When back pain strikes I see people do these things all the time, and I even did them myself for years not knowing they only made things worse.
Mistake #1: Trying to fight back pain by strengthening your back muscles.
This is very common. People think this all the time. However the vast majority of people don't have back problems caused by a weak lower back but rather they are a result of a weak core! When your core is weak your lower back has to strain and work extra hard so the last thing you need to do is work it even more.
If you want to avoid pain in your back, hips and knees the secret is in your core.
Mistake #2: Resting your back.
In the health and fitness community we've know for a long time that prolonged rest only makes your back more stiff and your muscles weaker.
I remember when my dad blew out his back, he quit everything from tennis to walking. I told him that he needed to start moving or it wasn't going to get any better.
I'm not saying he needed to do anything intense, but he needed to start moving gently in order to bounce back much faster.
Forget about strenuous workouts after you strain your back, but you need to start trying a few surprising stretches.
I know this sounds radical but if you back hurts I urge you to......
Try this 1 unlikely stretch that has been shown to wipe out sciatica and lower back pain
