Back Exercises for Chronic Back Pain
Don’t Back Away From Exercise
If you have chronic back pain, it’s tempting to think that it’s best to rest, and even stay in bed as much as possible. Wrong. Study after study has shown that exercise helps reduce low-back pain when you have it, as well as helping to protect against future back pain.
Back pain is often mysterious. Injury to muscles, ligaments, nerves, or the spine may be responsible, but most people with back pain cannot recall a specific incident that caused the pain. The pain can have other causes, such as chronic overuse of muscles, a muscle imbalance that throws the back off kilter, a herniated disk, or other structural problems. Often MRIs and other imaging tools reveal no significant abnormalities in very painful backs, while scans of painless backs may show herniated disks and other abnormalities. But whatever the source of your low-back pain, exercise is likely to be a part of the solution. If the pain is minor, a simple exercise routine may be enough. But generally you’re best off with a program tailored to your particular problem, and that usually calls for advice and guidance from a physical therapist.
You need to do not only exercises that stretch and strengthen weak back muscles, but also those that strengthen your abdominal muscles, such as sit-ups (also called curl-ups or crunches), since abdominals help support the back and tone those glut/butt muscles too. You should also do exercises that keep your hamstring muscles (at the back of the thighs) flexible; tight hamstrings often play a key role in low-back pain. So can tight hip flexors. That’s a large menu of muscles you may need to strengthen and/or stretch. The exercises described here are only a start.
Easy does it
Begin any exercise program slowly. If your back hurts, talk to your doctor or a physical therapist before starting to exercise. Stop if the pain gets worse or if you experience leg pain or numbness. Avoid exercises that increase stress on the spine, such as straight-leg toe touches or backward bends. Before working out, always warm up and then gently stretch. Do the exercises at least three or four times a week.
Press up. Lying on stomach, push upper body off the floor by straightening your elbows. Hold for 5 seconds, then let your back relax as you lower your torso. Repeat 10 times.
Pelvic tilt (to strengthen abdominals). Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, and arms at sides. Tighten abdominal muscles so that small of back presses against floor. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.
Bridge (to strengthen lower back). Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, and arms at sides. Tighten abdominal and buttock muscles and slowly raise hips, so body forms a bridge. Hold for 5-10 seconds, then slowly lower body. Repeat 10 times.
Straight leg raises (to strengthen abdominals). Lie on back with one leg straight and one knee bent (foot flat on floor). Tighten abdominal muscles to stabilize lower back. Slowly lift straight leg 6 to 12 inches and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, repeat 10-20 times, then switch legs.
Lumbar stretch. Lying on back, clasp one hand under each knee. Gently pull both knees toward chest, pressing lower back into floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds, relax, then repeat. Alternatives: Pull only one knee to your chest, then switch legs. You can also do this on a bed: lie with buttocks near edge of bed; hold both knees to chest; release one leg and slowly lower that foot towards floor; hold stretch and repeat.
Hamstring stretch. Lie on back with legs bent. Grab one thigh behind the knee and slowly straighten knee until you feel the stretch behind the thigh. Hold for 20 seconds, relax, repeat 8-10 times; then switch legs. You can also use a rope or towel to gently pull your leg upright, as shown here.
Wall squat (to strengthen back, hip, and thigh muscles). Flatten back against a wall and squat until upper legs are at a 45° angle to the wall. Hold for 1 minute while tightening abdominal and buttock muscles and keeping knees aligned over feet. Slowly return to standing; repeat several times.
And keep in mind: Walking, swimming (but not the butterfly or breast stroke, which can put excessive strain on the lower back), and cycling are also good for the back. Sports that involve lifting, twisting, excessive arching of the spine, jumping, sudden starts and stops, and/or collisions with other players (including racket sports, golf, bowling, football, and basket-ball) are usually not recommended for people with chronic back problems.
Last words: Don’t think that you can stop exercising when your back pain goes away. Continuing to exercise will help keep your back healthy.
The Best combo is doing your exercises and releasing those chronically tight muscles with therapies such as acupuncture — call me or email for more information.
