Back pain is sometimes debilitating. Fortunately, you can start to do some exercises that may prevent the pain from happening again.

For a couple of days after the acute injury to your back, the doctor may require you to stick to bed rest. Your back may agree. During this time, you may be having muscle spasms. The spasms are the body's way of telling you to avoid anything that will cause further damage to your already injured back.

Once you have reached two days, it is time to get back out of bed and start moving. If you stay in bed too long, the muscles become weak and healing takes longer.

Getting back to a normal schedule makes recovery quicker for most people. Normal activities are better that remaining in bed or beginning a new exercise program for quick healing.

Until you have completely recovered from the injury, you will want to stay away from activities that are considered high impact. You can begin walking or swimming. These low impact activities will strengthen the back muscles. Stretching will help to increase blood flow, and loosen tight muscles. Warm showers may help to keep those muscles loose and make exercises easier for you to do.

After two to eight weeks, the back pain should be gone. Then you can start doing more strenuous exercises. Ask your doctor or physical therapist to help you to develop an exercise program that will strengthen your back to prevent further injury.

Exercises should target the core muscles. The stronger the muscles in the back, buttocks and abdomen become the more support the spine will have. This will help to take some stress away from the joints between the vertebra and is essential to prevent recurring back pain.

If you strengthen the core muscles you may be able to prevent or reduce back pain. Sometimes this is all that is needed to eliminate the back pain.

In addition muscles that are not stretched on a regular basis can become shortened. Shortened muscles cause the spine to be out of alignment and may give you pain. By choosing stretching exercises, the shortened muscles are lengthened and pain is relieved. If the muscles in your back, buttocks, hamstrings or quadriceps are tight, it often affects spine alignment. Stretching muscles can relieve this problem and increase joint mobility in the spine.

When you do have a back injury, your doctor can prescribe medication that will help with the pain, however strengthening the core muscles will help to prevent new injuries and pain.