Weak Muscles Lead To Back Pain
Dunn was referred to the sports medicine program at Life-Bridge Health and Fitness Center, part of a regional health network in Maryland overseen by medical director Michael Kelly, MHSc, a certified neuromuscular therapist. Kelly soon found that, although Dunn was very fit for a man his age, he’d neglected some areas of his body. “The muscle groups I was using were in good shape, but then I’d isolate other muscle groups, and I could barely lift the weight. I was like an infant,” Dunn says.
About 25% of Americans are affected by back pain in a given year, and they spend more time at the doctor’s office for back pain than for any other medical condition except high blood pressure and diabetes.
Instead of jumping for pills or surgery, says Kelly, people with chronic back pain should first seek out a thorough functional assessment from a qualified trainer with experience in sports medicine.
Strengthen Your Abs Without Getting Back Pain
In most cases, strengthening is pretty easy. Find a weight, lift it up and down several times, and move onto the next exercise. But abdominal strengthening has continued to vex people, leading them to persist with the same standby exercises: sit-ups and crunches.
However, studies show that these exercises can lead to back pain and most people dont even use their abs for sit-ups! Full sit-ups involve heavy use of the hip flexors while its important to strengthen this muscle group too, this exercise isnt accomplishing the desired goal.
So, skip the sit-ups! Here are a few exercises that are both easier on your back and harder on your abs, giving you more bang for your buck while helping you avoid low back pain.
What About Ab Machines
Many abdominal machines use the same type of movement as the crunch, except they usually involve added weight.
As you might guess, ab machines can be even more dangerous than regular crunches thanks to the added weight, as the spinal disks are put under even more stress.
In addition, exercises like hanging knee raises that dont involve weight actually put extreme stress on the hip flexors .
This can actually put you at a greater risk for low back pain, as tight hip flexors further pull your body forward and loosen the stabilizer muscles in the lower back.
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Percent Of People Have Experienced Lower Back Pain At One Time Or Another
Before you go jump in to any exercise with lower back pain please go to a doctor and get it checked.
The most important thing is that the pain isnt anything more dangerous and that you are indeed fit enough to exercise.
Most lower back pain seems to be caused by damage to the musculoskeletal system.
The musculoskeletal system is ther bodys bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, joints, and other connective tissue that supports and binds tissues and organs together.
Muscles that play an important role in maintaining proper curvature of the spine have been associated with causing lower back pain.
That is your Hips flexors, Glutes and Hamstring muscles
Firstly having a healthy lifestyle is the best way to minimise back pain. minimise weight gain, getting strong and having good mobility is the best ways to ward off lower back pain as you age.
How To Maintain A Strong Core
Assessment: every 1-2 weeks, look at your exercise log and assess your strength level.
Pain level is another way to assess if what youve been doing is working. It doesnt have to be a huge change.
Small improvements and more pain-free hours/days add up and compound to bigger long-lasting changes in your body.
Muscle Integration: As I mentioned before, we cannot isolate the body and expect to have a whole functioning unit. We always work with how the body was designed to move.
The core, glutes, and hamstrings like to work together. Good posture is key to avoid building muscular imbalances, and proper stretching is important to keep the muscle tissue healthy.
Strengthening should work hand in hand with other recovery and maintenance tools like postural therapy, foam rolling, and stretching.
If you follow these simple steps, youll notice massive changes with just a few exercises.
Dont want to do the work yourself? Ive created a simple done-for-you program: The deep core training.
No work needed on your part, just show up and follow along with the plan. you can read more about the program and read the reviews here.
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Back Exercises And Abdominal Exercise Recommendations
Also see Core Body Strength Exercises with an Exercise Ball
That is unfortunate, because the back muscles and abdominal muscles, sometimes referred to as core muscles, tend to weaken with age unless specifically exercised.
More importantly, strong back and abdominal muscles can help heal most types of back pain, especially the most common form of back pain caused by soft tissue injury or back muscle strain. Consequently, exercises that strengthens these core muscles should be a part of a balanced back/abdominal exercise program.
