Posts Tagged ‘Exercise’

Chronic Back Exercises

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Chronic Back Pain Relief Exercises

Exercise is very good for you, as as I’m sure you appreciate, but it’s especially beneficial as a upper back pain treatment, if you conform with a couple of simple guidelines, and practice the right exercises.

Here’s a bunch of easygoing and effective examples that can help relieve back pain and provide some appreciated chronic back pain relief.

Shift and lift: The "shift and lift" is an exercise that really can boost the muscles in your lower back and buttocks (in particular) while sitting down. Even though this is something that you can practice while you are at work, because of the nature of the ‘lifting’ factor of the exercise, I would not really recommend that you do this while talking to others in your office, for example. They may wonder what on earth you’re up to! Nonetheless, this is a great exercise for reducing any stiffness or soreness that may result from sitting in the same position for an extended period of time, and it strengthens those muscles too! While you are in your chair, relax and then clench the muscle in one buttock and hold for a couple of seconds, lifting slightly as you do so. Relax and then do it again. Do this 15-20 repetitions with each buttock.

Hip sway: This is great exercise to do if you are standing for any length of time, as it helps to ease the tautness in your legs and lower back and invigorates the blood flow around all of your lower body. It also reduces or even eliminates mid back pain that affects a lot of people if they are required to stand for a long time. Stand up straight, let you right knee relax totally, and at the same time pushing your left hip out to the side. Pull the hip back in again, and repeat the same action 15-20 times. Afterwards, allow your left knee to bend and relax, and force your right hip out in the same way.

Lifting: Go find a bag – a supermarket carrier bag, or something else with extended handles for lifting will be fine. Hold something fairly heavy in the bag – it doesn’t really matter what you put in there, providing it weighs at least a few kilos (drinks bottles are ideal for this, because you know that a liter bottle of water weighs almost exactly a kilo). Keeping your arm straight down by your side, bend your legs until you can reach the bag on the floor and then straighten your legs and lift the bag. Once you’re back upright again, hold the standing position for a few seconds, and then return the bag to the floor by bending at the knees once again. Repeat this exercise 15 times for one side of your body, and then repeat on the other side. When you do this exercise the right way (by bending at your knees, not you back) – this exercise is good for lower back and hip pain, and is excellent for strengthening the lower back, glutes and hips, and an added bonus is that it will help tone your arms and legs.

Shrugging: This is a very simple exercise that not only helps keep your lower back in great shape, it is also an effective way of discharging the stress that can build up in your shoulders and neck. It’s also very good for toning your arms and shoulder muscles. Because you can do the exercise sitting or standing you can perform it pretty much anywhere. For the starting position, just shrug your shoulders all the way up to your ears (or at least as far as you can), then extend your arms sideways from your body until they are parallel to the ground and turn your palms so they face outward. To finish, slant your head till it touches your shoulder then hold for a few seconds. Return to the start position and do it all over again, but this time, tilt your head to the other side.

Tens of thousands of people are laid low with back pain every year. For some, the lucky ones, it resolves within a few weeks with a judicious combination of exercises supplemented by painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. But what of the rest? There are a myriad of different specialists involved in the treatment of back pain, each with their own opinion as to the likely explanation and the best way of putting it right. Having said that, the use of acupuncture as a method for offering at least some chronic back pain relief seems to have some merits. Author: Michelle Spencer If you’re suffering with any form of recurrent back pain, it’s vital that you understand exactly what options you have for finding a suitable back pain treatment that will work for you. The main reason you need to weigh your options is there are more muscles, joints, bones, nerves and ligaments running up and down the vertebrae in close proximity to each other than in any other part of the body. This can make it difficult for even the best-trained doctors with the most sophisticated diagnostic and back pain relief techniques to determine precisely what is amiss. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Spencer chronic back exercises What other people are saying about chronic pain exercises

Ease Your Chronic Back Pain Chronic back pain is often a lifelong problem. You can do exercises to strengthen your back. and ease your pain.

Exercises To Relieve Back Pain Lots of yoga positions are very difficult and may be harmful for those who suffer from back pain.

Chronic Back Pain To treat chronic back pain some other treatment options that can be used are Acupuncture, Chi Gong, massage, Chiropractic or Napropractic Care.

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Pregnancy & Low Back Pain

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Have a Pain-Free Back During & After Pregnancy

Four million women will successfully give birth this year – and that’s just in the United States. The bad news is that two out of every three women will suffer from lower back pain and herniated discs by the 36th week of pregnancy.

Lower Back Pain Interferes With Your Quality of Life

Not only will lower back pain become a horrible interruption in your daily activities, but it will also interfere with your quality of life. And, it can ruin your enjoyment of one of the most memorable times of your life. Here’s how.

