I have known a lot of people who missed out on something – work, family affairs, special gatherings – due to a bad back.  Instead of going out and experiencing fun times, they stayed at home because of back pain which they just cannot ignore.

Sadly, almost everyone is susceptible to back pain – those who work hard experience it, and those with nothing else to do but lie down on their beds or couch all day long are not spared either. Back pain can be brought about various causes.  Some would be being overweight, having poor posture, sitting or standing for long periods of time, and poor body mechanics especially when lifting or bending. For most people, the first instinct would be to reach for the pain-reliever and pop in a pill in order to relieve the pain. But such practice is considered a temporary relief.  To really live and cope with the back pains, one has to keep moving and exercising.  Movement and exercise will lead to flexibility, endurance and strength, and eventually, to painless back.

Back pain is not just due the muscles alone. It is also caused by problems in other anatomical structures that make up the back such as the spine, the intervertebral disks, and the connective tissues.  Because of this, it is important that these structures are taken into consideration as well. The different exercises provided below are aimed to exercise all of these structures.

1. Muscle Energy Technique

   When you exercise, start with Muscle Energy Technique (MET) to encourage muscles to relax more quickly.  Another name for this is Post Isometric Relaxation.  It is done by trying to contract a specific muscle that you intend to stretch. So for five seconds, contract a muscle in one direction using a fixed resistance, and then stretch it gently towards the opposite direction for 3 seconds.

   Always remember that there are two principles. First is allowing your muscles to contract until you feel a tightness for 5 seconds; this is called isometric contraction. Second is allowing that muscle to relax for 3 seconds right after it has reached the barrier point of contraction; this is the isometric relaxation.  During this exercise, you can incorporate breathing technique to help the muscles relax.  Give 5 minutes of MET for each muscle to loosen.

2. Back Stretching Exercises

   For back pains, it is important to stretch the muscles in your back.  Stretching your muscles maybe done every day but it is recommended that you employ a rest period of 48 hours before stretching again.  There are various techniques of back stretches, depending on the region affected.

   When doing back stretches, each muscle should be stretched for 60-90 seconds.  To do this, hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times. If you cannot hold the stretch at the recommended duration, you need to repeat it for a number of times until you reach the recommended 60-90 seconds of stretch. For example, if you hold a muscle for 10 seconds only, then repeat the stretch 6-9 times.

   For lower back stretches, you can use pelvic tilt, basic twist, the cat, the cobra, knee to chest, sides-waist stretch and wall back stretch.  For middle back stretches, the popular exercises used are child pose, stretch exercise, cat stretch, head stretch and leg stretch.

3. Back Strengthening Exercises

   The ultimate goal to achieve in order to conquer back pain is to strengthen ones back. Doing back strengthening takes a lot of patience.  This exercise cannot be done quickly. Doing it in a hurry and overdoing it will only cause more back pain when the muscles are strained. The key to back strengthening is patience, especially when the results are noticed only after 6-8 weeks.

   Back strengthening is done after every 48 hours.  Giving yourself two days off will allow your body to recover.  Begin with five repetitions of each exercise when you start.  If after every five repetitions for each muscle group, your body does not feel any discomfort, then increase the number of repetitions per week until you reach 10-15 repetitions to complete a set.  An increase of 2 repetitions per week is recommended.  If you are able to handle one set, you may want to add another set to increase your endurance.  Eventually, you want to increase the number of sets to a maximum of three.  But make sure that in between sets, you rest for 30-60 seconds.  When doing these exercises, make sure to always concentrate on your breath. Do not try to hold it when doing the repetitions.

   To strengthen several core muscle groups, do the bridge exercise technique.  The plank exercise is good for the back, the abdomen and the neck, while the side plank exercise is for the side abdominal muscles.  To strengthen the back, hips and quads, do the wall squat.  Back and hip muscles are strengthened using the leg and arm raises, while leg lifts are for the quads and lower abdominals.  Basic crunch, rotational crunch, reverse crunch, leg swings are also part of the strengthening exercise to help relieve the back pains.

4. Stability Exercise

   Ever wonder why when you go to the gym, there are people with their backs on a large ball?  The large ball, or exercise ball, is used in exercises aimed to promote stability and balance; that is why many people call it Stability Ball.

   There are different exercises using the ball, and you can either sit on it or lie on it.  Using the ball stimulates the muscles that run from the upper portion of your spine to the lower portion.  For those without balls, you can practice stability by doing the opposite arm and leg extension.  This exercise also has the same effect as the exercise using the stability ball, but it also activates the back of the shoulders, hips and buttocks.  Just remember that the purpose of balance or stability exercise is to help in strengthening the core muscle groups responsible for balance.

5. Low Back Pain Exercise

   For a specific area of pain and for quick relief, there are specific exercises that will not just treat the pain, but will also help in making your back look leaner.

   If you’re a woman, lie flat on your back with the palms of your hand facing upward. Slowly lift both of your legs to form a 45 degree angle.  Move your hands towards your knee and push your legs towards your chest.  As soon as you feel a stretch on your back, especially the lower region, hold the position as long as you can. Do as many repetitions.

   For men, one of the best exercises is using a chair.  Your feet should be close together when you sit on the chair.  With your hands hanging freely on the side, bend down to form a 90 degree angle.  As soon as you feel a good stretch, hold the position for a few seconds and then relax in the starting position.  Do as many repetitions as you can, but do not over-exercise.

6. Middle Back Pain Exercise

   The middle back muscles are less prone to injury because there is less movement in this area.  But having less movement will also cause the muscles to atrophy. So it is important to exercise these muscles to prevent it from being the primary cause of pain in the other regions of the back.  Four exercises are recommended to make your muscles stronger. The flyes or modified row makes use of a dumbbell to squeeze the muscles in between your shoulder blades.  The opposition arm-leg raise is to elongate the torso and lengthen one’s spine.  Rotational stretches will loosen your middle back muscles, and aerobic exercises.

7. Neck Pain Exercise

   Pain in the neck will sometimes radiate to the lower portion of the back.  Neck pain is common especially if the lifestyle is sedentary or the posture is always poor.  The most basic of all neck pain exercises is the chin tucks.  Here’s more:

   • The cat or camel stretch encourages general mobility throughout the spine.  This is done by being on all fours and alternately arching and sagging down your back.
   • The scapular retractions help strengthen your shoulder blades.
   • As a general mobility exercise, do the shoulder shrugs.

   These exercises can be performed by anyone, anywhere.  Their general purpose is to strengthen the muscles supporting the neck.  It can also be used to prevent further pain and improve one’s posture.

8. Low-Impact Aerobics

   Swimming, walking, cycling using a stationary bike, and using an elliptical trainer are examples of low-impact aerobics.  As long as both of your feet do not leave the ground at the same time, then they are called low-impact exercises.  This type of exercise tones the muscle that supports your back.  It increases circulation and it does not cause strain. Additionally, aerobic exercises keep weight down, an added plus considering that heavy weight causes back pains.  There are only two important tips to remember when doing aerobics, wear proper shoes and always drink plenty of water.

Sources
buzzle.com
bigbackpain.com
painclinic.org
tweakfit.com
buzzle.com