Strengthening Exercise

Weight Training Effectively Relieves Back Pain, According to Study

cmaynard — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:35:12 -0700

July 21, 2009
by: Sylvia Marten

More specifically, a University of Alberta study promotes the progressive building of strength in not only the back but the chest, arms and legs to make it easier for patients to complete everyday activities and to build the body's resistance to future instances of [url:896,type=|node|,content=|lower back pain|].

During the course of the 16-week study, back pain patients started out slowly, working with low levels of weights and fewer repetitions. As the patients built up strength during the first three weeks, the amount of repetitions and weight increased, eventually reaching 75 percent to 83 percent of the maximum amount of weight.

Researchers noted that back pain and disability decreased as patient strength increased while doing bench presses for the chest, lateral pull-downs for the back, and leg presses.

Specifically, back pain decreased by:

28 percent in patients who exercised four days a week
18 percent in patients who exercised three times a week
14 percent in patients who exercised two times a week.

In relation, quality of life – defined in the study as the person’s physical and mental well-being—respectively rose by 28, 22 and 16 percent.

According to the study, these developments support strengthening exercises that loosen the joints as effective treatments for back pain and promote the importance of having strong chest, back and leg muscles when dealing with back pain.

Of course, it should be advised that any person experiencing back pain should not just dive into a series of [url:1183,type=|node|,content=|back exercises|] and other strengthening exercises.

Rather, it is important that patients speak with a trusted medical professional who can observe their symptoms, evaluate different courses of treatment, and then develop an exercise program for back pain.

Still, with that said, the University of Alberta study further validates the benefits that exercise may have on back pain, a notion that may still seem counterproductive or dangerous to patients worried that such activities will only exacerbate their back pain.

Source: University of Alberta; Courier-Journal

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[url:1185,type=|node|,content=|Back Strengthening Exercises|]
[url:1130,type=|node|,content=|Back Exercises and Abdominal Exercise Recommendations|]
[url:1723,type=|node|,content=|Physical Therapy Benefits for Back Pain|]
[url:1187,type=|node|,content=|Exercise and Fitness to Help Your Back|]
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Stretching Exercises for Back Pain During Pregnancy

Ben Parr — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:17:54 -0700

Stretching is at least as important as cardiovascular and strength training for back pain prevention and treatment during pregnancy, so try not to sacrifice this crucial component of the exercise program. In order to improve flexibility, it is recommended that stretches be performed daily after you are warmed up. Hold the stretches (never bounce) for 20 to 30 seconds, and repeat 3 times.

Strengthening Exercises for Back Pain During Pregnancy

Ben Parr — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:14:30 -0700

Strengthening the abdominal muscles, back muscles, pelvic floor, buttock, and thigh muscles can effectively help prevent and decrease back pain. It is recommended that the strengthening exercises be performed in a slow and controlled manner.

The strengthening poses can be held for 3 to 10 seconds and repeated 10 to 30 times. Breathe out during the exertion phase of the exercise and inhale as you relax. The following are suggested exercises for each of the major muscle groups mentioned:

Abdominal Exercises

Ben Parr — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:58:52 -0800

To be most effective, abdominal exercises should include focus on working the following muscles:

The abdominal muscles
The lower abdominal muscles
The outside (oblique) muscles

Pelvic Tilt—Lie on floor with knees bent, feet parallel and arms to the side

Physical Therapy Benefits For Back Pain

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:18:36 -0800

Benefits of back pain exercise and physical therapy

After an episode of low back pain has lasted between two and six weeks, or if there are frequent recurrences of low back pain, it is reasonable to consider back pain exercises and physical therapy for back treatment.

Core Body Strength Exercises

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:18:34 -0800

These back exercises using exercise balls are designed to strengthen the muscles that support the spine from the low back to the upper back, in front and in back. Specific muscles targeted by these exercises include the abdominal, chest and back muscles.

Back Strengthening Exercises After Microdiscectomy Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:15 -0800

After the soft tissue has healed (usually 2 to 3 weeks after surgery), it is important to start back strengthening exercises.

More Exercise Info

Overview: Sciatica Exercises

Exercise and Back Pain

Stretching and Back Pain

Strength Exercises

Abdominal Exercises

Exercise for Sciatica from Spinal Stenosis

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:48 -0800

Sciatic pain from nerve root irritation or impingement can be caused by spinal stenosis, a condition that causes the nerve’s passageway to narrow or constrict. A typical symptom of spinal stenosis is sciatic pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve down the leg while walking, with sciatic pain relief only felt when sitting down. The study of this leg pain (sciatica) is referred to as radiculopathy.

Easy Back Exercises for Pain Relief

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:47 -0800

Exercise is an integral part of almost all back pain treatment plans, but it's also the part of treatment that many of us have the most difficulty complying with. We advocate that exercise doesn't have to be difficult, costly or time consuming to be effective, and the payoff of doing at least some basic exercises at home-- including stretching, strengthening, and low impact aerobic exercise--is certainly well worth it in terms of pain relief, healing and prevention.

Exercise for Back Pain During Pregnancy

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:46 -0800

Pregnant women and back pain

Eighty percent of women will experience back pain at some point during their pregnancies. The severity of this pain during pregnancy ranges from mild discomfort after standing for long periods of time to debilitating pain that interferes with daily life.

Back Strengthening Exercises

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:46 -0800

Just like reinforced steel can bear more weight than sheet aluminum, a strong, well-conditioned back can withstand more stress, and protect the spine better, than a back that has not been conditioned through exercise. Conditioning through flexibility and strengthening back exercises not only helps the back avoid injury, or minimize the severity of injury if the spine is traumatized, it also can help relieve the pain of many back conditions.

Strengthening Exercise Program for Low Back Pain Relief

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:45 -0800

The next few exercises are examples of some basic stabilization exercises that aid in low back pain relief. Having strong midline support is critical to decreasing the stresses placed upon the lumbar spine (lower back) and pelvis. It should be noted, however, that often muscles that appear to be weak may actually be inhibited by an antagonist muscle (muscle on the opposite side of the joint) or by faulty lumbar facet joint mechanics.

Regular Weight-Bearing Exercise

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:32:53 -0800