Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Article by Dan Eitreim

Back exercises for lower back pain can be classified into two main categories…those for an injured back, and those that are meant to prevent injury. Both are important.

Lower back pain can be a real problem, and millions of people suffer from it every year, in fact, according to an article on “More than 50 million Americans deal with chronic pain, at a cost of more than $ 100 billion annually.”

The main problem is that the lower back (the lumbar region) is particularly susceptible to injury. It is the area that is tasked with supporting all of our body’s weight bearing activities.

If the muscles are allowed to get weak or inflexible, injury occurs. Starting a program of back exercises for lower back pain should be a priority for all of us.

Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain – The Injured Back

Unfortunately there will be times when you pull or strain your back, and you will suffer from lower back discomfort. The biggest culprits are when we undertake a strenuous physical activity (like some sort of sporting activity) without properly warming up and stretching first. Another big cause of injury is when we lift a – too heavy – weight with our back muscles and not our legs.

It hurts – big time – and all we want to do is get some rest and crawl into bed. But, that is a big mistake. Medical professionals now believe that you need to move to improve. Not moving will allow the muscles to stiffen as well as become weaker making the recovery time much longer as well as increasing the possibility of further injury.

In the beginning moving and exercising may be uncomfortable, however it will help you to recover far quicker. But you have to take care to do the correct back exercises for lower back pain…. These back pain exercises have to be gentle, and help to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your back, which will give you lower back pain relief and help to speed recovery.

The back exercises for lower back pain that you need to do can be done at home with no special equipment making them ideal.

To avoid further injury, you will need to gently stretch your back. Take care to never cause any pain – you should only stretch to a comfortable position. Begin the exercises slowly, and over time and as your back begins to heal, extend the stretches and the amount of time that you perform them. Your target is to stretch to a comfortable position, and hold it for at least 20 seconds.

As you continue doing stretches every day, you will find your flexibility rapidly increases…this will go a long way to prevent future injury.

Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain – Don’t Bounce!

Take care to gently stretch and hold the position…too many people bounce or jerk into position which is not beneficial as a stretch and can cause injury.

If you are in a chair at a desk or table you can easily perform the chair stretch, and ensure that your back is being exercised. By leaning forward in the chair you are stretching your lower back, but being gentle in the process. Holding this position for at least 20 seconds, and repeating it three times is beneficial.

With any sort of exercise, if you feel that your back is getting worse, or there is in fact more pain you will need to stop the exercises immediately. However, by taking reasonable care, this rarely happens and you will begin to feel better very quickly.

Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain – Preventative Exercises

The cat stretch is another very popular and easy exercise to perform on your back, and can help to release all of the tension that has built up.

You will need to get down on all fours, and arch your back while contracting your stomach muscles, and letting your head drop. As you let your back drop you will need to raise your head. Repeating this exercise three times can ensure that your back is being stretched.

As a side benefit…this one can also work to strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles which will help prevent future injury. Not to mention that it feels good and gets the blood flowing! It can be an invigorating way to start (or even end) the day.

Lunges, sit ups, and torso twists are also very good back exercises for lower back pain, and all of these can be done daily. Don’t neglect the abdominal muscles. They play a key role in back support!

Even if you are not suffering from lower back pain at the moment, by keeping your back exercised it can prevent injuries in the future. As a precaution…Take care to stretch and warm up before any strenuous physical activities – and make it a point to lift with your legs!

Staying flexible, strong, and using back exercises for lower back pain whenever there is a problem…and you will soon be back pain free.

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The Best Back Exercise

 

If you are looking to develop strength in your back then there are a variety of different exercises you can pursue. Most people will attempt to put together a mixture of rows, pull ups, and shrugs, but the single best back exercise to develop strength is by far the dead lift. This is a challenging but incredibly rewarding exercise to attempt, and will help you greatly strengthen your lower back, as well as giving benefit to your legs, core, and shoulders. In today’s article we are going to look at why this is the case, and what the exact benefits of the dead lift are.

Simply put, the dead lift is the most effective exercise for developing lower back strength. It allows you to maintain a rigid back under strain, and this in turn helps you with both power transfer and safety, two elements that are critical in most athletic endeavors.  Why is lower back strength critical for your body? Think of your core.

When people think ‘core’, they think usually about your abdominal muscles, but they must be partnered by equally strong lower back muscles.

