One of the best therapies for back pain of any kind is exercise. With lower back pain being quite common, many people have lost range of mobility due to favoring the pain. In other words, the less you move the tighter the muscles get and that can increase pain. Following a lower back pain exercise plan can relieve the pain while conditioning the body at the same time.
Exercise is almost always ordered for back pain. The kind of exercise and its frequency varies from person to person depending on the situation. But exercises can be included in any program that target specific pain areas while improving the general back muscle condition. The point of the lower back pain exercise is to reduce the pain while increasing your ability to complete your normal daily activities.
The doctor or physical therapist can devise a specific plan for you if you’re under their care. But people with lower back pain who aren’t seeing a doctor yet can also take advantage of the benefits of any lower back pain exercise. You can devise your own plan and follow a program in the comfort of your home. The thing you must be aware of in the beginning is that your lower back pain may actually increase a bit at first. If you have been favoring your muscles and restricting your activities, muscles will have to go through a conditioning stage.
There are a lot of psychological advantages to following an exercise program also. When you do a lower back pain exercise, it doesn’t take long to realize that you are capable of more motion than you thought. Limiting your movements because of pain is self-defeating. The less you move, the less your muscles are able to move. This can create a mental state that focuses on the pain. Pain begins in the brain and concentrating on pain can actually make it worse.
There are a number of exercises you can do for the lower back. Following is a short list of exercises. You should do each lower back pain exercise routinely, and you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll grow stronger.
• Pelvic tilt
• Small crunches
• Oblique crunches
• Press up
• Alternating arm and leg reach
• Leg lifts
• Cat and Camel
These are common exercises used in any workout routine at varying levels of difficulty, because they work to strengthen the back. When you do a lower back pain exercise like leg lifts, your back muscles are made to tighten and exert effort which improves strength and tone.
The worst thing you can do when you have lower back pain is stay in bed. Though some people think this is the best alternative, lying in bed for too long will actually cause rapid muscle deterioration. You want your muscles to get stronger – not weaker.