Back Pain Solutions
What causes back pain?
Over time, our lives have become more sedentary. We spend more time sitting. The reasons for all this inactivity vary; commuting to work, reading, computer work, tv time at night. The good news is that you can take steps towards reducing your back pain right now with some of my simple back pain solutions on this page.
01/
Pigeon Pose
Start on all fours, hands under shoulders, knees under hips. Pick up one leg, straighten it, bring that leg across the heel of the other leg, while lying down onto your forearms, keep extending the straight leg away from you. This is a great hip and glute mobility stretch.
02/
Hip Crossovers
This is an excellent movement for mobilizing your hips and low back, while activating your obliques (abdominal muscles on the side of your trunk).
It is performed while lying on your back, your knees bent, your heels are touching the floor (toes up), and your shoulder blades (scapula) stay "pinned" to the floor. While keeping your knees together, and feet stacked upon each other, roll your knees side to side. Try to go as far towards the floor as you can, without letting the shoulder blades lose contact with the ground.
03/
Iron Cross
This is another hip, low back, and oblique exercise. Both the hip crossovers and the iron cross are hip rotational movements.
Lie on your back, arms out at a "T", shoulder blades stay "pinned" to the floor. This movement is very robotic, keeping the leg straight, lift the leg straight up into a hamstring stretch, then bring that leg over towards the opposite hand, without letting the shoulder blades lose contact with the floor. Bring the leg back up, put it back onto the floor, and perform the same movement with the other leg.
04/
Standing Calf Stretch with Glute Activation
With one leg forward and heel down, lean your hips towards the wall, and repeatedly contract and relax the glute of the back leg. When you contract the glute, the hip flexion muscles on that same side, must relax. This is called reciprocal inhibition. In muscle physiology, when the agonist muscle contracts, its antagonist muscle must relax.
05/
Standing/Leaning Quad & Hip Flexor Stretch
This stretch is another hip flexor stretch, and can be appropriately performed anywhere. In a standing position, pull your heel to your glute. Then bend slightly forward, at the hips.
06/
Spinal Elongation
Most of life, you deal with gravity and compression. Compression is what happens to your joints as you stand. Elongating your spine feels good. It allows space for the discs between your vertebrae. You can accomplish this two ways. One is to hang from a bar, or the Roman Chair at the gym. The other is to do the lat pulldown at the gym. Hanging can be done anywhere. You'll need a fitness facility for the other two options.
07/
Foam Roller & Massage Stick
These are tools for active release therapy or self massage. These tools will help with muscle tightness that can also lead to pain. These tools can be used daily instead of only infrequent massages by a therapist.
Advice from your trainer
Another tip that could help you is sleeping on your side in fetal position, with a pillow between your knees. This is an excellent position for the hips, and will help your low back.
Try these solutions to your low back pain, and let me know if you have any questions or problems. Submit your questions and comments in the "Get in Touch" section at the bottom of this page.
Live Right,
Keith