The reason is simple. A tight and rigid lower back allows you to transfer power through your trunk. The muscles of your core and back function in this through isometric contraction, which means that they remain tense and rigid when used, so as to prevent your skeleton from moving or shifting under the pressure of the weight. A rigid trunk allows you to use your legs and hips to transfer power to your shoulders, allowing your lift and carry loads of far greater weight than you would otherwise be able to handle.

How do you perform the deadlift? It looks simple, but has many subtleties. At its most simplest, you pull the barbell off the ground, pulling it up the length of your legs with straight arms until you lock your knees, hips and shoulders, the bar resting against your thigh.

In this fashion you can lift incredible amounts of weight. The world record for how much has been lifted is 461.3 kg, which is a little over 1,000 lbs by Benedikt Magnusson.

It is hard to emphasize how strong a man is when he can lift that much weight. Lifting massive amounts of weight like that can absolutely wear a man out, and that is why proper technique is absolutely essential if you are going to perform at your best.

 

 

Back Muscle Exercises for a V-Shaped Torso

Article by The Health Reporter

When it involves the physical qualities that attract women constantly, the V-formed torso arrives on top from the list. But many men finish up neglecting this unique characteristic by investing far a lot of time building their chest, biceps, and abs. To actually obtain a V-formed torso, you will need to focus on part of the body that many men don’t stress: their backs. Below are the most useful back muscle exercises to construct a stylish body.The Pull-up: The Large KahunaThe most crucial back strengthening exercise you could have inside your routine may be the pull-up. This movement is really as necessary to people as swimming would be to whales and sprints would be to cheetahs. We are made to climb over objects, tugging our physiques track of the effectiveness of our backs and arms.You’ve doubtless done several if you visited a public school having a sports and physical education class. But just in case you’ll need a refresher, end up a pull-up bar or another sturdy object that may securely support unwanted weight. Grab about it by having an overhand grip shoulder width apart. With control, pull yourself up to your face is parallel using the bar and release yourself down again to be able to perform one repetition.The Sumo Deadlift High PullOne exercise that regrettably will get neglected in many guys’ tries to develop a strong back may be the sumo deadlift high pull. This really is unfortunate because it is a very good way to construct strength inside your traps and is a superb “gateway movement” when you are learning the olympic lifts from the snatch and also the neat and jerk.To carry out a sumo deadlift high pull, begin as if you had been going to carry out a regular deadlift, but have a slightly wider stance. Deadlift the load up, but get your shoulders and into the movement using the momentum produced in the lift and tugging the barbell as much as just underneath your face. Release it with control down to accomplish one repetition.CleansThe cleans really are a large number of exercises that have one factor in keeping: they require tugging fat loss up from either the ground or hanging out of your arms as much as relaxation at the shoulders. To be able to perform this compound movement, you have to pull the bar in midair, which requires you to definitely engage your back muscles.Pull-ups, sumo deadlift high pulls, and cleans are three of the greatest back muscle exercises, however the important factor you have to remember is the fact that any movement which involves tugging or climbing will engage your shoulder muscles too. So remember about rowing or rope increases either!Learn more on how to get that sexy V-Shaped Torso.

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Dumbbell Back Exercises

If you want to develop your back muscles, it isn’t necessary that you get a gym subscription and spend tons of money. Even though its nice to have access to those machines, as they will perform the job perfectly, they aren’t required. There are some very good exercises that you can perform using dumbbells. The dumbbells offer a big range of movement than machines do and will allow you to develop one side of your body at a time. Some really helpful exercises for the back are described below.

Exercise 1: Dumbbell rows

This exercise doesn’t take much in terms of materials: some dumbbells and a bench are perfect.

1. Stand up straight while next to the bench.
2. Keeping your upper body in line with the floor, place one of your hands and one knee on the bench.
3. Extend one arm while holding a dumbbell in the same arm.
4. Raise the dumbbell up to your waist without moving your back.
5. Bring the dumbbell slowly to the start position and do as many reps as you want to.
6. Redo the exercise for your alternate arm.

To do this exercise, a bench isn’t required. However, the dumbbells will be necessary.

1. Bend your knees a tad bit while making the distance between your feet about shoulder width.
2. Lower the dumbbells down to your legs while you bend your knees and the lower part of your back.
3. Keeping a flat back, arch inward only your lower back a bit.
4. Keep your back in the aforementioned position and your head up while you stand up.

Exercise 3: Dumbbell Bent Over Row

To do this exercise, you’ll still want dumbbells, just like the last exercise, but no bench is required. 1. Stand up tall and separate your feet at the same distance as your hips are wide while your knees are at a slight bend.
2. Bend at your waist while keeping your back straight. Then, make your palms face each other, and grab a dumbbell in each hand while letting loose your arms. While doing this, make your arms point straight down towards the floor.
3. Holding both elbows next to you, raise your dumbbells to your body and squeeze both your shoulder blades together.
4. Slowly return to the start position and repeat for the number of repetitions that you want.

