A back injury may inspire you to stay in bed, but prolonged bed rest may exacerbate the injury, says specialists on the BigBackPain.com website. Once the inflammation and spasms have subsided, a stretching and strengthening program, specific to your particular injury, may alleviate pain and prevent future injury. Most back injury exercise programs can be performed on a daily basis, but seek a physician's or physical therapist's advice before your start a therapeutic exercise program.
Knees to Chest
The knees to chest exercise may alleviate the symptoms of spinal stenosis, an injury that affects the spinal nerves, says Ron S. Miller, a physical therapist for the Spine-Health website. Lie supine with your knees bent. Lift your feet from the floor, bringing your knees toward your chest. Place your hands on the back of your legs, and gently pull your thighs closer to your body. You will feel your lower back sink into the floor. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds, and then relax. Repeat six times. The knees-to-chest exercise provides gentle stretching for the lower back.
The Dead Bug
Performing the knees-to-chest exercise helps you identify the sensation of keeping your back flat on the floor. The dead bug, which requires you to keep your back flat while performing leg movements, is a logical progression in this back injury exercise sequence. Lie supine with your knees bent. Lift your feet from the floor, placing your legs in a table-top position, with your shins parallel to the ceiling and your calves parallel to the floor. Engage your core by contracting your abdominal muscles. Keep your knees bent and your spine in an imprinted position as you lower one foot toward the floor. Only lower as far as you can without arching your lower back. Repeat with the other leg. Progress the exercise by placing the opposite arm over head as you lower your leg toward the floor. Perform 12 repetitions, or six on each side. The dead bug exercises teaches you to use your core muscles to stabilize your spine.
The Bridge
The bridge exercise, which strengthens your hip and back muscles, teaches you how to articulate each spinal vertebra. The back exercise specialists on the SpineUniverse website advise that this exercise is suitable for all types of back injuries. Lie supine with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Begin by tilting your pelvis, and then lift each vertebra from the floor until your spine is in a bridge position. As your roll back to the starting position each vertebra must make contact with the floor. Imagine that you have grapes inside each vertebra and you are popping each grape against the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.
Drawing-in Maneuver
The ability to recruit the deeper core muscles may reduce the susceptibility to back injury. Australian physical therapist Paul Hodges and colleague C.A. Richardson of the University of Queensland performed a series of studies whose results indicate that people without back pain activate their core muscles a fraction of a second prior to movement, whereas people with back problems had delayed core muscle activation. The National Academy of Sports medicine recommends the four-point drawing-in maneuver as a means of teaching core muscle engagement. Kneel on all fours. Contract your lower abdominal muscles, and then your middle and upper abdominal muscles. Imaging your abdominal muscles are a zipper that you are pulling up toward your chest. Hold the position for 10 seconds, and then relax. Repeat 10 times. Perform this exercise without any spinal movement.
The Cat
The cat is a spinal mobilizer, but may also serve as a core exercise. Kneel on all fours. Imagine that your belly button is the power button, and that no movement can occur until the button is pressed. Draw your belly button toward your spine, and then tilt your pelvis and round your upper back. You should resemble an agitated or "Halloween" cat. Return your spine to a neutral position, and repeat the exercise 10 times.
References
- BigBackPain.com: Post Injury Exercises
- Spine-Health: Sciatica Exercises for Spinal Stenosis: Stretching
- SpineUniverse: How to Keep a Healthy Back: Bridge Exercise Video
- Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Altered Trunk Muscle Recruitment in People with Back Pain with Upper Limb Movement at Different Speeds; PW Hodges, CA Richardson; Sept. 1999
- National Academy of Sports Medicine: The Mechanics of Low Back Pain and Corrective Solutions
- PT on the Net: Four Point Drawing in Maneuver
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