Corrective Exercise for Low Back Pain
Low back pain is one of the most common injuries a person may experience. It also happens to be a common job-related injury and a major cause of missed workdays. As a personal trainer, understanding how to use corrective exercise effectively is key to helping my clients who experience the frustrations of low back pain.
There are various types of lower back pain, so be sure you understand your injury. All injuries should be evaluated by a medical professional. One should never simply “push through the pain.” On the other end, there are many injuries that should NOT keep you from working out and will actually become worse if you move and/or exercise less.
Now, read on to learn more about some of the common causes of lower back pain and what you can do to help yourself improve your fitness and lessen the pain.
Causes of Low Back Pain
To understand why you may be experiencing low back pain it is important to fully understand what can affect you. Typically, low back pain is experienced in the lumbar spine. With that, the lumbar spine and the thoracic spine work together, so if something is off in your thoracic spine it could be impacting your lower back.
Another, and more likely, cause of back pain is tight hip flexors, glutes, piriformis, or any combination of those muscles. Most days, all day, most people sit, putting your hip flexor muscles into a shortened position. This also can make the glutes work harder and become tight. All of this over time will put excess pressure on the low back.
Finally, assess your posture. If you slouch forward with your shoulders rolling forward, likely from sitting at a computer all day, you could be putting extra tension on your low back. This again leads to tight hip flexors which causes the low back to work harder than necessary.
Corrective Exercises
To combat some of these common causes of low back pain, consider adding a corrective exercise program to your training plan. The following corrective exercises for lower back pain are excellent options to include in your programming.
Foam Rolling
Thoracic Spine
A great place to start is right from the top—foam rolling the thoracic spine. Especially for people who sit all day, work on computers, or are on a smartphone device, this can be a huge benefit. To start, position the foam roller between your shoulder blades horizontally. Then place your hands behind your head as if you were doing a crunch or sit-up. Next, you will lift your hips off the ground and begin to roll towards the head ensuring to not go past the shoulders and then back down to the starting spot. If you feel a pressure spot, you should hold that spot for about 20 seconds.
Hip Flexor
Begin face-down on a mat, with the foam roller placed just under your hip on one side. You will use your forearms to hold your body off the ground and keep the leg extended straight out. You will then roll up and down. The hip flexors are a small area, so you only need to move a few inches in each direction. If you find a tender spot, you should hold that spot for about 20 seconds. Then switch sides.
Stretching
Knees to Chest
This exercise is designed to help stretch not only the lower back but also the hamstrings and glutes. Start by laying on your back on the ground. Then, keeping one leg straight out, you will grab your other leg behind the knee and pull it toward your chest until a light stretch is felt. As you are doing this, you will want to make sure your low back stays flat on the ground. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds and then switch sides. This can be repeated up to four times based on how you feel.
Outer Hip Stretch
Start in a seated position with your legs extended out in front of you. Bend the left knee and cross it over your right thigh, keeping your left foot flat on the ground. you’ll put your left hand on the ground next to you for support, using the right hand to hug the left knee. Next, rotate your core to the left, ensuring your head and spine stay in properly lengthened positions. Hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds and then switch sides. This can be repeated up to three times based on how you feel.
Strengthening Exercises
Floor Bridge
The floor bridge is one of the most common exercises to help strengthen the muscles when lower back pain is present. To start, lay on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Arms should be by your side with palms facing up toward the ceiling. Keeping a tight and engaged core, you will lift your hips while squeezing your glutes and pressing your feet into the floor. Hold the position at the top for 3-5 seconds and then slowly lower back down to the ground. Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.
Quadruped
Start on your hands and knees, with the hands directly below the shoulders and the knees directly below the hips. Then, slowly raise the left arm and the right leg, extending straight out at the same time. Create a straight line from your fingertip to the heel of the foot. Hold that position for 3-5 seconds. The core, glutes, and hamstrings should all be engaged and tight here. Then you’ll slowly lower back to the starting position and switch sides. Repeat for 12-16 total repetitions.
A Corrective Exercise Specialist will be able to assess you and create a program best suited for you. This should only be done once you are cleared for exercise by a medical professional.
Reference:
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