The correct stance and technique while you do back exercises are extremely important as you might hurt your back if you aren’t vigilant while doing the exercises. Warming up both before and after doing dumbbell back exercises is vital.

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McKenzie Exercises in Low Back Pain- Systemic Review

The concept of health care is very essential in the whole world to all the people as health is one of the basic needs of human beings. From a general definition, healthcare or health is the act of treating or prevention of diseases in human beings. As a field like any other fields, health care is offered by specialists and professionals in medicine and other fields like dentistry, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy. All over the world especially in the United States of America there are political issues that surround the provision of health care that brought about increased debate in the public arena. As a result of this, the process of health care provision is left to the professionals and hence has been made to look like a business in this country.

In this study, the concept of medical health care will be looked in details by addressing the importance of exercises in relieving back pain among patients. On this basis, in order to competently tackle this question research will be conducted among the back pain patients within the Anglia Ruskin University. This study will outline the advantages or importance of McKenzie exercises in low back pain among the patients. In line to this, other aspects that are considered in reduction of back pain among patients will be discussed as will be illustrated in the literature review. It is of importance to note that, the main aim of this study is to provide solutions to patients with back pain by providing encouragements to them on how they can take part in any kind of exercise for their own benefits.  Studies have indicated that patients with persistent back pain should be intervened with psychosocial factors. On this basis, therefore a comparison will be made between the psychosocial therapy and physical therapy in the treatment and prevention of back pain among patients. In this case, the physical therapy will be derived from the McKenzie Approach to back pain.

From a wide range of evidences, patients with back pains are encouraged to resume to their daily activities as soon as they are released from the hospitals in order to help them reduce their pain related disabilities. The main aim of conducting this research is to add to the limited knowledge on how this reduction of pain related disabilities would be achieved among the patients. It should be noted that, there are some other ways of reducing back pain which include behavioral interventions and psychological factors. In this case, most of the studies that have been conducted have concentrated on these two methods which have resulted to limited evidences in physical methods of reducing back pain. This study therefore intends to widely outline the physical method as portrayed by McKenzie and its effectiveness. It is of more importance to note that, the management approaches that are based on physical exercises and cognitive behavioral principles are said to be more effective in reducing functional disability in back pain.

From this it can be argued that, physiotherapy is more effective in reduction of back pain than psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. This is because when a patient engages him/herself in exercise the whole body is pronounced health and hence the spinal cord is in a position to get adequate flexibility. As a result of this, it would be more advisable if these patients would be allowed to resume to their normal activities once they are freed from the hospitals. As it will be evident in this study, researches have indicated that McKenzie Approach is one of the best and hence most commonly used approach by physiotherapists in the management of back pain among patients. The main reason for this is that, McKenzie physical approach is a biomechanical method that is usually based on the categorization of the conditions and patients’ directional preferences that act as a guide to the prescription of particular physical exercises. Basically, this method has earned a lot of support from various physiotherapists as the patient is typically enabled to take great control of his/her situation. Additionally, this method is consistent from the prescription of the doctor where the patient is advised to continue practicing until he/she perfects.  Despite the fact that there are limited evidences in support of its effectiveness, it has been proved as the best method in the reduction of back pain.

It is of great significance to note that, when the doctor’s prescription are followed accordingly there will be great changes that will be experienced between two patients with back pain where one uses physiotherapy approach while the other one uses psychotherapy approach. In this case, the aspect of exercising is long run as it will keep the whole body fit. Additionally, the core cause of the spinal cord pain is a determining factor of which method of pain reduction should be used. This study will prove the hypothesis by making a critical comparison between the two approaches. From the results that are obtained in this study, different people especially the victims of spinal cord pain and doctors will benefit in the treatment of back pain.

2.0 Problem statement of the study

Globally, many people have been affected by the low back pain which is believed to affect more than 80% of people at some stages in their lives. It should be noted that, the low back pain is believed to bring about more sick leaves and disabilities among the patients than any other medical condition. As a result of this, this medical condition has triggered a lot of interest among many doctors all over the world.  The most interesting factor about this medical condition that increases the need for research is that it can be acute, sub-acute or even chronic in nature. This aspect has increased the number of people dying from this medical condition in the whole world and hence greater need for research.  Notably, if no sharp and active measures are taken within the onset of low back pain the symptoms usually show significant improvement within few weeks.

