Back pain can make even the most beautiful city stroll feel like a chore—but it doesn’t have to. In fact, unless you’re healing from an injury, staying active through gentle walking can actually ease discomfort by reducing stiffness, loosening muscles, and supporting joint health. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, Chicago offers some of the most scenic routes to help you stay moving while managing your pain. Once you’ve started your treatment, lace up your shoes and try one of these walking routes.
Exploring Chicago’s Best Walking Routes for Back Pain Sufferers
The Chicago area is home to many natural wonders, but not all of them are suitable for people with back pain. Some routes have uneven terrain or steep inclines, both of which strain your muscles and put extra stress on your joints. We selected these routes because they feature even surfaces with no uphill climbs.
- Chicago Lakefront Trail. The Chicago Lakefront Trail stretches more than 18 miles, giving you plenty of room to stretch your legs and work the tension out of your back. Since this trail has 11 segments, you get to choose the length of your walk. If your back is bothering you, there’s no need to finish the entire trail. Simply walk from Ardmore to Montrose or 31st Street to 35th Street before taking a break.
- Lincoln Park Trail. Lincoln Park Trail is a 5-mile loop that takes you past some of the most stunning architecture in the city. The trail has a low grade, so there’s no need to worry about walking up steep hills. You’ll also find accessible spaces in the nearby parking lot, making it easy to get to the trail even if you’ve been using an assistive device due to your back pain.
- West Ridge Nature Preserve. If you’re looking for a short route, look no further than West Ridge Nature Preserve. Even if it takes you 30 minutes to walk 1 mile, you can complete the whole trail in about 90 minutes. Due to the low grade and lack of uneven terrain, the West Ridge Nature Preserve loop is ideal for strollers and wheelchair users, making it the ideal place to meet up with friends or take the kids for a stroll.
How to Walk with Confidence and Ease: Tips for Managing Back Pain
One of the easiest ways to manage back pain is to stretch daily. Gentle movement relieves stiffness and increases your range of motion. If your back pain doctor in Chicago says it’s okay, do some exercises to strengthen your core muscles. If your core muscles are weak, the muscles in your lower back have to work much harder to keep your body upright.
It’s also important to maintain correct posture throughout the day. Slouching, hunching your shoulders and sitting with your legs crossed can all cause chronic back pain. To prevent posture-related discomfort, sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Use a lumbar cushion for extra support.
Finally, be careful when lifting heavy objects. Keep the item as close to your body as possible to avoid straining your back muscles. Bend your knees, tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight.
Walking in Chicago Without Worry: How Our Treatments Can Help Your Back
MAPS Centers for Pain Control offers several types of back pain treatment to help you return to your normal activities.
Injection-Based Therapies
Injections offer rapid back pain relief without surgery, making them one of these most effective treatments for chronic back pain. We offer these injection-based therapies to help you feel your best:
- Epidural steroid injections. During an epidural steroid injection, we inject an anesthetic solution and a steroid into the space around your spinal cord.
- Trigger point injections. Trigger point injections ease pain caused by muscle knots that form in response to acute or chronic microtrauma. These knots, known as trigger points, cause pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion.
- Lumbar and cervical injections. Lumbar and cervical injections reduce pain in the lower part of the back.
- Lumbar sympathetic blocks. The sympathetic nerves control your breathing, heart rate and other involuntary responses. In some cases, these nerves send pain signals to your brain long after you sustain an injury, resulting in chronic back pain. A lumbar sympathetic block prevents these nerves from transmitting pain signals.
- Sacroiliac joint injections. The sacroiliac joints connect your lower spine with your pelvis. If you have arthritis in these joints, injections may provide rapid back pain relief.
Minimally Invasive Procedures
We also perform minimally invasive procedures to help you achieve lasting pain relief. Depending on the cause of your pain, you may benefit from one of these treatments:
- Spinal cord stimulator implantation
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Vertebroplasty
- Kyphoplasty
- Disk decompression
Taking the First Step Toward Back Pain Relief with MAPS Centers for Pain Control
Back pain is a common problem, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Contact us to schedule a consultation with an experienced back pain doctor in Chicago.