LOW BACK PAIN EXERCISES - WHICH IS BEST?
Before trying any of the following low back pain exercises ask your doctor if they are safe for you. These exercises and stretches should be comfortable to do. If you feel any pain, or increase in pain, stop the exercise immediately. Weak muscles are the cause, or at least part of the cause, of back pain in the majority of back pain sufferers. We’ve talked about all the things that can cause muscles to weaken. Now it’s time to go over some of the best low back pain exercises stretches that you can do at home. To have a pain free back you need to have strong trunk, leg, and hip muscles. The trunk muscles are the spinal support muscles of the abdomen and back. These muscles will get stronger if you do the right low back pain exercises. You don’t need to bulk up like a body builder, but you do need to challenge your muscles more than they are used to. Back pain is so common today that some people begin to think that it is normal. The good news: it’s amazing how much relief the proper low back pain exercises can bring to your aching back. For example, your hip flexors are muscles across the front of your hips that tend to weaken if you sit all day. This puts stress on the pelvis and low back and contributes to Low Back Pain. So it is a good idea to release that tension and strengthen the hip flexors with a low back pain exercise like the “bridge,” described below. The Bridge To perform this low back pain exercise, lie on your back with your legs bent and feet on the floor. Push your hips up toward the ceiling while squeezing your buttock muscles (gluteus muscles). The activation of the gluteus muscles sends a signal to the hip flexors to relax and allows them to lengthen. Push your hips up and hold for one to five seconds and come down. Do as many repetitions as it takes to feel tired. The Side Bridge This low back pain exercise is one of the safest and most effective core stabilization exercises. Start by lying on a mat with your legs straight out. Turn sideways holding your body up with one bent arm parallel to the floor. Keep your abs tight for 30-60 seconds. The modified Dead Bug Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your spine flat against the floor. Raise one leg straight up to the ceiling; and at the same time, raise the opposite arm and sweep it back to lie flat on the floor above your head. Return to beginning position; repeat on opposite side. Start with five reps and increase as you are able. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch - Stretching your hip flexor muscles is one of the best low back pain exercises, especially if you do a lot of sitting during the day. To do this, kneel on both knees with your back straight. Step forward with one foot while keeping the other knee on the floor. Your forward knee should be bent 90 degrees. Slide your back leg behind you until you feel the stretch in the front of that hip. Hold for 15-30 seconds, then switch legs.
Abdominal Crunches The abdominals (core muscles) need to be strong to fully recover from and to prevent back pain. The core muscles are needed for everything including standing, walking, and even sitting. Strong core muscles help you move, feel, and stay well. The abdomen is usually the area most people hate exercising the most, so why don’t you start with this low back pain exercise. To perform a crunch: Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Hold your hands wherever you feel comfortable (on your chest or beside your head), just be sure you don't pull on your head as this will put strain on the neck. Now flatten your back against the floor. Keep your back flat throughout the exercise. Many people do not do this and it causes their lower back to arch, which stresses the spine. Now, contract your abdominal muscles as you roll your upper torso forward. The distance your trunk comes off the floor will depend on the shape you are in. If you’re out of shape, coming up just an inch or two may be all you need to get a terrific abdominal workout. The number of repetitions will also vary depending on your physical condition. You do want to feel a bit of a burn in the abdominals to know that you have worked them hard enough. Hold at the top of the movement for a second and squeeze hard. Do not lift up into a full sit-up, as this works the hip flexors and can strain your back. I recommend exercising the abdominals at least every other day. If your form is good (not letting your low back arch, not pulling on your head, and maintaining a strong abdominal contraction while crunching up and while slowly lowering yourself back down, you can get a great workout without needing a high number of repetitions. Bird Dog This is another one of the safest and most effective core stabilization exercises you can do. This low back pain exercise works on your core abdominal muscles as well as all your back and shoulder muscles. Begin on your hands and knees with your head aligned with your spine. Flatten your back just as if you were lying on your back and contract your abdominal muscles. Extend your right arm and left leg straight out at the same time. Do this as many times as it takes to start to tire. You can either alternate sides or stay on the same side and then switch. If it is too difficult for you to lift your arm and opposite leg up at the same time, start by lifting just one arm so that it's parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other arm. Repeat five or ten times. Then lift one leg to the back, parallel to the floor. Lower it, then raise and lower the other leg. Do five reps. As you get stronger, you will be able to work up to lifting an arm and opposite leg at the same time. Increase the number of reps as you can. The Stork This is a low back pain exercise that works with posture and balance to strengthen your body’s weak links. It will relieve pain and restore and maintain normal function. Posture and balance usually get worse with age. This is a great exercise because it works to improve and maintain your posture and balance even as you age. All that is required is for you to stand on one leg with the opposite knee and upper leg parallel to the floor for as long as you can maintain your balance, and then switch sides. Richard Restak, a neuropsychiatrist from George Washington School of medicine called the Stork "the single best exercise that can be done anytime, without any special equipment, is nothing more complicated than standing on one foot for as long as possible and then switching to the other foot.”