Studies have indicated that low back pain is caused by factors that originate from the musculoskeletal complications which are referred to as non specific low back pain. It should be noted that, this type of complication may be as a result of muscle or soft tissues sprain or even strain. This happens in most cases where pain arose suddenly when the back of a human body is physically loaded with the pain lateral to the spine. According to studies, more than 99% of low back pain cases are associated with this category. From this it can be argued that, there is great need of treating and even preventing this medical complication as it affects a very high percentage of population in the whole world.

The concept of overacting of the muscles in a human body especially the back can result to an injured or torn tendon in the back which is a possible cause of low back pain. Addition, when an injury occurs to the intervertebral discs causing disc tear or disc herniation; it is termed as a possible cause of low back pain.  Further, there are some individuals who experience low back pain as a result of age. In this case, when age increases the discs start diminish and shrink in size which is an aspect that causes vertebrae and facets joints rubbing against one another.  Notably, the vertebrae in a human body are forced to move much more than they are supposed to move as a result of age. In some cases, pain is generated through lumbar spinal stenosis, sciatica, and scoliosis.

The most preferable prevention method used in low back pain is engagement in physical exercises which prevent any recurrence of non-acute pain. On the other hand, there are other methods that are used in management of low back pain which include self care like application of cold, heat and continued activity within the limits of pain. Additionally, engagement in physical activities helps in recovering. On this basis, patients are encouraged to continue performing some physical activities which will help in relaxing their back. It should be noted that, when the back is relatively relaxed it would be more appropriate for patients to be relieved from low back pain. It should be noted that, in most cases the aerobic exercises are very essential in restoring the body motion especially the spinal cord and hence aiding it in functioning well. This is a condition that is most applicable in the reduction of low back pain among patients.

In order to determine the possible solution to the low back pain, it is advisable to learn more on the anatomy of the area of concentration. In this case, this anatomy will help in explaining the possible causes of low back pain which will therefore be a starting point in the provision of the best solutions. As indicated in the McKenzie approach concerning this area, the anatomy of the human being’s back provide a good room for improvement of the functionality of the spinal cord especially when physical exercises are involved. The reason as to why many people in the whole world are affected by this medical condition is because there are different methods of treating it and preventing it but most of them do not provide the best solution to this medical complication. In this case, physical exercises are best suited in the treating and preventing the low back pain since the bony lumbar spine is designed in a way that the vertebrae stacked together can offer a movable support structure while at the same time preventing the spinal cord from any injury. In this case, this aspect of mobility is very essential in the spinal cord. Basically, physical exercises aids in improving this mobility and hence in one way or the other preventing the spinal cord from being injured.

Importantly, the low back pain is very serious because in severe stages one can lose control of the bladder and bowel function which is usually referred to as cauda equine syndrome. On this basis, this is a very serious syndrome that needs to be treated with immediate surgery so to reduce the risks of permanent problems. Doctors have indicated that, low back pain can result to permanent problems which typically lead to disabilities. As indicated earlier, low back pain is one of the medical problems that result to increased disabilities among the patients and hence need to be treated immediately it is detected.  It is of importance to note that, when low back pain is severe it creates a room for other medical complications which make it very serious in human beings. In this case, the low back pain usually makes a patient to be less comfortable in undertaking the daily activities as it is required of him/her. As a result of this aspect of lack of comfort the victim becomes depressed which may results to severe depression.

Notably, any human being who is feeling some pain in any part of the body is always unable to perform other duties accordingly and hence low back pain is rated as one of the medical complications that reduce the effectiveness of an individual in the normal activities. In most cases, severe instances of low back pain are experienced where the pain start radiating to the legs meaning that the victim is having disc involvement in the spine. Most importantly, the disc can bulge or even rupture especially when spinal nerves get involved. As a result of this, there can be other complications in the bladder and bowels. On this basis, when a patient experiences pain and constipation or even any alteration in the bowels or and bladder it is advisable to look for immediate aid from a health care professional. Basically these associated complications are the root cause of the severity of low back pain in human beings. Doctors and other health professionals have come to realize that a lot of problems are caused by low back pain and hence victims are recommended to take the best measures in its reduction.  As a result of this problems caused by low back pain and the associated problems, this study intends to provide viable solutions to the victims of low back pain. Importantly, the different methods that are recommended in the prevention and treatment of this disease are very essential but the aspect of physical exercises as indicated by McKenzie in his approach is termed by this research as the best. Patients are supposed to perform a lot of physical activities and exercises that will help in increasing the mobility rate of the spinal cord and hence prevent and treat the low back pain disease.

