Lower back pain
Back pain can be caused by pulled and strained muscles, erosion of the cartilage between vertebrae, aggravated nerve endings and even strained ligaments. The lower back consists of many interconnecting muscles, and it's often hard to pinpoint the cause. Some weightlifters have lower back pain because they overdevelop their upper back muscles at the expense of those in the lower back. Muscles also tighten with age. Fortunately, there are exercises that can help stretch and strengthen the lower back to alleviate pain.
Exercise and Back Pain
Whether your back pain is muscular or more severe, you can still exercise to build strength and alleviate pain. Most lower back exercises are designed to loosen up and strengthen surrounding muscles. Building strength in the legs, abdomen and buttocks can help support the lower back. This will help stabilize the area when you are sitting or engaged in physical activity.
Stretching Exercises For The Lower Back
A few simple stretching exercises can work wonders for lower back pain. Start making these lower back stretching exercises part of your weekly routine. Do them at least two to three times weekly. Spend three to eight minutes doing all of the exercises.
While lying on a hard floor, let your back naturally realign itself. Stay in this position for about a minute. Then, raise your arms overhead and hold that position for 30 seconds.
While still lying on the floor, bend your knees. Gently press your lower back against the floor. Do 10 to 25 repetitions, then relax. Do not attempt this exercise if the pain is too severe. This exercise builds strength in the lower back area.
Keeping your knees bent, squeeze the buttocks and hold for a second or two, then relax. Do 10 repetitions. This is another strength-building exercise.
Pull one knee toward your chest and hold a second. Extend the other leg out at the same time. Stretch the back muscle on one side, then repeat with the other leg. Repeat 10 times. Discontinue the exercise if pain is overbearing.
Staying in the same position, bring both knees up together and hold that position for a second or two. Drop your feet to the floor and repeat again. Do this 10 times.
The area between the middle and lower back is often an extremely tender area for back-pain sufferers. Lifting the buttocks off the floor and holding that position can strengthen that area. This relieves tension in the thoracolumbar fascia, a triangular tissue between the lower and middle back.
Find a comfortable area to kneel down. Place both hands on the floor. Slowly lift one leg up and extend it backwards. Do this with the other leg. This is a variation of the hyperextension, which can also build strength in the back. Hyperextensions can be done at the gym or at home. It is basically a reverse sit up.
Exercises Using Weights
Resistance exercise can also help to alleviate pain. It increases the blood flow to the area, which promotes healing. Start with the stretching exercises for the first two weeks. If your back is feeling better, add the following exercises.
Hyperextensions can be done on a Roman chair. Face forward on the equipment and brace your feet on the lower pads. Extend your upper body over the pad in front. You will be parallel to the floor. Slowly bend down and get a good stretch at the bottom. Lift your upper body up until it's again parallel to the floor. Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Lie face-down on a bed or flat surface. Extend your legs past the surface. Instead of moving your upper body as in the hyperextension exercise, lower your legs toward the floor, then lift them up. You may need to brace your upper body to do this exercise.
Tags: lower back, upper body, your upper, your upper body, alleviate pain, stretching exercises