Lower back pain is very common among adults and is often caused by overuse and muscle strain or injury.
Many patients can get better with simple treatments like cold packs and pain relievers, but long-term improvement requires some effort. When you no longer experience acute pain, you should begin mild stretching and strengthening exercises for your stomach, back muscles, and legs. A sedentary lifestyle will only make back pain worse.
Staying active and learning more about how your body moves can make a big difference. Therapeutic exercises for lower back pain can help you stay active, relieve symptoms, and manage the recurrence of back pain.
Therapeutic exercises not only help decrease back pain; they also help you recover faster, prevent reinjury, promote blood flow, and reduce the risk of disability from back pain.
Physical Rehabilitation Exercise Program for Lower Back Pain Relief
Here are 12 exercises your physical rehabilitation therapist may suggest you execute for back pain. When consistently done, these pain exercises can give you long-term relief from chronic low back pain. Make sure you follow your therapist's instructions.
Cat-camel exercise
- Lie on all fours and keep your back straight.
- Relax your head and let it droop.
- Round your back toward the ceiling until you feel a slight stretch in your back.
- Hold this stretch for as long as it feels comfortable.
- Go back to the starting position with a flat back while on all fours.
- Sway your back by pressing your stomach to the floor. Push your butt toward the ceiling.
- Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat 2 to 4 times.
Clamshell exercise
- Lie on your side with your feet and knees together and your knees bent.
- Lifting your upper leg, keep your feet together. Don't let your hips roll back.
- Hold for 6 seconds.
- Slowly lower your leg. Rest for up to 10 seconds.
- Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Curl-up exercise
- Lie on your back flat on the floor with your knee bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Cross your arms over your chest. If this causes discomfort to your neck, try putting your hands behind your neck, with your elbows spread apart.
- Slowly contract your abdomen and raise your shoulder blades off the floor.
- Keep your head in a straight line with your body.
- Keep this position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Front plank exercise
- Get down on your knees and elbows.
- Straighten your legs, one at a time, to support your body on your elbows and toes.
- Hold for 6 seconds. Over time, build up to 30 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat 3-5 times.
Hamstring stretches
- Lie in a doorway with your left leg through an open door.
- Slide your leg up the wall and straighten your knee. You should feel your muscles stretching behind your leg. Hold this stretch for at least a minute.
- Touch one heel on the floor and the other on the wall. Don't point your toes.
- Repeat with your right leg.
- Repeat 2-4 times for each leg.
If you don't have a place to do this exercise in a doorway, here's another way to do it:
- Lie on the ground and bend your left knee.
- Loop a towel underneath the ball and toes of your left foot, and hold the ends of the towel.
- Straighten your knee and slowly pull the towel back. You should feel a gentle stretch at the back of your leg. Try to hold this stretch for 15-30 seconds or more.
- Repeat with your right leg.
- Do 2-4 times for each leg.
Pelvic rock exercise, sitting
- Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground and your butt near the front of the seat.
- Gently roll your shoulders forward.
- Straighten your back slowly, rolling your hips and lower spine forward while your shoulders move up.
- Repeat 8-12 times, gently rocking your pelvis backward and forward.
Pelvic rock exercise, standing
- Stand comfortably with your hands on your hips.
- Gently rock the top of your hips to the back, flattening your back. Return to a neutral position.
- Gently rock the top of your hips forward, arching your back. Return to a neutral position.
- Repeat this gentle rocking motion 8-12 times.
Pelvic tilt exercise
- Lie on your back with bent knees.
- Tighten your stomach muscles by pulling in and imagining your belly button moving to your spine. This should feel like your back is pressing down on the ground, and your hips and pelvis are rocking back.
- Hold this position for about 6 seconds while breathing smoothly.
- Repeat 8-12 times.
Side plank exercise, beginner
- Lie on your side with knees bent, and support your upper body up on your elbow.
- Raise your hips off the ground. Hold for 6 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds.
- Repeat 3-5 times.
- Repeat all steps on the other side.
Side plank exercise, intermediate
- Lie on your side and prop your upper body up on your elbow.
- Lifting your hips off the ground, keep your legs straight, and hold for 6 seconds. Work up to at least 30 seconds over time.
- Rest for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3-5 times.
- Repeat all steps on the other side.
Walking
- Stand straight. Leaning forward or backward while walking can strain your back.
- Keep your head up and your eyes looking forward.
- Shrug your shoulders every once in a while, then relax.
Wall sit
- Stand with your back 10-12 inches away from a wall.
- Lean on the wall until your back is flat against it.
- Gently slide down until your knees are slightly bent.
- Hold for about 6 seconds. Then slide back up the wall.
- Repeat 8-12 times.
Remember that these stretches and pain exercises may offer relief, but it's always recommended to seek a professional medical evaluation for chronic back pain.
If you need a physical rehabilitation program for low back pain, contact Palm Wellness Center. We will guide you through your rehabilitation and be there for you every step of the way.
Schedule an appointment with us at (813) 443-5370 or visit www.palmwellness.center.
