Easy Back Exercises for Pain Relief

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.

Please note that everyone should first see a health professional before undertaking any new exercise program. If you have a back condition, it is usually best to see a spine specialist to review a prescribed exercise program and make sure you're doing the back exercises safely and effectively.

Stretching exercises

Without activity, an injured or painful back will experience progressive stiffness. Therefore, it is necessary to continually push the range of motion as far as can be tolerated (in a controlled manner) for meaningful and sustained back pain relief. Stretching exercises should focus on achieving flexibility and elasticity in the disc, muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Tightness in the Psoas Major muscle, which runs along the lower spine, is often a cause of back pain in patients who tend to have difficulty standing for extended periods or kneeling. The Psoas Major stretch is an easy, everyday exercise done in a half kneeling position. Learn more stretches in Easy exercises to reduce low back pain.

Hamstring stretching is also important, as hamstring tightness limits motion in the pelvis and can increase stress across the low back. There is a wide variety of ways to do hamstring stretching exercises--see Hamstring stretching exercises for sciatica for specific hamstring exercise guidelines.

Activities like Yoga incorporate both stretching and relaxation, which reduces tension in stress-carrying muscles. Yoga requires that the individual hold gentle poses anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds. Within the pose, certain muscles flex, while others stretch, promoting relaxation and flexibility in muscles and joints. See also Healing benefits of yoga.

Strengthening exercises

Most episodes of back pain that last for more than two weeks should be treated with strengthening exercises to prevent a recurring cycle of pain and weakness. Back and abdominal muscles are essential components of the muscular network of the spine, helping the body maintain upright posture and movement. When these muscles are well conditioned, back pain can be greatly reduced or avoided. Two simple, daily exercises are the Transversus Abdominis (TVA) strengthening and the Gluteus Maximus strengthening exercise, described in Easy exercises to reduce low back pain.

An exercise ball is a versatile, portable piece of equipment that helps strengthen and develop the core body muscles that help stabilize the spine. With the exercise ball, an element of instability is introduced, and over time the muscles used to keep in balance on the ball become stronger. See also Exercise ball therapy for low back pain.

Other techniques that gently strengthen the back and abdominal muscles include: Tai Chi, Pilates and Yoga. They all focus on posture and breathing to promote mental focusing and centering. While these techniques can be done in a class or at home with a video or DVD, patients with back conditions are well advised to at least initially consult a trained professional given the difficulty of certain movements. Learn more in Tai Chi for posture and back pain and Pilates exercise system to promote back health.

Low impact aerobic exercise

Many people with low back pain have trouble finding the right form of exercise that provides a good aerobic workout and is still gentle enough for their back. Aerobic exercise helps to condition and strengthen the muscles and keep the spinal structures healthy. In addition, aerobic exercise increases the body's release of endorphins, a natural pain blocker, which also help reduce anxiety, stress and depression - all of which are common for people suffering from ongoing back pain. Examples of effective, low impact aerobic activities include:

• Riding an exercise bike. Exercise bikes can be used at the fitness center or at home, or a regular bike can be fitted with an inexpensive device (a "trainer") and be used in a stationary position. The bike works for different back problems and different comfort levels, as the seat and handlebars can be adjusted to ensure correct posture. See Exercise bikes for a low stress work out.
• Exercising in the water. Water therapy, as well as swimming, provides a gentle form of conditioning as the water alleviates gravity and provides buoyancy as well as mild resistance. See Water-based therapy for exercise.
• Exercise walking. Walking improves blood flow, which brings important nutrients to structures in the back, and provides a number of additional benefits. Continuous walking at a sustained pace for a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes is required to provide aerobic conditioning. Learn more in Exercise walking for better back health.

Final thoughts

The key goals of engaging in exercise and fitness activities are to aid the healing process for back conditions and alleviate existing back pain while helping to prevent (or at least minimize) future problems. The challenge is to find the types of exercises that are appropriate for your back pain condition and that you can stick with. The article Specific exercise strategies contains guidelines to help patients develop and stick with a safe and effective exercise program. Before starting any exercise program, consult a physician to make sure that the program will be appropriate, safe and effective for you.

Best wishes,
Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD, Medical Director
Stephanie Burke, President

About the Spine-health.com Newsletter: Each issue of the Spine-health.com newsletter, SpineNews Update, is written by the founders of Spine-health.com - Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., Medical Director for Spine-health.com and Stephanie Burke, President of Spine-health.com.The content in the newsletters is not peer reviewed by Spine-health.com’s Medical Advisory Board.The articles to which the Spine-health.com newsletters link have been peer reviewed by members of the Medical Advisory Board.