I get these questions all the time on what exercises a patient can be doing for low back pain. Exercises for low back pain have two parts, things or exercises you should do, and exercises you should not do. But the very first, and most important thing to do for low back pain, is diagnosis. Some lower back problems aren’t as simple as stretching and strengthening. Serving the areas of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, Stine Chiropractic Clinic can get you the diagnosis and explain whether stretching and strengthening are beneficial for your specific condition.
Emphasis On Core Strength
When we talk about exercises for low back pain, there seems to be a majority of those who are active in the gym to emphasize core strength. This is important but may not be as important as some may think for exercises for low back pain.
The main thing we need to emphasize is the correct ratio of muscles of the back and abdominals. This ratio should be close to a 1.3:1 ratio respectively. The back should actually be a little stronger than the abdominals. Over working the abdominals can have negative affects on back pain. This is due to the nature of training. When we train a set of muscles we are doing so to fatigue them in order to encourage them to build stronger muscles. This can become a problem when the abdominal muscles are the target.
The abdominal muscles are what create the front portion of the abdominal brace. The way it works is when contracted it places a backwards force on all of the intestines and organs creating a stabilizing effect on the spine. This makes it more of a rigid rod. This is very important for spinal stability.
When performing exercises to strengthen the abdominals we forget that our goal is to fatigue the abdominals. We then lose this abdominal brace when we achieve that goal. It is very important to understand that when we fatigue these muscles, position is now very important. As the abdominal brace fails we need to make sure that we fail into flexion (back hunched forward) and not into extension. This is why sit-ups create lower back pain. When the brace fails we continue to do the sit-ups with our back further arched backwards creating lower back joint jamming.
This will irritate the low back. Ab rollers also contribute to low back pain as well as the Captains chair, and leg lifts. Crunches however do not, if done correctly. Do crunches with lying on the floor and performing them to where we only go as far as to lift the shoulder blades off the ground. This principle can be applied to any lift now and can be assumed that if we fail into flexion, this lift is not good for the back.
Hip Flexors Can Create Unnecessary Strain On The Low Back
When doing most exercises to engage the core, we actually engage the hip flexors too much. The hip flexor muscle include: Illiacus, Illiopsoas minor, and Illiopsoas major. These originate in the pelvis as well as on the lower back vertebrae, then insert into the upper leg bone at whats called the lesser trochanter. These muscles when used, pull on the lower back vertebrae. This creates a hyperlordosis or an overarched back. This jams joints in the lower back and create pain and stiffness.
Retreived from https://www.chiropractic-in-malaysia.com/blog/iliopsoas-muscles-hip-pain
This is another reason why sit-ups and leg lifts are detrimental to your lower back.
What Can You Do, Exercises For Low Back Pain.
One of the best things you can do for low back pain that takes the least amount of time, is the Roman Chair. This exercise however is not good for every low back condition. This is very important that you do not use this to treat your low back pain. This should only be used after you have been evaluated by a specialist like a chiropractic orthopedist.
The Roman Chair is an extension machine that works on the buttock muscles and very small muscles that support the joints of the low back. The idea is to get these smaller muscles more endurance to handle your daily tasks more efficiently. This exercise can also be done incorrectly creating lower back pain. It should only be done by coming back up to neutral and never hyperextending. This exercise also satisfies our previous question of when we fatigue the muscles what position do we fail into? Flexion.
If your looking for specialty care in Spotsylvania or Fredericksburg don’t wait get the help you need. Call us today at 540 898-4100. We’ve been serving the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania areas for over 35 years. Specializing in chiropractic orthopedics and sports injury, we are ready to help.