Also see Exercises for Lower Back Muscle Strain
Signs Of Poor Core Strength
If you experience any of the following symptoms you may have poor core stability:
- Back pain
- Trouble making it to the toilet in time
- Reduced Sports Performance:
- A collapsing technique eg running or landing
- Slower times
- Increased injuries, aches and pains around the body especially hip knee and shoulder
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Q: What Is The Relationship Between Core Strength And Back Pain
Theoretically, if your muscles around the low back are weak, your body will rely more on passive structures for stability, including ligaments the tissue that connects bone to bone as well as the spinal bones or discs which lie between the spinal bones. This can cause pain.
But some studies have shown that specific core exercises are not any more beneficial than general exercise for low back pain. What we know is that exercise in general can help, and focusing on core muscles may provide some additional benefit.
Side To Side Rotations
This exercise will immediately challenge your core just by elevating your hands out with the additional load.
Its very important to not release the core brace until you put the weight back down.
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Benefits Of Doing Back And Abdominal Exercises
When your supporting muscles are weak or over-tight, they can suffer injuries which make them fail to support your spine as needed.
Besides, muscles with structural defects can lead to problems with your spine bone structure resulting from poor posture of your muscles.
The overall effect of this may be increased risk of back pain or even injuries which may be very challenging to deal with.
On you dont want your back to be injured, right?
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Consequently, having strong abdominal and back muscles can:
- Reduce the possibility of back pains.
- Reduce the severity of back pains, if any.
- Guard against injuries by responding efficiently to any stresses acting against the back.
- Help to avoid back surgeries resulting from constant stressing of the back muscles.
- Make the healing process from a back surgery fast and efficient.
- Help to improve posture.
Over the years medical experts all over the place have stressed the importance of having strong core supportive muscles to improve the overall body health.
But how do you build and strengthen these muscle?
Building a strong core can be achieved trough movements and poses in certain popular exercises such as various forms of yoga, Pilates, planks, or other bodyweight exercises.
There is also a ton of exercise equipment on the market mainly constructed to help you in strengthening your core.
The fact is:
medlineplus.gov Low back pain acute
Top 9 Core Stabilization Exercises For Low Back Pain
If you suffer from low back pain, youre in good company.
Two-thirds of America is right there with you and a third of them say low back pain has affected their ability to engage in tasks of daily living, exercise, and sleep .
Not only that, but 72 percent of people with back pain say they use pain medication to relieve their symptoms.
But are medications the only way to alleviate low back pain?
And what about prevention? We cant all be doomed to low back pain occurring at some point in our lives, right?
Right.
There is a way to relieve and prevent low back pain using exercises. Specifically, core stabilization exercises for low back pain.
Recommended Reading: Mayo Clinic Lower Back Pain Exercises
Move : Plank To Knee Tuck
If you dont have floor sliders, try paper plates or towels on a tiled or wood floor.
Lifting Weights May Help
Done properly, lifting weights doesn’t usually hurt your back. In fact, it may help relieve chronic back pain. But when you have acute back pain, putting extra stress on back muscles and ligaments could raise risk of further injury. Ask your doctor whether you should lift weights, and which exercises to avoid.
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Strength Conditioning Can Improve A Weak Core
Strength conditioning refers to the development of the major muscles of the body. It sometimes targets one specific area of the body or section of muscles that need more attention. If you suffer from a weak core, strength training with a concentration on the core muscles can greatly improve your symptoms and prevent back pain, poor posture, and breathing issues.
The Exercises You Should Avoid
Doing exercises are excellent to avoid lower back pains, -even though not all are beneficial.
As you start the exercises you may experience some mild discomfort, which is normal. The pain should go after a while as the muscles slowly adapts to the movement.
If the pain however do not let go during exercise, you should stop and seek medical advice or the help of a doctor.
