Back Pain Exercises For Lower, Upper Back And Neck
With regards to , there are two reasons why you should be considering exercises. First one is prevention, because exercises for lower and upper back will strengthen them and make them much more resistant to injury. Most common cause of back problems is weakness in the “core muscles”. Muscles of the back, abdomen, hip and buttocks together form a group called core muscles and one of their main roles is to stabilize the spine.
The second reason is active rehabilitation of your back, where instead of just lying around in your bed (which can actually undermine your healing process), you and your doctor come up with a list of the best back pain exercises for you to do, to speed up your recovery. You must not take matters in your own hands. You need a professional`s opinion in tailoring a rehabilitation program suited for you and your needs.
Most well known pain exercises for both man and women are and . The goal of McKenzie exercises is to extend the spine though various exercises and reduce pain. In theory, extending the spine should alleviate the pressure to the discs themselves and reduce the herniation. Whit the Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization, therapist tries to position the patient`s spine in such matter that he/she feels no pain. Then the patient and his muscles are learned how to maintain such position.
McKenzie Exercises
As we`ve said before, are designed to help displaced discs move back into their original position, thus reducing pain, and the best part is that these exercises can be performed at home. One more good thing is that these exercises don`t require any equipment and you can do them few times a day, maybe in the morning, noon and evening.
These exercises are divided into five stages. So take your time, first read this article, find out everything about those exercises and, hopefully, by the end of your session you will feel relief.
First Stage
First thing you need to do is to lie down, facing the floor. You can place your arms by your side or raise them up to your head. Make sure you are comfortable, if you are not you can place a small pillow under your belly. Keep this position for 5 minutes.
Second Stage
After 5 minutes pass it is time to change your position. Raise your chin slightly and place your arms in front of you, flexed at the elbows with your forearms flat to the ground. You can see the photo below. Keep this position for another 5 minutes.
Third Stage
At this stage things are a bit more complex, you will be doing something referred to as Cobra Pushups. You need to place your arms beneath your shoulders, raise your chest up while keeping your hips down. I have added a video demonstration so you can check it out below. You need to repeat this “pushup” 10 times.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4c4SiJUN5Y
Fourth Stage
After you are finished, place 2 or 3 pillows (depending on your comfort level) under your chest and relax for 10 minutes.
Fifth Stage
The final back exercise in this series is a somewhat intimidating, especially for those of you with severe pain. You need to stand up, feet hip wide, arms flexed in the elbows pressing on your . While in this position, lean back and lift your chest. Keep this extended position for about 30 seconds and repeat. Repeat a few times, based on your comfort level.
Dynamic Lumbar Stabilization Exercises
These exercises are fun to do and most of them have funny names so will definitely help. All jokes a side, they are good not just for helping you and your back and relieve pain, they can also help you be more prepared and fit for normal daily activity as well as sport.
I will be listing only a few exercises so pay attention.
Starting Position
Starting position for all the exercises will be lying on your stomach, facing the floor, and for your own comfort you can place a pillow under your hips and a towel under your head. Repeat each exercise 10 times while position holding time should be around 5 seconds.
First Exercise
Extend your arms in front of you and lift each arm 10 times, holding it up for 5. If you find this exercise to be to easy, consult your doctor about adding some weight.
Second Exercise
Arms extended in front, like in the first one, but this time raise both arms. You can also add more weight if you desire.
Third Exercise
This time you will be extending your arms only for balance purposes since you will be raising your leg. Once again, 10 times each leg with 5 second hold.
Fourth Exercise
Yes, you guessed it, raise both legs. You might find this a bit more challenging but just don’t give up.
Fifth Exercise
This is a tricky one, since you will be raising opposite arm and leg at the same time. It may sound challenging but you will get the hang of it quickly.
Sixth Exercise
Finally, we come to the last exercise for today, I will not trouble you anymore. Now what you need to do is to lift both legs and both arms and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times and we are done! I saved the best for last, but that still shouldn’t be too much of a problem for most of you guys. Feel free to add weights, but please, consult with your doctor first, I don’t want you to cause further injury just because you wanted to prove yourself that you can lift 10,15,20 pounds.
So there you have it, simple, easy exercises for lower and as well as upper back pain you can do in the comfort of your own home. I am preparing more exercise articles so be alert, you never know when I might surprise you.
