It is awesome that so many people are out skiing and snowboarding around Whistler! I have also had quite a few people coming to see me for massage experiencing back pain, especially after backcountry adventures. Exploring the backcountry terrain safely requires carrying extra gear. Lugging a heavy backpack up and down mountains may cause strain on the shoulders, back and hips. Aside from purchasing the most light weight gear and finding the best fitting backpack ever, here are a few other tips for minimizing back pain:
- Take breaks and hydrate. Remembering to drink water when out on your adventure can help minimize dehydration, which is not good for working muscles.
- Engage your core muscles with a subtle drawing in of the bellybutton towards the spine. Bracing with a gentle contraction of the abdomen may help take the pressure off your back muscles.
- Sometimes low back pain may be a referral from tension in the hip muscles. Specifically the glute muscles can get quite tense from a day of skiing or snowboarding, and that may refer to the back. Stretching and applying heat to the glutes may help alleviate the back ache.
- Book in for a massage! An assessment and treatment with an RMT can help you get back out there playing in the backcountry pain free.