Pregnancy at first can be very exciting for most new moms. You’re deciding on baby names. Painting the nursery. Buying baby clothes, toys and furniture. And, most of all you’re enjoying family celebrations. The joy of pregnancy is one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, for many women the later pregnancy months can be quite challenging and painful. And, it’s not just because of morning sickness!

Your lower back hurts. It feels like someone keeps stabbing you with a knife. You feel it over and around your spine, and the pain even radiates to your legs. Sitting or standing for long periods of time makes your back hurt more. And this pain intensifies as your day goes on.

The Hidden Cause of Your Lower Back Pain Not Seen by the Untrained Eye

The obvious cause of lower back pain in pregnant women just like you is the biomechanical stress being placed on them by the added weight of their baby. Your uterus will expand and shift your center of gravity. It will stretch and weaken your abdominal muscles. It changes your posture and puts a strain on your lower back.

As the baby gains weight, your abdomen will be pulled forward. To compensate for this forward pull, you’ll probably lean backward like most women do. This alone puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your lower back and pelvis.

The hidden cause of your lower back pain is actually muscle imbalances. The primary cause of your herniated disc or bulge is uneven compression and torsion that’s placed on your lower back. This uneven pressure is caused by imbalances in muscles that pull the spine out of its normal position. Your body is now forced to function in what I call a physical dysfunction.

If the dysfunctions are not addressed, they will continue to place uneven pressure and strain on the discs in your back. Sooner or later you will likely have another problem with that disc, or others.

Reduce Low Back Pain and Herniated Discs by Identifying the Underlying Causes of Your Problem.

Unfortunately, most doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists don’t spend time or focus on identifying the hidden causes or physical dysfunctions that are responsible for your lower back pain.

So most pregnant women grin and accept back pain as a normal part of their pregnancy. However, You can take steps to stop the soreness. It’s a good idea to learn these techniques now, because you’ll probably need them again later when your back is bearing the strain of constantly lifting your 7- to 10-pound baby or your 20-pound toddler.

3 Steps to Reducing Back Pain Before & After Your Pregnancy

1. Understanding muscle imbalances: The solution to a pain-free back during and after pregnancy is based on a better understanding of muscle imbalances and how your body works. You must understand what muscle imbalances are, how they are created and how they cause low back pain.

2. Know your habits, patterns, postures and positions: You must identify your muscle imbalances and understand how they are causing you pain. Assess how you sit, stand, walk lift, bend or otherwise put your body through painl every day.

3. Get the RIGHT Help: Find a qualified Manual Physical Therapist who is trained to assess postural dysfunction. Demand that they create both a short term and a long-term plan of recovery for you filled with the right combination of corrective exercises, stretches and treatments.

Understanding back pain and taking action are two totally different animals. But, if you want to reduce back pain and start enjoying one of the most memorable times of your life again, then you must educate your self and take action everyday. It is never to late to start a program of recovery on your own or with help from an expert.

Dr. Robert Duvall has helped thousands of mothers suffering from back pain using this approach in his clinic and around the country. For more information on how you can have a pain-free back during and after your pregnancy so you can once again enjoy one of the most memorable times of your life, get your FREE COPY of the latest Back Pain Advisory from The Healthy Back Institute at: http://www.losethebackpain.com/herniateddisc.html

By Dr. Robert Duvall
Published: 5/5/2007 

 Pregnancy and low back pain

Look at these posts about pregnancy and lower back pain and I hope they will help you.

Back Pain

She endured constant pain throughout her hip, leg, butt and lower back. Over the years she’d been put in braces and casts that only made things worse. Doctors, surgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists and all kinds of experts failed  to help.

Pregnancy Backache

Standing should be erect and straight with the shoulders pulled back. Slouching can precipitate or worsen the backache symptom. Later in the pregnancy process, back pain may still manifest. Especially as the uterus becomes more enlarged..

Avoid Back Pain during Pregnancy

Every second an expecting mom experiences back pain. These tips will help you make your pregnancy free from back pains. Pregnancy should not be a kind of torture! Store your high heels in the deepest corner of your closet. Apart for the fact that they are dangerous, since you can trip at any moment when wearing them, they also worsen the sagging in the back. If you simply can not survive without high heels then at least wear low-heel shoes.

Back Exercises For Pregnancy 

There are a variety of exercises that can be helpful for alleviating low back pain during pregnancy. Swimming and water exercises are excellent for pregnancy, because they allow you to exercise in a supported environment.. 

Pregnancy Massage

It’s a popular complementary therapy during pregnancy for back pain, when choices for pain relief, such as medication, are often limited. Not only can massage be physically beneficial, but the human touch can be comforting and relieve pain. 

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