How To Stretch And Strengthen Lower Back

Easy Exercises To Reduce Back Pain

Quick pain relief options

Regular back pain can make your life harder than it should be. If you have chronic pain, it may be difficult to exercise and can even cause stress. But did you know that there are things you can do to start feeling better?

Watch VA physical therapist Dr. Emma Shapiro share some exercises that may reduce your back pain.

Strengthen the bodys cornerstones

Your core muscles support good posture, breathing, and your back. Your core helps and supports all movements in your body. Strengthening these muscles can curb the chance of back pain.

One core strengthening exercise you can try is to lay on your back and raise your knees. Then, use one foot at a time to tap the ground. If thats too easy, you can try extending one leg at a time in the air. For lasting relief, try to add this to your routine.

Self-care for muscles

Stretching your muscles is a great way to avoid injuries and pain. One good stretch for your lower back muscles is laying down and putting your feet on the floor. Lift one leg and cross it over your other bent knee. Hold your leg there, feeling the stretch in your lower back. Repeat this exercise for your other leg. Its important not to stretch too far, or it could cause an injury.

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Lower Back Pain Stretches Overview

This article provides a guide to stretches that can help alleviate back pain, ranging from simple stretches that can be done at home to more advanced stretches that may require the guidance of a physical therapist. These stretches may be helpful for people dealing with mild discomfort or chronic pain and can improve quality of life.

How Can Stretching Alleviate Lower Back Pain

Stretching can help prevent lower back pain, especially when coupled with a regimen of core-strengthening exercises, says Mikulsky. Your bodys core contains muscles that provide support to the pelvis and spinal segments.

Stretching the lower back can be helpful in realigning the spinal structures or decompressing the joint, says Mikulsky. For example, completing a knee-to-chest stretch can help decrease excessive inward curvature of the spine and help open the joints to reduce compression on the bony structures.

Not all stretches for lower back pain are ideal for everyone, though. Its important to consult your doctor before implementing a stretching routine for lower back pain.

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The Most Systematic Program: Back Pain Sos

The Back Pain SOS program is a comprehensive approach to relieving back pain that includes stretches, self-care techniques, and breathing exercises to increase circulation and oxygen to the soft tissue. It is divided into two sections based on pain intensity and includes a section on maintaining a positive mindset for healing.

It was developed by Olympic Recovery Specialist Virgil Pruteanu and included a stretch based on the poop protocols used by the Himalayan army, which has been shown to effectively relieve pain in various individuals, including those with severe pain who have been able to leave their wheelchair permanently.

Full Article: Back Pain SOS Review 2022: Does it Really Work?

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Supine Figure 4 Stretch

This classic yoga pose helps open up the hips as much as it is good for massaging your low back. This pose stretches the outer glutes, as well as your piriformis, both of which can contribute to a tight lower back, says Hilary Wright, Y7 instructor and director of continuing education.

How to do a supine figure 4 stretch: Lie on your back on a yoga mat with both knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Lift your right leg, flex your right foot and cross your right ankle over your left thigh. If this is enough stay here, or draw your left knee in and hold behind your left thigh to increase the intensity. Hold for 10 to 15 breaths and then switch to the other side.

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Knee To Chest Stretch

While lying on your back with both knees straight, bend one knee and hug that knee towards your chest . Hold 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side. Also, try hugging both knees to your chest at the same time so that you make a small ball. While doing this, allow your lower back to relax by taking several slow breaths.

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Can You Hurt Your Back Exercising

Exercise is generally good for your back and should reduce pain, but its also possible to hurt it while working out. Dont let the risk of injury or pain stop you or a client from exercising, but do focus on safe practices.

The primary ways you risk hurting your back during a workout include poor form and overdoing it. Incorrect form can stress or even injure muscles. Using too much weight too soon can do the same. Another potential issue is failing to warm up before starting. Going into an exercise with cold muscles can lead to an injury.

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Which of these five back flexibility exercises will you be trying first? Let us know in the comments below.

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% Of People Will Experience Back Pain At Some Time But There Are Ways To Find Relief

As people enter middle age, they are more likely to experience bouts of low back pain. In fact, according to the Harvard Special Health Report Mens Health: Fifty and Forward, back pain affects about four in five Americans at some point in their lives and equally strikes men and women.

