What Can You Do For Severe Back Pain? – Exercising
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What can you do for severe back pain? What is the best stretching exercise for lower back pain? What to for back pain at home? Research shows that over 80% of people in the U.S experience back pain, including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine pain, at some point in their lives.
Although people with acute back pain take medications and chronic spinal pain undergo surgeries, studies show that strengthening and stretching exercises can relieve back pain at home. Unlike other treatment options, exercises for back pain do not cause any complications.
What can you do for severe back pain?
Common treatment options for severe back pain are heat and ice therapy, medications, including NSAIDs, antidepressants, analgesics, narcotics, and exercises. However, in today’s post, we will give you a list of exercises you can do at home to relieve severe back pain effectively. Read on!
Press-up
- Lie on your stomach and support your body with forearms
- Keep your elbows on the ground and elevate your upper back
- Relax your abdominal muscles and allow your spine to arch without your spinal muscles
- Avoid letting your pelvis or hips come off the ground as your press-up
- Stay in this position for at least 30 seconds and repeat 3-4 times
Bird Dog – Alternate arm and leg
What is the best stretching exercise for lower back pain? Research shows that the bird dog (alternate arm and leg) is the best exercise for lower back pain. It stretches your lower back muscles, restores range of motion, and improves flexibility. Here are the steps to perform this exercise
- Start the exercise on the floor or mat with your hands and knees
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise one leg off the ground
- Hold your leg behind you and avoid letting your hips dropdown
- Stay in this position for at least ten seconds
- Lower your leg and raise the other leg
- Repeat 10-12 times on each leg
- Work up to holding for 30 seconds over time
Knee-to-chest
What can you do for severe back pain? Nothing is more useful than performing knee-to-chest stretch, especially if you have lumbar spine pain. The exercise stretches and stabilizes your lumbar spine and reduces discomfort/pain. It also reduces high blood pressure, anxiety, anger and relieves sciatic nerve impingement muscle spasms, disc herniation, and spinal stenosis. Here are the steps to perform this exercise:
- Lie on your back and bend your knees
- Keep your feet flat on the ground
- Bring one knee to the chest
- Keep the other foot flat on the ground
- Press your lower back into the floor
- Stay in this position for 30 seconds
- Relax and lower your knee to the original position
- Repeat the exercise with the other leg
- Repeat 3-5 times with each leg
If you want to get more stretch, make sure you put your other leg flat on the ground while pulling your knee toward the chest.
Curl-ups
Not only do curl-ups improve your lower back muscles’ strengthen, but they also work on your abdomen and rectus abdominis. Curl-ups improve your muscular endurance, increase flexibility and range of motion in your spine.
- Lie on your back and bend your knees at 90 degrees angle
- Make sure your feet stay flat on the floor
- Your feet should 12 inches away from your hips
- Cross your arms over your chest and tighten your abdominal muscles
- Raise your shoulder blades off the ground or mat
- Align your head with your body and avoid pressing your chin into the chest
- Stay in this position for 2-3 seconds and lower yourself back down
- Repeat 10-12 times to feel more stretch
Pelvic tilt
According to MINT, a reputable minimally invasive surgery clinic in Plano, TX, pelvic tilt strengthens your back and abdominal muscles, leading to improved flexibility and range of motion. Here are the steps to perform the exercise.
- Lie on your back and bend your knees
- Brace your abdomen to tighten your muscles
- Draw your belly button toward your spine
- Stay in this position for five seconds
- Keep your inhalation and exhalation normal
- Repeat the exercise 10-12 times
Final Words
These exercises can relieve discomfort, inflammation, and pain, but if your condition persists for over three months, make sure you consult a neurosurgeon. MINT has qualified, skilled, and experienced neurosurgeons who can prescribe or suggest you better treatment options for your lower back pain, including minimally invasive spine surgery. What can you do for severe back pain – contact us today for more details!
