Home Back Pain Exercises
Back pain is a pretty common problem facing a large percentage of the population. It is more pronounced if your job involves a lot of lifting or sitting down. While many people resort to drugs to treat backache, it is essential to consider a long-term approach to treat backache. In times past, bed rest was the primary treatment approach for backache. This might not be feasible for people that have to go to work.
Give this back pain exercises a try
This is why we recommend back exercises at home. This is not about going to the local gym, lifting heavy weights, or going for a run. There are special exercises and stretches that target backache. These back pain exercises at home are gentle and target back pain.
It is, however, vital for you to avoid overexerting your muscles and take a step back in case of any pain.
Whenever someone has back pain, the muscles are usually tight. These exercises aim to stretch the muscles and strengthen them. This reduces any pain that could be occurring.
As indicated earlier, these are low-impact exercises. However, be sure to warm up your muscles. Make your stretches slow and gradual, and do not overdo them. When you stretch your muscle, try and hold it for about half a minute.
1. Deep Abdominal Strengthening
One of the most critical muscles supporting the lower back is the abdominous. As a result, it makes sense to try and strengthen it whenever there is back pain.
It is the weakness of this muscle that leads to lower back pain. In working on this muscle, be slow and gentle and take the steps highlighted below:
- Sleep on your back with a small cushion as a support for your head
- Bend your knees and keep your feet some distance apart, balanced on the floor
- Be relaxed as you go about this, especially your upper body, and tuck your chin in
- Breathe in deeply and breathe out as well. As you do, try and pull your belly button towards your spin
- Hold this position for about eight seconds
- Then breathe out and release the muscles of your tummy
- Repeat this about five times
The process should be slow and gentle and do not use more than 30% of your entire body strength.
2. Lower Back Rotational Stretches
This exercise targets the lower back and trunk. It helps get rid of tension by gradually working the core muscle to boost stability. Here are the steps to perform the lower back rotational stretch:
- Lie on the floor with your chest up and your knees bent
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your shoulders firm on the ground
- With your feet on the ground, roll both your knees to one side
- Keep this position for about 10 seconds and return to the neutral position (starting position)
- Again, roll to the opposite side and hold for about 10 seconds again
- Return to the neutral position and repeat each move twice
3. Bird Dog
This is one of the simplest back exercises at home that can help relieve your back pain. It targets the lower back as it is primal to get relieved. It mobilizes the lower back and can be done as explained below:
- Get on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders; also keep your knees below your hips
- Breathe in deeply and breathe out as well. As you breathe out, stretch one of your legs and the opposite hand out
- Make sure you keep your spine neutral by keeping your back straight while you are on all fours
- With the hands and legs extended, hold this position for about ten seconds and gradually bring your hand and leg to the ground
- Repeat this exercise about ten times, alternating both right and left limbs as you proceed
This exercise is simple and should trigger no pain. However, doing it incorrectly might cause you pain.
4. Pelvic Tilts
Like the exercise above, pelvic tilt also targets the muscles of the lower back. The steps to go about it are described below:
- Lie on the floor and support your head with a small cushion
- Keep your feet on the floor, and keep them hip wide apart, also bend the knees
- Your upper body should be relaxed and your chin tucked in
- Keep your lower back flat with the floor and contract your stomach muscles
- Gently tilt your pelvis in the direction of your heel till there is a gentle arch in your back muscles
- Have a hand on your stomach and the other beneath your lower back. This is to ensure you are working the right muscle
- Repeat these movements about ten times tilting your pelvis in slow motion
This movement should not trigger any pain.
5. Leg Stretch
One of the most leading causes of lower back pain is tightness in the hamstring muscles. These muscles are located at the back of the legs. As a result, when you stretch them out, you can release tension in these muscles.
The following explains how to go about it:
- Lie on your back and raise your knees a little with your feet on the floor
- Loop a towel under the back of one of your feet, and gradually pull back on this towel
- This pulling action should trigger a slight stretch down the back of your leg
- Be gentle and try to hold this for about 30 seconds
- Repeat the action twice for each leg
Beware of numbness if it arises when performing this stretch. It is an indication that you are irritating some nerves.
Wrap-Up
Be sure to check with your doctor before performing any of these stretches, but once approved, the good news is that you don’t need medication to treat backache.
These top five back pain exercises can help you relieve back pain without stress.
