To prevent and relieve back pain, raw muscular strength is not enough; one must prioritize core stability and endurance (notably via planking and the 'McGill Big Three' routine) in order to stabilize the spine and limit uncomfortable micro-movements during exertion.

noli's read

The idea that core endurance and stability help protect the back rests on a solid foundation. A landmark observational study by Biering-Sørensen (1984) showed that good back muscle endurance is indeed correlated with a reduced risk of lumbar sensitivity. Furthermore, the 'McGill Big Three' routine is validated by biomechanical analyses (expert opinion of Stuart McGill) to activate deep muscles without overloading the spine. However, claiming that core stability is superior to general strengthening for eliminating pain is an exaggeration. A major meta-analysis by the Cochrane Collaboration (Saragiotto et al., 2016) shows that motor control and stability exercises do not offer better long-term clinical outcomes than general strengthening or other forms of physical activity. Finally, the theory of painful 'micro-movements' remains an appealing mechanical model but is difficult to prove directly in practice.

the sources

1. 1Wang XQ, Zheng JJ, Yu ZW, et al. 2012