Back pain affects eight out of 10 people at some point in their lives, and one Miami spine specialist says the answer can start with three simple P words: planks, Pilates and pillows.
Moises Lustgarten, director of pain management at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, laid out what he calls his spine care approach in a recent Baptist Health Instagram reel. “One simple way to think about spine care, it's what we call the three Ps: Planks, Pilates and Pillows,” he said.
His first recommendation is planks, which he described as one of the most effective exercises for strengthening the muscles that support the spine, also known as the core muscles. He then pointed to Pilates as a physical activity that supports the spine and can help prevent the incidence of back pain. The advice is aimed at keeping the muscles around the spine strong enough to reduce strain before pain starts.
The third P is the one many people overlook. Lustgarten said the pillow matters because people spend close to 50 percent of their time sleeping. “Having the right pillow will help support your spine and stabilize it,” he said. The goal, he said, is to keep the head and neck in a neutral position through the night.
That matters because back pain is not just one symptom but a broad problem that can show up as a dull, constant ache or as sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move. Lustgarten’s advice focuses on the basics — core strength, posture and sleep support — rather than on complicated treatments, and that is what gives it staying power. In a health landscape where people are often told to do more, the appeal here is that the first step may be to move better, sleep better and support the spine more carefully.
For readers following other recent health and lifestyle stories, from the recovery of bodies after a sea rescue off Spain to Matt Dillon’s first solo show and a separate Spain-Nato dispute, the appeal of Lustgarten’s message is its simplicity: the spine often needs less mystery, not more. He is not promising a cure, and that is the point. His advice is to build habits that may keep pain from becoming part of daily life.