Age is often the culprit. Over time, the bones and joints in your lower back begin to change. Your discs tend to wear out and sometimes become fragmented. These structural alterations sometimes cause pain.

Another cause of low back pain, although it occurs less often, is a herniated disc. Sometimes, a disc pushes outside the space between the bones and compresses a nerve at the point where it branches off the spinal cord. When the sciatic nerve that leads into the buttocks and leg is affected, the pain is called sciatica.

Yet, most cases of low back pain stem from strain or sprain due to simple overuse, unaccustomed activity, excessive lifting, or an accident. In most cases the best move is to wait and see if the pain resolves on its own. If the pain does not improve after three to four days, then its time to see a doctor.

However, depending on the source of your back pain and its severity, you might try a few home remedies for low back pain to help ease the pain until your back returns to normal. Here are several options to consider:

Complementary therapies. Several types of complementary therapy may be helpful for relief from low back pain. These include:

Dont Forget To Stretch

Especially for clients with lower back pain and tension, stretching is as important as strengthening. Try a gentle stretch routine after a workout and that your clients can use throughout the day to relieve pain:

• Knee-to-chest. Lying on your back, pull your left knee toward your chest. Hold the leg against the chest to get a stretch in the lower back. Repeat with the other leg.

• Rotations. Also lying down, bend the knees with feet flat on the floor. Stretch the arms out to each side, perpendicular to the body. Keeping them together, drop the knees to the right and repeat on the left. Let the lower back twist while keeping the upper back and shoulders as flat and anchored to the floor as possible.

• Pelvic tilts. Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. To tilt the pelvis, arch the lower back and hold it up off the floor, then release. This is a small movement, but effective in releasing lower back muscles.

Everything is connected. To strengthen the entire posterior chain of the body, try this 30-minute workout.

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Modified Seated Side Straddle

The seated side straddle exercise stretches the hamstring, the abductors, and the extensor muscles in the middle and lower back. The seated side straddle requires a person to follow these steps:

• Step 1: Sit with both legs flat against the floor and extended out in front of the body. The feet should be far enough apart that the legs form a V shape.
• Step 2: Bend the left leg, bringing the left foot up to touch the right knee and letting the left knee fall out away from the body.
• Step 3: Keeping the back straight, bend from the hips and reach forward toward the toes of the right foot.
• Step 4: Slowly round the spine, bringing the hands toward the right ankle or shin while lowering the head as close as possible to the right knee.
• Step 5: Hold the position for 30 seconds, then relax for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
• Step 6: Perform 56 repetitions.

Exercises To Strengthen Lower Back And Core Muscles

If you suffer from lower back pain, youre not alone nearly 80% of adults experience low-back pain at some point in their lives.

Some of the most common causes for low back pain include: pulling a muscle in the low back, overuse, poor posture, improper lifting technique and excessive sitting.

Its been shown in research that if youre looking to reduce your low back pain youll need to strengthen your low back muscles and your core muscles.

Its important that you focus on strengthening both the smaller, deep muscles, as well as the outer muscles All these muscles work together to help stabilize your spine and pelvis which in turn will reduce low back pain, stabilize your spine, and prevent injuries.

Some of the muscles that are essential to strengthen include:Transverse abdominis Deep core muscleQuadratus Lumborum

The following exercises will address these muscles

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Find Out Why Stretching Is So Important For People With Back Pain And Neck Pain And How To Stretch Correctly

During a bout of back pain, the last thing you might want to do is exercise. But for some people, it’s just what the doctor ordered. While we all know that regular exercise is important for our overall health, stretching is often an overlooked component of our routine. For people with back pain, stretching exercises are especially important because they can help reduce back pain and may even help prevent future episodes of pain or injury. Correct technique is essential. Read on to find out why stretching is so important for people with back pain and neck pain and how to stretch correctly.

Stretching exercises are especially important because they can help reduce back pain and may even help prevent future episodes of pain or injury.

Why Should I Stretch?The spine is a complex structure comprised of , ligaments, tendons, and bones. It’s designed to move side-to-side and front to back, as well as carry the bulk of the body’s weight. That’s why it’s so important to keep all its parts in good working order.

Regular stretching exercises help keep muscles and ligaments flexible. They can also reduce stress on joints and improve the flow of blood and nutrients throughout the body. Without it, stiffness, limitation of movement, and pain can occur or increase.