The human body is designed to move. Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. He wrote that walking may just be the most underrated exercise there is. I love walking for an hour every day with my wife. I used to try to maintain at least a four mile an hour pace, but I now know that a fast pace is not necessary for walking to bring many health benefits. I find that it is more enjoyable to walk at a relaxed pace than to be trying to “speed walk.” You may not think of walking as a low back pain exercise but walking increases your body’s metabolism which means more calories are burned. So walking is a great way to lose a few of those unwanted pounds that contribute greatly to your having back pain. Walking also improves circulation, which benefits every health condition including back pain. Another great benefit of walking is that it strengthens so many of the muscles in your legs, hips, back and abdomen. These muscles need to be strong to get over back pain and to prevent back pain from occurring again in the future. Stair climbing In addition to walking, climbing stairs is one of the very best things you can do to build strength in the leg, hip and buttock muscles. These muscles need to be strong to take pressure off your back and prevent back pain. I use to do house calls at a six family apartment house that patients of mine lived in. Being the owners, they could have lived in any of the apartments on any floor. They chose to live on the third floor. Each time I carried my portable chiropractic table up three long flights of stairs to their apartment, I wondered why they had never moved down to the first floor. When I finally asked them one day, they told me that the main reason they continued to live on the third floor was that it forced them to walk up and down three flights of stairs 10-20 times a day. They really didn’t have to do a lot more exercise than that to stay in pretty good shape. Point being, if you have the choice between taking the elevator or the stairs, you will be doing yourself a favor if you choose the stairs. It really is that good of an exercise. Even if you just get off the elevator two or three floors early and walk up the rest, it will pay off with a stronger back. Superman This low back pain exercise strengthens the entire back, shoulder and buttock muscles. It is a great exercise to help relieve back pain. Start by lying face down on the floor, legs together and straight, arms straight and extended above your head. Keep your head/neck in a neutral position. Keeping your arms and legs straight (but not locked) simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling to form a gentle curve with your body (looks like you’re flying like Superman.) The amount of time you hold your body up in the “Superman” position can vary from 5 to 30 seconds depending on your fitness level. For a more advanced Superman, start with your arms outstretched in front of you and your thumbs pointing up towards the sky. Keep your head and neck in a neutral position down on the floor. Don’t lift your head up as this puts pressure on the spine. Point your toes straight down toward the floor. Actually pull your toes toward your shins. Squeeze your abdominal muscles like you do when doing crunches. Lift your upper body and arms up off the floor while you pull your shoulders down. You are not reaching up with your shoulders; you are pulling them down toward your low back. At the same time you lift your upper body up you also lift your legs up while squeezing your buttock muscles. Make sure to keep your toes pointed straight down toward the floor. This will really work the low back and buttock muscles. Fly like Superman! If you don’t have the flexibility to lift both arms off the floor at the same time, you can modify the exercise by alternating raising the right arm and left leg, then the left arm and right leg. This is sometimes called the Cross extension low back pain exercise. The amount of time you hold your body up can vary from a split second to five seconds depending on your fitness level. Don't hold your breath! Try to keep breathing steady and even. The cobra To perform this low back pain exercise, lie on your stomach with your hands flat on the floor at shoulder height and your head back (taking care not to overextend your neck). Slowly arch your spine while pushing up and straightening your arms. Hold for 5 seconds, and then descend. Do the exercise 5 times. Upper Back Extension Similar to the cobra but without hands on the floor. Lie face down on the floor. Arms can be by your sides or straight out above your head. Gently lift your upper body off the floor without using hands. Keep head in line with trunk, don’t overextend your neck. Exercise ball One of the greatest tools for stretching the entire back, and working on core stabilization, is the exercise ball (fitness ball). Just lying on your back on an exercise ball is a fabulous stretch for many of the muscles that tend to get short. This is also a great mobilization for the vertebrae in the back. With age, the spine tends to become stiff, so stretching and mobilizing here can prevent years of unnecessary Upper, Middle, and Lower Back Pain. Remember, short muscles are weak muscles. So for your back to be healthy and pain free, these low back pain exercises, stretches and flexibility exercises are worth their weight in gold. Thank you for your interest in low back pain exercises and back pain relief. I hope you have learned a few techniques that will bring you the relief you long for. To your best health, Dr. Cliff
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