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, most people don't have back problems caused by a weak lower back; instead, they result from a softcore!

When your core is soft, your lower back has to strain and work extra hard, so the last thing you need to do is work it even more.

The secret is in your core if you want to avoid pain in your back, hips, and knees.

Mistake #2: Resting your back.

In the health and fitness community, we've known for a long time that prolonged rest only makes your back stiffer and your muscles weaker.

I remember when my dad blew out his back, he quit everything from tennis to walking. I told him he needed to start moving, or it wouldn't get any better.

Try this unlikely stretch that has been shown to wipe out sciatica and lower back pain.

I'm not saying he needed to do anything intense, but he needed to start moving gently 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 your back hurts, I urge you to try this unlikely stretch that has been shown to wipe out sciatica and lower back pain.