Q. Should I just lie in bed and avoid exercise if I am having extra back pain?

A. Your physical therapist (PT) may suggest short periods of rest followed by brief exercises designed to reduce your pain. Prolonged bed rest is not healthy and can cause your muscles to weaken and your joints to get stiff. Any exercises you do should be done only under the direction of your doctor or PT. Extra pain after these or other exercises usually indicates that you are overdoing it. You may need to change the number of repetitions, the amount of pressure applied, or how often you are doing the exercises. Talk to your doctor or PT if you are having extra pain after exercising.