Arthritis causes inflammation and pain in the joints. When this pain affects the lower back, people often become sedentary for fear of increasing the pain. Contrary to this belief, exercise may not only decrease your back pain, but also increase your overall health and decrease the effects of arthritis on all of your joints.
Benefits
Exercise provides you with many benefits. Regular exercise helps improve your arthritis by maintaining and improving flexibility, decreasing pain, strengthening the muscles around your joints and increasing your ability to perform daily activities, the Arthritis Foundation reports. Exercise also helps increase your fitness level, improve your health, control your weight, increase your energy level, improve your sleep patterns, strengthen your heart, improve your self-esteem and decrease your risk for serious diseases, such has heart disease and diabetes.
Types
Exercise for lower back pain due to arthritis needs to include flexibility, strength and cardiac training. Lisa Konstantellis, the section manager of the Joint Mobility Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, states that any exercise that does not cause pain can help relieve arthritis. She advises doing exercises that strengthen the lower abs, lower back and hips, such as reverse crunches, glute bridges, leg lifts and plank exercises. Work exercise into every part of your day. "Relieve back pain when you first wake up by pulling your knees to your chest to stretch your back," Konstantellis says. March in place or practice reaching over your head during sedentary activities. Water exercise, brisk walks or elliptical exercise can help increase your cardiac function while treating your lower back pain.
Frequency
Exercise needs vary from person to person. Stretch your back once or twice per day to help relieve the pressure on your lower back, explains Heath Brown, a physical therapist at Rehabilitation Today in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Be sure to move gently and slowly throughout your exercise. "The quality of your movement is more important than the quantity," states Brown. In addition to stretching exercises, you need about 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise three to four times per week, advises Konstantellis. Good choices of aerobic exercise include walking, riding a stationary bike or water exercise. Include stretching exercises before and after any aerobic workout.
Precautions
Some forms of exercise will worsen your lower back pain from arthritis. Avoid high-impact activities such as running, advises Konstantellis. Exercises that require rapid starts and stops, quick changes in direction or a lot of twisting motions, such as football, basketball or skiing can also worsen your arthritis pain. Stop any exercise that causes you sharp or increased pain. Contact your doctor or physical therapist if you notice sharp or worsening pain.
Considerations
Control of lower back pain due to arthritis may require more than an exercise routine. Pain control may require the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, heat or cold application, topical analgesics, rest or weight management through diet control, advises Konstantellis. You doctor and physical therapist can help determine the best course of treatment for you.
References
- Lisa Konstantellis; Hospital for Special Surgery; New York, New York
- Heath Brown; Rehabilitation Today; Bradford, Pennsylvania
- Arthritis Foundation: Exercise Regularly
