I'm A Spine Doctor. Here's 1 Thing I'd Never, Ever Do If I Had Back Pain.

An estimated 8% of American adults suffer from persistent or chronic back pain that limits their daily activities. Spine doctors have a very specific message for people walking around with back pain: Don’t push through.

This is especially true with one specific combination of movements, according to Dr. Arthur Jenkins, a spine surgeon and neurosurgeon for the New York Jets and the NFL Retired Players Program. Jenkins has an initialism for back pain sufferers: BLT, or bending, lifting and twisting. It’s a dangerous combination when done all at once for those with preexisting back pain, he explained.

Experts would avoid doing this at all costs if they’re dealing with back pain. Here’s what to know:

Why Bending, Lifting And Twisting Can Be So Damaging

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, people with back pain might be at risk for a disk herniation, which is when the disks that provide cushion between the vertebrae in the spine tear or rupture. This can occur after the disks have been bulging first, and that herniation puts pressure on the nerves in the spinal canal.

“Many patients walking around with back pain likely already have damage to their disks in their back. They may not have as much… damage that qualifies them as having a disk herniation, but they are certainly at risk of developing one,” Jenkins said. “A disk herniation typically happens when the outer ring of the disk is damaged, allowing the inner nucleus to squeeze out under pressure. So having existing damage to the annulus certainly predisposes you to more disk herniations, but sometimes it happens all at once.”

Bending, lifting and twisting can increase this risk. “Each type of movement increases the pressure in the disk space