Back Pain Exercises


Back and abdominal muscles that are underused deprive the spine of support and are often the cause of severe back pain. Experts agree back pain exercise is the single most important factor in both alleviating and preventing back pain.

In some cases, back pain exercise is not recommended. A slipped disc, for instance, requires complete bed rest, but most back pain can benefit from gentle back pain exercise to gradually build up the strength of the back muscles.

Recent studies have shown that even patients bedridden by backache may benefit from prescribed back pain exercise, particularly in the form of physical therapy. Physical therapy may include active and passive treatment. Studies have repeatedly shown that active people are less likely to suffer from back injuries than inactive people.

The back muscles serve two functions: they hold the vertebra together and in alignment and they hold the pelvis together. It makes sense that if these muscles are weak, things are going to start falling apart, literally. Sitting all day, as many people do at work, and bad posture are two of the major causes of weak muscles.

If the back muscles are weak, it won’t be long before an awkward movement results in a back sprain.

Tight hip and hamstring muscles often contribute to lower back pain so it’s important to keep these muscles supple and strong. Even more importantly, you need to warm up all muscles before attempting any back pain exercise.

Experts agree there are two aspects to back pain exercise - stretching and strengthening. Simple stretching warms up the body for the strengthening exercise and creates supple, flexible muscles. Strengthening back exercise includes low impact aerobics, walking, cycling or swimming.

The type of exercise one chooses depends on the type of back pain, patient gender and age.

Generally, back pain exercise is beneficial to patients who have sprained or strained their backs, have disk disease or have injured themselves. Tumors and fractures may not necessarily benefit from back pain exercise as the back pain is caused by something that can be fixed.

It is essential for patients to learn good posture and the correct way of sitting, standing, and lifting. The basic aim is to avoid too much curvature of the spine, so:

Always bend the knees when bending or lifting; always hollow the back when kneeling; when carrying, distribute weight evenly; when standing for long periods stand with your feet slightly apart; when pushing or pulling try to keep your back straight and take the strain on your arms.

For any type of back pain, good posture will stand you in as good stead as will back pain exercise.

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