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Four Simple Ways to Eliminate Lower Back Pain
Tags: back pain, back pain exercises, back pain management, back pain relief, low back pain, low back pain exercises, Low back pain relief, low back pain treatment, natural pain relief, pain management, pain treatment, physical therapist Prescott, physical therapists Prescott, Prescott physical therapy
If you google ‘exercises for low back pain’ on the internet you will find some good information, some decent information, and some terrible information. That seems to be the case with everything these days. Fortunately, you have landed here and we are all about the best proven methods to eliminate pain. That means we don’t guess at it. We know what stops the pain. No surgery, no medication, just real solutions to your lower back pain. Now, lets rollup our sleeves because we are about to get down to business and review the best low back pain exercises to help you eliminate your back pain. Before we jump right into the exercises, we need to establish a few things. Most of the exercise information on the internet regarding low back pain is very general; therefore, we need to specify whom this information will be beneficial for. Clearly, it will help people with low back pain, but that does not mean it will help everyone with low back pain. Why you may ask?!
All low back pain is not the same.
If you have pain that travels from the low back or buttock area to the lower leg, below the knee, or numbness/tingling in one of your feet, you need to figure out what direction of movement makes the leg symptoms worse and what direction of movement makes the leg symptoms better. After figuring this out, you can work on eliminating the symptoms in the leg. Once the symptoms in the leg are eliminated, or at least not felt below the knee, these exercises will be beneficial.
When pain and/or numbness/tingling is felt below the knee, the condition is classified as low back pain with radicular symptoms and is often referred to as sciatica. These exercises and movements are not specific to sciatica, though they would be beneficial once the leg symptoms were relieved.
The exercises we are going to cover are specific to low back pain without radicular symptoms. This simply means low back pain that is felt on one or both sides of the back but does not radiate below the knee on either the right or left leg. This type of low back pain constitutes the overwhelming majority of low back pain and is a result of excessive stress and strain on muscle tissue, ligamentous tissue, joints, bones, or all of these. Which one of these tissues is the pain generator is not as important as WHY the tissue has become a pain generator.
In a previous article the importance of determining positions or movements that aggravate low back symptoms was covered. This simple step must be reiterated. Take five minutes and write down what makes your back hurt more and when it hurts more. Now you have a list of your daily activities and/or movements that need to change. You may need to pick up your bag differently, carry your purse differently, sit differently, even sleep differently. If you do not figure these things out prior to beginning the exercise program, you will not see maximum benefit from the exercises because you will still be doing things that aggravate the tissues in your low back and result in pain.
Take away the aggravating movement patterns and prolonged positioning AND address muscle imbalances and impairments with these exercises.
Now on to the exercises…
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to do these exercises correctly. Watch the video that demonstrates correct exercise performance. It’s not something you just fit in during the day. It’s something that is going to make your spine more healthy and ultimately eliminate pain and improve your quality of life; therefore, you must take time to do the exercises correctly without rushing through them with poor form. This should only take ten minutes of your day. Strive to complete these perfectly every day, two times per day. Consistently do this for four weeks and watch your pain disappear. If any of these exercises cause increased low back pain adjust your technique so they are pain-free. If you are unable to complete an exercise without pain quit doing that exercise.
1. Cat/camel: 10-15 times
2. Curl ups: 6-10 5 second holds. Pull shoulder blades off ground keeping neck neutral. Hands are under low back to make certain lumbar spine does not round into your hands. This is the reason one leg is up and one is down, it keeps the lumbar spine in a more neutral position.
3. Bird dog: 2 sets x 8-12 reps. Lumbar spine should stay relatively stable. It should not arch or round excessively.
4. Side bridge: 2 sets x 8-12 reps each sided. It’s difficult to tell from the video but as you lift your trunk and bottom up you should also push them forward to engage the gluteal musculature.
Try these exercises out. Stay consistent – that is the key to beating your pain. If this isn’t giving you relief, give us a call directly at 928-589-1172 or download our FREE back pain relief guide .
Like what you’ve seen? Dr. Permar’s book The Truth About Low Back Pain has so much more information about low back pain and solutions to heal your pain once and for all. Buy your copy today!