Relieve Low Back Pain with 4 Simple Core Exercise Progressions
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Lower back pain can often be relieved, and even prevented, by strengthening the core. So here are progression exercises to help strength the core in the front, side, and back.
When we talk about core exercises, people usually think about the abdominal muscles in the front, but our core muscles are not only in the front,, but also in the side and back.
Starting with a pelvic tilt is the foundation to progress to a dead bug exercise. These might look simple, but when done correctly, they can be very challenging.
Next bridging to a single leg bridge is a great progression to work your glutes and hamstrings. Then, a clamshell to clamshell with feet lifted progression will work the muscles on the side of your body.
Finally, a quadruped leg extension to a bird dog is a great way to work all the muscles because you have to stabilize your body with the movements.
The lower back can be a hard area to stretch depending on what is causing the pain. My favorite exercise for this area is a pelvic tilt. It’s a great exercise as well as a stretch for the low back, hips, and pelvis.
Cracking your back can help relieve back pain. But make sure the cause of your back pain is diagnosed first because with some back issues you should never crack your back.
Mid back pain (also called middle back pain or thoracic back pain) can make it difficult to perform everyday activities. Here are 3 of my favorite mid back stretches to help relieve pain & tightness.
Cracking your back can feel great, and it can help relieve back tension and back pain when it's done correctly. But it's very important to have a proper diagnosis because sometimes you should not crack your back at all. So always get cleared by your doctor or physical therapist before trying.
The upper back can be a hard area to stretch. Tight rhomboid muscles and other muscles around the shoulder and neck can cause upper back pain. My favorite stretch for the upper back area is a seated rhomboid stretch.
Osteoporosis develops when the structure and strength of bone changes. This can cause decrease in bone strength which can increase the risk of breaking bones. These gentle exercises for osteoporosis, when done at one’s own pace, can help prevent further decline and help protect the bones.
A herniated disc can be very debilitating. Sometimes a nerve can get compressed, and there will also be numbness and tingling going down one leg. These stretches and exercises should help relieve the pain.
For a herniated disc, to relieve the back pain, you want to do extension exercises and stretches to help push the disc back into the space in your spine.
Percussive Massage Therapy using a massage gun (aka percussion massager) for back pain relief uses fast, soft pulses over a short amount of time to get deep down into the muscle fibers.