Good StretchingTo get the maximum benefit from stretching, proper technique is essential. It’s also an important way to avoid injury. Keep the following stretching tips in mind:

Neck Stretch

Why Worry About Low Back Strength

If youre interested in being fit and healthy, you want to strengthen all the bodys muscles. Many people overlook the lower back, though. The focus of strength training is often on legs, glutes, abs, and arms.

Aside from simply having overall good fitness, there are several reasons to target the lower back when building strength:

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When To See A Doctor For Back Pain

Most of the time, minor back pain responds well to home remedies. But sometimes, back pain is a sign of another medical condition. Seek medical care if the back pain:

• Comes on suddenly without an obvious cause.
• Is severe or unbearable.
• Lasts more than a day or two and doesnt respond to over-the-counter painkillers.
• Comes with other symptoms like fatigue or weight loss.

What kind of doctor should you see for back pain? Start with your primary care physician, who can rule out conditions that may be causing the pain, Dr. Bolash says. A pain management or spine specialist is an option for people who have severe or ongoing pain. A specialist can often work toward identifying the source of your pain and provide targeted treatment options.

Another option is to ask your doctor about seeing a spine-certified physical therapist. These therapists specialize in back pain and guide you through exercises to help relieve your specific issue.

Back pain is your bodys way of telling you somethings wrong. If the pain doesnt get better with home remedies, dont ignore it contact your doctor.

Sitting Stretches For Lower Back Pain That You Can Do At Your Desk

Youre at your desk at work, and your lower back begins to send shooting pain all the way up to your neck. Youre practically cringing in pain, but you dont necessarily want to be that person at the office who just busts out a downward dog next to the water cooler. While I have definitely and shamelessly been that person, I know youre probably on the lookout for some low-key sitting stretches for lower back pain you can do at your desk without making it look like youre preparing for a Hamilton audition in your cubicle.

First of all, what exactly is going on in your back when youre sitting at your desk all day to make it ache like that? Joan Vernikos, a former NASA scientist and author of Designed to Move: The Science-Backed Program to Fight Sitting Disease and Enjoy Lifelong Health, told Thrillist that she discovered that prolonged sitting can lead to the same negative health effects on the body like muscle and bone degeneration and soreness that astronauts experience after being in microgravity:

Basically, being at work all day is kind of like being an astronaut. Neat, right? She added that, when you sit a lot, the muscles have weakened and the vertebrae start collapsing, squeezing the padding and nerves between the discs. This is a huge source of pain.

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Is It Okay To Do Yoga With Lower Back Pain

If you have any history of lower back injuries, problems with your discs, or experience pain that lasts more than 72 hours without improving, Dr. Cyrelson suggests seeing a physical therapist before doing any exercises. If you have an issue that requires medical attention, it’s best to address it before it becomes worse.

If your lower back pain is more of a general achiness or discomfort, though, it’s worth trying some yoga stretches to address any tightness and alignment issues. Stretches like childs pose and downward dog are particularly good because they provide a sense of relief, not just in the lower back but also throughout all your back musclesalleviating any tight spots.

First A Few Quick Tips

Stretch your lower back with safety and care. Be especially gentle and cautious if you have any type of injury or health concern. Its best to talk with your doctor first before starting any new types of exercise.

You can do these stretches once or twice a day. But if the pain seems to get worse, or youre feeling very sore, take a day off from stretching.

Be mindful of your bodys limits and dont push your body to do too much. Listen to your body and do what feels best for you in each moment.

As you go through these stretches, take your time and pay close attention to your breathing. Use your breath as a guide to make sure you dont strain or overdo it. You should be able to breathe comfortably and smoothly throughout each pose or stretch.

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How To Improve Flexibility And Strength

There are lots of simple stretches and exercises you can do to improve flexibility and strength in your lower back.

Focus on lengthening and extending the spine. This helps to relieve compression in the lower back. Stretching the hamstrings is also beneficial.

In addition, you should choose exercises that focus on working the hips, core, and gluteal muscles.

Doing daily activities such as walking, swimming, or yoga is recommended. Put forth dedicated effort into being active as often as possible. Consistently doing exercises and activities to loosen up your lower back will usually yield positive results within a few weeks.

Here are nine exercises you can add to your daily routine to help strengthen your lower back and improve flexibility.

This exercise increases flexibility, relieves tension, and helps to loosen the lower back and hip muscles. You can also engage your core muscles if comfortable.

Muscles used: