Back Pain Exercise

Back pain is one of the most common health problems people face in their lifetime, we are talking about 80% of us! So it makes sense that people have come up with many options for helping to deal with, alleviate, and heal back pain. There are a multitude of contraptions, devices, medicines, herbs, procedures, and even surgery. We want to attempt to take this issue back to basics and offer another alternative, or a supplementary option, for dealing with back pain – exercise! While it might be the last thing on your mind when your back is in agony, exercise, in fact, is very good for aching back. It strengthens the muscles that support your back, stomach, and legs which means that your spine is better supported which relieves back pain. Exercise also eases inflammation and muscle tension. Not to mention the endorphins that are released during exercise help relieve the sensation of pain as well. It is important to remember that not all exercise is good for your back, the wrong exercise may even be harmful, so it is important to know what you are doing. A helpful tip here is that if uncomfortable, painful feeling that comes on at the beginning of an exercise doesn’t go away after at most 15 minutes, then this one is definitely not for you, stop and consult your doctor. Here we will give you some guidelines for the right kind of exercises for pain relief: Knee-to-Chest Stretch* – Lie on your back with one knee bent. With hands on top of the knee or behind it, slowly pull it toward your chest and hold. You can also pull both knees to your chest at once. Partial crunches – Lie with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross arms over chest or behind neck. Tighten stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor. Breathe out as you raise your shoulders. Only use stomach to pull off the floor, hold and then slowly go back down. Figure-Four Stretch* – Lie on your back with knees bent. Place the outside of one ankle on the opposite thigh. If you’re able, grasp the other leg behind the knee and slowly raise it, bringing your knees toward your chest. Press-up Back Extensions – Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Push with hands so your shoulders lift off the floor. Extra – put your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders and hold for few seconds. Prayer Stretch* – On your hands and knees, sit back so that your buttocks are resting on your heels. Reach your hands forward until you feel the stretch in your middle back. Reach forward and to the side to feel the stretch along the sides of your spine. Knee to Chest – Lie on your back with knees bent, and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee to your chest, keeping the other foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor, and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Then lower your knee and repeat with the other leg. Bridging* – Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Using the back of your leg muscles (not your lower back), lift your buttocks and back high up from the floor. Hold the stretch, then slowly roll down to the starting position. Wall Sits – Stand 10 to 12 inches from the wall, then lean back on the wall with a flat back. Slowly slide down until knees are slightly bent. Hold for a count of 10, then slide back up the wall. Bird Dog – get in the dog position on hands and knees, and tighten your stomach muscles. Lift and extend one leg behind you. Keep hips level. Hold for 5 seconds, and then switch to the other leg. Try lifting and extending your opposite arm for each repetition and try lengthening the time of hold. Exercise to avoid if you suffer from back pain: Toe Touches – add pressure on the spine, as well as overstretch lower back muscles and hamstrings. Sit-ups – also add too much stress to the discs in the spine. Leg Lifts – this can be too intense for a weak or compromised back. * Stretches are from – https://www.consumerreports.org/back-pain/back-stretches-and-strategies-to-keep-away-pain/