Fifty Shades of Back Pain!

Okay, in our blogs so far we’ve covered practically every aspect of our daily lives and its effect on back pain – from dog walking and shopping to carrying children and even vacuuming. The one subject we haven’t yet talked about is probably the one (some people) do most often. Lets talk about sex.

A fun, enjoyable and usually strenuous activity, a sexual experience can be ruined if one or both partners are suffering with back pain. A recent study published in Spine magazine looked at the various strains placed on the spine during sexual activity.

The study used ten volunteers, all with healthy spines, to look at their range of movement during five randomly chosen positions. These included two variations on the ‘missionary’, two variations on ‘doggy style’ and finally the ‘spoon’.

Infra red cameras detecting motion were used along with strategically placed reflective dots on the participants bodies. The volunteers where then observed trying each sexual position for 20 seconds at a time.

The position that has always been regarded as safe to use for those with back pain – the spoon – emerged as a bad position for men with lower back pain that is induced by bending. The variant on the missionary position with the man supporting himself upon his elbows was also found to be a no-no. It was found that holding himself up with his arms extended was a safer option for a man using the missionary position.

The study is due to take place again in the near future looking at more variations for the female participant. This study showed that only minor adjustments to posture were required to alter the level of discomfort felt to the spine during sex. For instance, the male supporting his upper body using his elbows or hands.

So there you have it – if you suffer with lower back pain – change your posture or alter your position until you find something that works…and you may need to stay out of the red room of pain until you have seen your chiropractor.

Youre Welcome