What Are The Top Physiotherapy Exercises for Lower Back Pain?
Backache is an issue, especially if you are living a sedentary life. Lower back discomfort will affect about 80% of people at some time in their lives. And the discomfort isn’t limited to a painful, aching back. Intense muscular spasms and agony radiating to other parts of your body might leave you bedridden and unable to function.
According to the World Health Organization, lower back discomfort is the leading cause of missed workdays globally.
However, some great physiotherapy exercises for lower back pain can help alleviate discomfort. These exercises are extremely gentle, but of course, listen to your body and stop if you experience any pain.
Once you have lower back discomfort, your muscles tend to be tight and weak. Therefore, these exercises help to loosen and strengthen them. Seeing a physical therapist is a good idea regardless of the cause of your lower back discomfort. The physiotherapists in Calgary help you with the lower back pain exercises.
Before you stretch your muscles:
- Make sure they are warmed up. You can improve your life with physiotherapy by initially stretching slowly and gradually.
- Remember that you should never bounce while doing so.
- Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds to avoid overstretching your muscles, leading to injury.
Here are some of the best physiotherapy exercises for lower back pain.
Bird Dog
Your lower back’s recovery will be aided if you keep it moving. Below is an illustration of a bird dog exercise that is excellent for releasing tension in the lower back. To perform this exercise, go on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
Hold your head in line with your spine so that your spine remains in a neutral position. Inhale, then as you exhale, stretch one leg and the other arm in line with your spine, keeping them parallel. Avoid slouching your lower back if you want to maintain a healthy posture. As you exhale, descend both your leg and arm to the ground immediately. Switch sides eight to twelve times during this workout.
Again, these physiotherapy exercises for lower back pain should be painless. And if you do it wrong, you will get further back discomfort the next day.
Partial Crunches
Acute low back discomfort necessitates the avoidance of certain workouts. Strengthen your lumbar and abdominal muscles with partial crunches. Sit back with your legs crossed and feet flat on the ground.
Arms crossed across the chest or hands behind the neck Contraction of the abdominal muscles and elevation of the shoulders. Exhale as your shoulders are raised. Not attempt to lead with your elbows or lift your neck off the floor with your arms. Hold for a second, then gradually return to the starting position. Rep this sequence 8–12 times more. Proper form prevents your low back from being overworked. At all times, maintain contact with the mat with your feet, tailbone, and lower back.
Pelvic Tilts
You may also get your lower back muscles to move by using the Pelvic Tilt. Place a small pillow beneath your head while laying on your back, as seen in the image below. Be sure to maintain your feet hip-width apart and on the floor while you make this move to avoid injury.
Relax your upper body and softly tuck your chin in. Your lower back should be flattened into the floor while engaging your abdominal muscles. Return to the beginning posture by tilting your pelvis towards your heels until you experience a gentle arch in your lower back and clenching your back muscles. Feel your abdominal and lower back muscles in action by placing your hands on your belly and beneath your lower back. Tilt your pelvis back and forth in a steady rocking motion for eight to twelve repetitions.
Again, no increase in low back discomfort should be expected. And to be honest, it’s much simpler to accomplish this when we’ve mobilized the region and released the tightness with our hands.
Wall Sits
One of the highly preferred physiotherapy exercises for lower back pain is wall sits. Stand 10 to 12 inches away from the wall and lean back till your back is flush against the wall and you’re comfortably seated. Ensure that your lower back is pressed firmly onto the wall as you slowly descend. Hold for a total of 10 seconds before slowly re-climbing the retaining wall. Repeat between 8 and 12 times, depending on how much you like it.
Press-up Back Extensions
Stand 10 to 12 inches away from the wall and lean back till your back is flush against the wall and you’re comfortably seated. Ensure that your lower back is pressed firmly onto the wall as you slowly descend.
Hold for a total of 10 seconds before slowly re-climbing the retaining wall. Repeat between 8 and 12 times, depending on how much you like it.
Spine Stretch
After doing this physiotherapy exercise for lower back pain, you will significantly alleviate lower back discomfort. To begin, lay on your back with your legs bent and together. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly, rolling your knees to one side while maintaining both shoulders on the floor. As you move to your starting posture, inhale. 6–8 reps
Knee To Chest Stretch
Stretching the muscles surrounding your hips is a primary goal of this exercise. Assume a prone position with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Make a fist and bring your knees toward your chest. Rest your legs for around 30 seconds before repeating the exercise. Make a total of five repetitions.
Bridging
Place your heels on the floor and lay on your back, knees bent. Lift your hips, shoulders, and knees into a straight line by pressing your heels into the floor, squeezing your buttocks, and lifting your hips off the floor.
Rest your hips on the floor for 10 seconds after holding for 6 seconds. Repeat this physiotherapy exercise for lower back pain between 8 and 12 times, depending on how much you like it. Your lower back should not arch during this movement.
Tighten your abdominal muscles before and throughout the lift to prevent them from overriding.
Start with a Weightlifting Programme
Weightlifting, when done correctly, will not aggravate your back problems. Indeed, you may notice that your discomfort starts to subside as weightlifting strengthens your lower spine and supporting body parts.
Doctors refer to this kind of back discomfort as acute pain, and weight training might put you at risk of damage if it occurs quickly. Talk to your doctor beforehand if you want to utilize weightlifting as a therapy for back pain. It’s best to consult with your doctor before beginning a weightlifting programme. Your doctor may provide guidance on which exercises to avoid if you advise them.
Physical Therapy for Lower Back Pain
Back pain is not uniform. Even with regular stretching and core strengthening, discomfort might worsen or linger for weeks. Lower back discomfort that is chronic or severe is a more complicated condition.
Getting plenty of physiotherapy exercises for lower back pain with the help of a physical therapist can diagnose the source of your pain. Visit the best physiotherapy center in Calgary and create a tailored stretching and exercise regimen that targets muscles to alleviate your discomfort. Additionally, they collaborate with you to ensure that each lower back stretch and exercise is performed appropriately.
Physical therapists might utilize manipulation, mobilization, and other therapy approaches to alleviate lower back pain and get to the root of the problem.
When a patient leaves physical therapy without continuing their abdominal and low back training regimen at home, a gradual decline in muscle strength and endurance occurs, potentially leading to long-term low back issues. To maintain the muscular mass and strength gained during physical therapy, it is strongly suggested that patients adopt a home exercise regimen after completing their treatment.
Also Read What are The Physiotherapy Neck Pain Exercises? Quick Tips for a Speedier Recovery