AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
You bend over to put on your shoes.
You straighten up and think, “When did that start hurting?”
Or maybe your back feels fine when you first get out of bed, but after sitting at your desk, driving for an hour, working in the yard, or playing with the grandkids, it starts talking to you.
And sometimes it doesn’t just talk. It yells.
If your back seems to hurt more now than it did when you were 30, you’re certainly not alone. Back pain becomes increasingly common as we age.
But here’s the important part:
Back pain after 50 doesn’t automatically mean your back is worn out. And it certainly doesn’t mean you should stop using it.
In many cases, the opposite is true.
Let’s look at what’s actually happening to your back as you age—and what you can do about it.
Your Spine Changes With Age
Your spine is an amazing piece of engineering.
You have 24 movable vertebrae stacked on top of one another. Between most of them are discs that act like cushions. Around all of this are muscles, ligaments, joints, and nerves working together to let you bend, twist, walk, lift, and move.
But just like the rest of your body, your spine changes with age.
One of the biggest changes happens to your intervertebral discs.
When you’re young, these discs contain a lot of water. They’re thick, flexible, and good at absorbing forces. As you age, they gradually lose some of that water.
Think about a brand-new kitchen sponge compared with one that has been sitting around for years. The older sponge becomes thinner and less springy.
Something similar happens to your discs.
They may become thinner and less flexible. Doctors often call this degenerative disc disease, which sounds much scarier than it really is.
It isn’t necessarily a “disease.” It’s often simply part of aging.
Arthritis Can Join the Party
There are small joints in the back of your spine called facet joints.
Like your knees, hips, and fingers, these joints can develop osteoarthritis.
The cartilage covering the joints can gradually wear down. The joints may become irritated or stiff, and bone spurs can develop.
This may contribute to pain, particularly when standing, twisting, or extending your back.
But here’s something important.
Many people have arthritis on an X-ray or MRI and have no back pain whatsoever. That’s why an MRI report shouldn’t be treated like a crystal ball.
I’ve seen plenty of imaging reports that sound terrible while the person attached to the MRI is walking around feeling perfectly fine.
An abnormal MRI doesn’t always equal an abnormal life.
You’re Also Losing Muscle
This is one of the most overlooked reasons backs can become troublesome after 50.
Starting in middle age, we gradually lose muscle unless we actively work to preserve it.
That includes the muscles supporting your spine.
And I’m not just talking about your abdominal muscles.
Your “core” includes muscles around your abdomen, back, hips, and pelvis. Together they help stabilize your spine as you walk, lift, twist, and reach.
Think of your spine like the mast on a sailboat.
The mast isn’t supported by one rope. It’s supported by cables pulling from several directions.
Your spine works similarly.
If those supporting muscles become weaker, everyday activities may place greater demands on your back.
That’s one reason strength training becomes more important—not less important—as we get older.
Sitting Doesn’t Help
Here’s another problem. Many of us simply move less as we get older. We sit at work. We sit in the car. We sit watching television. We sit scrolling through our phones.
Then our back becomes stiff, and what do we do?
We move even less because we’re afraid we’ll hurt it.
Unfortunately, that can become a vicious cycle:
Pain → less movement → weakness and stiffness → more difficulty moving → more pain.
Your back was designed to move.
For most common forms of back pain, prolonged bed rest isn’t the answer.
Gradually getting back to normal activity usually is.
Your Hips May Be Part of the Problem
Here’s something that surprises people.
Sometimes the problem isn’t entirely your back. It’s your hips.
When your hips become stiff or the muscles around them become weak, your lower back may have to compensate.
For example, if you bend down to pick something up and don’t move well through your hips, you may rely more heavily on your lower back.
Do that occasionally and it may not matter.
Do it hundreds of times every week and your back may start complaining.
Improving hip mobility and strengthening the glutes can therefore be an important part of keeping your back healthy.
Does Back Pain Mean You Should Stop Exercising?
Usually, no.
This is where fear can become a problem. Your back hurts, so you stop exercising. You stop lifting. You stop bending. You stop doing things that might “damage” your spine.
Over time, your muscles become weaker and your confidence in your back decreases.
Now everyday activities feel even harder.
For most uncomplicated back pain, movement is part of the treatment.
Walking can help. Strength training can help. Exercises that strengthen the abdominal, back, and hip muscles can help. Mobility work can help.
The key is choosing activities appropriate for you and progressing gradually.
You don’t have to deadlift 300 pounds.
You just want a back strong enough to handle your life.
What Can You Do Starting Today?
If your back is bothering you, start with the basics.
Keep moving. Even short walks throughout the day can help break up long periods of sitting.
Strengthen your core and hips. Exercises such as the bird dog, bridge, dead bug, and appropriately performed resistance exercises can help build the muscles supporting your spine.
Strength train your entire body. Your back doesn’t operate independently from the rest of you. Strong legs, hips, abdominal muscles, and upper-body muscles all help you move better.
Break up prolonged sitting. Get up periodically. Walk around. Change positions. Your next position is often more important than finding one “perfect” posture.
Build gradually. If you haven’t exercised regularly for years, don’t try to make up for lost time in one weekend.
Your 25-year-old brain may remember what you used to be able to do.
Your 65-year-old back may request a brief meeting first.
When Should You See a Doctor?
Most episodes of back pain aren’t dangerous, but there are exceptions.
Seek medical attention promptly if back pain is associated with significant weakness or numbness in the legs, loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness around the groin or saddle area, fever, unexplained weight loss, major trauma, or severe pain that is rapidly worsening.
Persistent pain, especially pain that isn’t improving, also deserves an evaluation.
And remember that not every pain around the back actually comes from the spine. Kidney problems, abdominal conditions, infections, fractures, and other medical problems can occasionally cause pain that feels like back pain.
Your Back Isn’t Past Its Expiration Date
This may be the most important message.
Yes, your spine changes after 50. Your discs change. Your joints change. You may lose muscle. You may become stiffer.
But aging does not automatically equal disability.
You can still strengthen the muscles surrounding your spine. You can improve your mobility. You can improve your balance. You can become more active.
And you can become more confident in what your body can do.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it:
You’re not too old to improve.
Your back doesn’t need to look 25 years old on an MRI.
It needs to be strong enough and mobile enough to let you keep doing the things you enjoy.
And that’s something worth working on.