The following are some of the exercises that aggravate pain, and which you need to avoid in most cases:
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Move : Weighted Wood Chop
Lessen the weight to make this exercise easier. You can even try holding a light item like a can of soup or book.
Exercises To Strengthen A Weak Core
Important coaching tip: If your core isnt fully developed, youll quickly start arching your back on the way down. You want to keep your back neutral and as flat as possible on the exercises done on the floor. A quick tip to help you achieve this is to bend your legs on the way down.
Would you like a done-for-you, beginner, core workout plan? Check out the Deep Core Mini-Training.
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Stage : Functional Retraining
Maintain inner and outer unit activation while adding in elements of reduced base of support, unsteady surface, specific functional activities and incorporating myofascial sling exercises
Lunge with Pull Down
TheraBand attached at the top of the door
Reverse lunge with pull down
2. The anterior oblique system consists of the internal and external obliques, connecting with contralateral adductor muscles via the adductor-abdominal fascia.
Oblique crunches with ball squeeze
-Squeeze a pillow between knees as you do a small crunch with slight rotation
-This sling is also very active during hill sprints and running on sand as it works to control movement at initial contact.
3. The deep longitudinal sling includes the erector spinae, multifidus, thoracolumbar facia, sacrotuberous ligament and the biceps femoris.
Single Leg Deadlift
-Keeping that knee slightly bent, perform a deadlift by bending at the hip, extending your free leg behind you for balance.
-Continue lowering as far as your balance allows, and then return to the upright position.
-As you improve lower until you are parallel to the ground.
4. The lateral sling consists of the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, tensor fascia latae and iliotibial band
Side Stepping with Squat
-Tie theraband around your knees
-Step to the side and then squat, keeping the knee over the ankle
Stability Ball Back Extension
Start facedown on a stability ball with feet resting on floor and core engaged so body forms a straight line. Keeping your back naturally arched, place hands behind ears and lower your upper body as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze glutes and engage back to and raise your torso until its in line with your lower body. Pause, then slowly lower your torso back to the starting position. Repeat for 12 to 15 reps.
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Move : Half Turkish Get
If you struggle to hold a weight overhead throughout the entire exercise, try using your body weight only. Or, practice with a light object like a water bottle or tennis ball until you get the hang of the movement. Once you master this variation, try the full Turkish get-up, which takes you all of the way to standing.
Is Pilates Safe For People With Back Pain
pilates is safe for people with back pain especially when you do clinical pilates with a trained physiotherapist or osteopath, as they are experts in the area of back pain and pilates.
More research is needed, but there is evidence to suggest that pilates can be very helpful for people who have lower back pain, whether or not their core is the cause of their back pain.
Regular pilates practice can help with posture, muscle tone, balance and joint mobility. It can also relieve stress and tension.
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Warning Signs Of A Weak Core
Your core muscles support and stabilize your spine.
When your core muscles are weak and dont engage right away when they should, your spine and hip joints bear the load.
In addition, microtears occur in the discs whenever you bend or twist without activating your deep core muscles.
How do you know if your core is weak and needs strengthening? Well, here are some of the most common symptoms of weak core muscles
Then, Ill also explain how to strengthen your inner core muscles so you can protect your back and eliminate lower back pressure and pain .
Limitations Of Included Studies
The studies included within the main meta-analysis had PEDro scores of 6, and as such were considered to have low bias. However, the main source of bias within the studies was blinding. No study blinded the therapist and few studies blinded the participants. Given that the pain and disability rating scales were patient self recorded it is possible that this could over estimate the treatment effect sizes. However blinding in active physiotherapy studies is difficult to achieve.
One of the limitations with long term follow-up of RCTs, particularly with exercise intervention, is the attrition rate. An uneven dropout has the risk of over estimating the effect size of treatment groups. For example Ferreira et al. had an uneven dropout rate, with 9% for the general exercise group and 19% for the stabilisation group. This could easily bias the results in favour of the stabilisation group.
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