Exercises for Back Pain

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Good Morning!

 

Exercises for Back Pain

 

Exercise is very important on so many levels.

 

Proper alignment of the head over the shoulders over the hips over

the knees over the feet, are imperative in maintaining a pain-free

body. Firm abdominal muscles help to keep the back straight and

strong. Bad posture habits can lock your muscles into positions you

are not even aware your body is taking which can put unwanted strain

on the lower back.

 

Exercise conditioning and stretching can improve certain pains with

stretching such as painful, stiff muscles and joints by increasing

blood flow to these areas. Weight baring exercises are beneficial for

improving strength and bone density. Restoring movement and normal

function to an injured area is critical. Learn to stretch to improve

your flexibility.

 

Exercise increases the output of endorphins, which are hormones your

body produces to fight pain.

 

Serotonin is a hormone that assists the flexibility of our blood

vessels. Exercise increases the brain's supply of serotonin. This is

important because when blood vessels are flexible, they are less

likely to cause pain or irritation. Serotonin also improves mood,

helps regulate sleep cycles and fights the pain response in the

brain. It fights pain by blocking the brain's perception of pain.

 

Estrogen, the sex hormone that can interfere with serotonin, is

stabilize with exercise.

 

Exercise should include cardiovascular aerobic activity 3- 4 times

weekly. Weight baring exercise for 30 minutes to strengthen and

maintain bone and muscle mass.

 

Exercise that promotes endurance (aerobic exercise such as brisk

walking, bicycling, and jogging) or muscle strength (resistance

training with free weights or weight machines) helps prevent coronary

artery disease. People who are out of shape or who have not exercised

in a long time should consult their doctor before they start an

exercise program.

 

Properly stretch and warm up before placing any physical demands on

your body and pay attention to what you body is telling you. Stop

exercising before you feel pain or discomfort.

 

Your doctor can provide a safe and effective exercise plan based on

your needs.

 

Be careful not to over exercise! Weekend warriors also have a

tendency to " push " to hard to makeup for the time they have not

exercised during the week. The two MOST BENEFICIAL exercises you can

do to strengthen your back and relieve pain are the BACK STRENGTHENER

and ABDOMINAL WORK.

 

Exercise: The Back Strengthener

 

Do this exercise up to 4 times a day.

 

Lay on the floor, stomach down. Slowly lengthen out the spine as you

raise one arm and the opposite leg. Exhale as you raise up into an

arch. Hold this as your take two deep breaths. Slowly release back to

the floor. Inhale, as your raise up the other arm and opposite leg,

exhale. Hold this arch agian for two deep breaths. Lower down.

Inhale. Then raise both arms, leaving both feet on the floor. Exhale.

Hold the arch as you take two deep breaths. Slowly lower down.

Inhale. Raise both feet off the ground, leaving both arms on the

floor. Exhale. Hold the arch for two deep breaths. Slowly lower down.

Inhale. Lastly, raise both arms and both legs off the floor. Exhale.

Hold this full arch for two deep breaths. Slowly lower down. Inhale.

Repeat entire sequence one more time. This exercise should flow

easily with the breath. (Always feel the energy pulling out in both

directions from the top of the head and hands and out the bottom of

the feet.) Try to arch up further each time. This amazing exercise

will relieve back pain!

 

Exercise: Abdominal Work

 

Ab work can be done on a daily basis. By strengthening the abdominal

wall you are helping to support the lower back. 300, 400, 500 situps

are not only a waste of time but allows for that many more attempts

to injure yourself. It is the quality not the quantity of sit ups

that makes all the difference. SLOW and controlled is the most

powerful approach. Stretching a sore back will actually enhance the

healing process. One good stretch for lower back pain is to gently

bring your knees up to your chest. Once there, put a little pressure

on your knees. Stretch, then relax. Repeat. Stretching will help the

muscle calm down sooner than just waiting for it to calm down on its

own.

 

Exercise: Sciatic Pain

 

Sciatic pain is generally the result of pressure on the sciatic

nerve. When an intervertebral disc presses on the nerve root as it

leaves the spine it causes pain and often numbness along the route of

the nerve which travels down the buttock, down the thigh and

sometimes down into the lower leg. This can result in a feeling of

weakness as well. This is sometimes caused by a disc prolapsed

or " slipped disc " . Since sciatic pain can be the result of a disc

prolapsed, it is the prolapse that we need to understand. The

prolapse is most often the result of a harmful habit or pattern of

bending and putting stress on the spine. A herniated disc in the

back, spinal stenosis and piriformis syndrome are also medical

disorders that can cause sciatica.

 

Stretching a sore back will actually enhance the healing process. One

good stretch for lower back pain is to gently bring your knees up to

your chest. Once there, put a little pressure on your knees. Stretch,

then relax. Repeat. Stretching will help the muscle calm down sooner

than just waiting for it to calm down on its own.

 

A variation on this exercise is to lay on your back and gently bring

one knee up to the chest. Keep the opposite leg elongated along the

floor. Keep the energy of that foot moving out through the foot.

Squeeze and hold the knee to the chest. You can make small circles

with the knee. Pull your abs in and slowly lower the knee. Switch

sides.

 

Stabilizing exercises are also best for strengthening the back. The

most important aspect is sensing and controlling motion in the spine.

Once learned, the body can eventually take over and do this without

the level of concentration it takes early on.

 

 

Exercise 1.

 

In a standing position, cross right ankle over left knee. Now slowly

bend your standing leg. Sit back in the position so you feel a

stretch in the buttocks. To increase this stretch, use one hand and

gently evert your foot by simple pulling the toes toward you. Keep

the foot on the knee. Make sure you sit back into the buttocks in

this sitting position. Switch legs.

 

 

Exercise 2.

 

Laying on the floor with knees bent, arms at sides, tighten abdomen

and slowly raise alternate legs 3-4 inches from the floor. With the

arms, lower the opposite arm over the head.

 

 

Exercise 3.

 

Laying on the floor with knees bent, feet on the floor, bridge

upward, slowly raising the buttocks from the floor. These should all

be performed with a rigid trunk. The pelvic tilt will be used to find

the most comfortable position for the low back.

 

 

Exercise 4.

 

This same pelvic position is maintained while performing stabilizing

exercises from the prone (on the stomach) position: With elbows bent

and hands under the shoulders, raise one leg 2 to 3 inches from the

floor. With elbows straight and arms stretched about the head, raise

an arm and the opposite leg 2 to 3 inches off the floor.

 

Exercise variation can be done on hands and knees, raising the arms

and legs only as high as can be controlled, maintaining a stable

trunk and avoiding any twisting or sagging.

 

Raise one leg behind with the knee slightly bent and no arch in the

back or neck. Raise one leg with the opposite arm with the knee

slightly bent and no arch in the back or neck.

 

Exercise: Piriformis Syndrome

 

Lay on your back and gently bring one knee up to the chest. Keep the

opposite leg elongated along the floor. Keep the energy of that foot

moving out through the foot. Squeeze and hold the knee to the chest.

You can make small circles with the knee. Pull your abs in and slowly

lower the knee. Now gently stretch the knee so that it crosses your

midline and hold the knee there for 15-30 seconds. Switch sides.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS, L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/back_pain.htm

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