 

Lower Back Exercises for Back Pain Relief

Article by Dr.Larry S. Case

Lower back exercises are an important component of any lower back pain relief program, and it is essential that that they are carried out correctly if they are not to exacerbate the problem. However, whether these exercises are appropriate for you or not will depend upon the cause of your back pain, and if you are suffering from a herniated disc you will need more specialized treatment prior to undertaking any exercise program.

Many people wrongly believe that they should never exercise with back pain, because they feel that will just make the condition worse. In fact, if you allow your back muscles, particularly those of the lower back, to progressively weaken through a lack of exercise during chronic back pain, then your spine will not be sufficiently supported and your back will become increasing weaker and more prone to further injury.

Exercise, therefore, is necessary for a quick and proper recovery, although it is important that you realize that you must not try to lift anything if you are suffering from, or have recently suffered from, acute back pain of any form. If you have chronic back pain never lift with a bent back, but with a straight back and lift with your knees. Any weigh over 30 pounds will too heavy for you, at least until you have built up your core strength.

If you have recently suffered a back injury, you should rest for a few days until the acute pain has subsided and then begin with just a few simple stretching exercises. Leave the strengthening exercises until the pain has subsided or you are liable to make your condition worse.

Many people can get used to the pain, and falsely believe that have become fit enough for more vigorous exercise, and then do themselves more lasting injury. It is very important that the pain has subsided prior to undertaking any lifting exercises or significant stretching, although you can try some simple stretches such as those detailed further below. These will help to relieve the pain by relaxing your muscles, and also improving the flexibility of your joints.

Before attempting any lower back exercises it is important to warm up your muscles. This gets the blood flowing through them and enables the muscles cells to contract without doing further damage. A warm bath or shower will help achieve this. Gentle stretching improves the circulation through the muscle tissue and helps to loosen them up. This helps to improve your mobility and relieve the pain.

Walking is a good exercise to begin with and so is swimming – particularly in warm water. Physiotherapists normally provide hydrotherapy in water at around 40C, close to blood temperature, that helps to loosen up the joints and muscles.

The initial lower back exercises provide very gentle but effective stretching, and work on your back indirectly by the movement of other areas of your body. Lying down flat on your back and slowly bending and straightening one knee, allowing your heels to slide up and down the floor is a gentle exercise that will do you no harm. Do this 10 times with each leg, and you will impart a gentle stretching motion on your lower back muscles.

Then, still lying down, you can try tightening your abdominal muscles with your arms down straight. Make sure you breathe normally doing this to keep your blood oxygenated. This will put slight pressure on your spine and your lower back muscles, stretching them and helping them to recover.

These lower back exercises, and others similar to them, will help provide acute lower back pain relief and help you to recover to a stage when you carry out more demanding exercises. You will never be truly recovered from back pain, however, until you are able to improve your core muscle strength, and the flexibility of your joints and muscles. All of these will provide stronger support for the bones of your spine and muscles of the lower back.

A gentle massage followed later when feel stronger by deeper massaging and stretching offer lower back exercises that will loosen up the joints and muscles and help provide this core flexibility needed for more permanent back pain relief. You can save on the cost of frequent professional massages by using power massage pads that provide the form of deep massage needed to free up the deep joints and relieve deep-seated muscular pain.

Once you are able to, more extensive stretching exercises will be needed to offer more lasting back pain relief from chronic conditions, and inversion tables are ideal to provide stretching exercises precisely targeted to the areas that have to be exercised.

Lower back exercises can be used both to help you regain your strength after acute back pain and to provide chronic back pain relief, but they must be carried out correctly and targeted to the muscles and joints that have to be stretched, made more flexible and strengthened.

Back Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

From a bodybuilder’s perspective one of the most important body areas is the back. Not only can it be visually impressive but a strong back is essential for intensive training and day to day living. In bodybuilding you are aiming for three things with regard to developing the back muscles:

– Thickness of the upper back (traps).

– Wide lats.

– Highly defined lower back (spinal erectors and lower lats).

As a beginner there are five essential exercises for developing these muscles quickly:

1. Dumbbell shrugs – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will develop the traps.

2. Seated V-bar cable rows – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will develop the mid upper back.

3. Bent over barbell rows – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will add thickness to the upper back.

4. Pullups – Aim for 25 reps. This exercise will strengthen the entire back.

5. Pulldowns – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will define the lats.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your back exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

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