of the trunk, which replicate the mechanisms of injury.

Research conducted by Canadian biomechanist Stuart McGill showed that isometric core exercises are superior to traditional dynamic core-building exercises because they develop core stiffness and spinal stability. Stiffness of the core strengthens the muscles of the core and improves their endurance, thereby reducing lower back pain and improving athletic performance. Increased core stiffness transfers strength and speed to the extremities, increasing the load-bearing capacity of the spine and protecting the internal organs during daily movements.

Isometric exercises for the core resulted in greater core stiffness than performing dynamic whole-body exercises that activated the muscles of the core. His research on core stiffness is changing the way we train for sports and treat back pain.

(The Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2015; Backfitpro.com)