Chartered Physio tells us the best exercises for Back pain..
Back pain is an all-too-common issue that can effect people’s lives in different ways. It can be a nagging pain that drains people’s energy to a debilitating issue that leaves people with severe spasm in their back where they can barely move at times.
It is important therefore to know how to help back pain when it strikes and how to help it long term. We discussed Back Pain with the Author of “Secrets of a Healthy Spine”, Chartered Physioand Founder of the BackAware Belt Dr. Eoin Everard.
Finding an effective exercise routine to alleviate back pain can make a world of difference, not just in pain relief but also in improving overall strength and stability. In this article Dr. Eoin Everard outlined 4 exercises to try when helping to relieve pain and also how to start to strengthen the spine.
What to do when in acute pain
Eoin recommends here gentle movement and not moving excessively into pain. “Some movement is definitely better than complete rest. Try some easy walking or the acute pain relief position I recommend and show below. You don’t want to irritate the back when it is in acute pain. Try as much as you can to do movements that allow the back to relax.” Can you lie down on the sofa rather than sit? Can you kneel at your desk rather than sit? This allows the back to calm down quickly.
Eoin recommends this move also to help allow your back to calm down.
By placing your head on your forward and breathing into your stomach and then conciously trying to allow your back to sink into the floor it can “calm the muscles of the back down” and give some relief. Try this for at least 1 minute and see how it feels afterwards.
Getting a long term solution
Research by Paul Hodges in Australia has reported that those that do a core stability protocol are 12 times less likely to sustain future back injuries.
Here Dr. Eoin Everard recommends a few key exercises.
First the Bird Dog (Superman) exercise is a simple yet powerful move that targets the core, lower back, and glutes. It involves getting down on all fours (hands and knees) and extending one arm forward while simultaneously extending the opposite leg backward. The goal is to maintain a straight line from your fingers to your feet, engaging your core and stabilizing your spine. Focus on keeping the back in the middle neutral position.
This exercise is particularly effective for back pain because it strengthens the muscles that support the spine without putting undue stress on the spine itself. Unlike other exercises that may involve heavy lifting or twisting, the Bird Dog promotes stability and balance, which are crucial for a healthy back.
Be Wary of doing these exercises incorrectly.
With core exercises there is a danger of doing them incorrectly and over using the back muscles.
This slider exercise is a good example of muscles of on the left the back muscles are being used excessively as the back is arched. In the picture on the right the person has arched their back and then rounded and found somewhere in the middle and are concentrated on keeping this position.
With the BackAware Belt it gives you feedback, which you can see illustrated in the corner of the screen. on the left the sensor goes out of position and the belt will vibrate. on the right the sensor stays within the two green lines. This e
Why the Bird Dog and Other Core Exercises Help?
The Bird Dog (Superman) is effective because it targets the deep stabilizing muscles of the core and lower back, which are often neglected in traditional exercise routines. Strengthening these muscles can help reduce pain by improving posture and spinal alignment, as well as enhancing your ability to perform everyday activities without strain.
Moreover, the Bird Dog is a functional exercise that mimics the natural movements of the body, making it highly transferable to real-life activities. It helps improve coordination, balance, and endurance, all of which are essential for preventing back injuries.
The Bottom Line
The Bird Dog is indeed one of the best exercises for managing and preventing back pain, but its effectiveness hinges on proper execution. Take the time to learn and practice the correct form, and listen to your body as you progress. When done right, the Bird Dog can be a game-changer in your journey toward a stronger, pain-free back.
2. Glute Work
In addition to core exercises like the Bird-Dog. Glute exercises, such as the Glute Bridge and Glute Clam can be very effective for back pain.
A lot of times people who have back pain tend to move too much through the spine and not enough through the hips. Learning how to strengthen and move better around the hips can help the joints and muscles that can take pressure off the lower back.
Again key with the Glute Bridge is to do it correctly. Here we want to focus on moving through the hips and not arch up and down at the spine. You should be imagining folding in the middle while keeping your ribs down.
In the picture the key is to keep the BackAware Sensor in the middle as you lift up through your hips.
Here is a link on how to do this correctly: https://youtu.be/z0qh4hsVBQI
Getting Back on your feet
Another key element of Back Rehabilitation is learning to use the core muscles when in standing. We do a lot of movements in standing such as lifting that can put our back under pressure. It is important to learn how to move and lift with the hips and glutes and not rely on your lower back.
The single leg deadlift is a great exercise to try
This exercise focuses on getting you moving through the hip and leg while keeping the spine stable and using the core to do this.
Again the BackAware Belt is useful here as it gives you feedback when you stop moving through your hips and start to move through your back. The picture below shows how the person starts to move through their spine, which focuses the movement on the wrong area.
If you would like a Free trial of Back Pilates with BackAware check out the link here: https://backawarebelt.com/pages/backpilates
Thank you to Dr. Eoin Everard for his help with this Article.
