Back Pain Stretches & Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain relief Stretches and Exercises
Dr Barry Marks, Chiropractor, Orange, CA 92868

Therapy Ball Abs

In order to keep your back healthy and strong, you need to keep the “front” of your back tight. That means your abdominal muscles (abs) must be firm.

Try this alternative to regular sit-ups or crunches.

• Lie flat on your back with your legs resting on a large Swiss/Therapy ball.
• Reach your arms out and curl your shoulders up off the floor, hold for 1 second.
• Lower your shoulders and repeat.
• As in all ab routines, go until you cannot do another. Rest for 10 seconds then repeat. 2-3 sets like this should be sufficient.

You may substitute a chair or the side of a sofa for the ball.

To really work your abs, try different exercises and mix things up to work all aspects of the abdominal wall. Try a set of Therapy Ball Abs, followed by a set of Regular Crunches then a set of Oblique Crunches.

For more information about back stretches and exercises check out Free Back Pain
Remedies Book

Lower Back Pain Stretches, More Exercises for Back Pain

Lower Back Pain Stretches and Exercises
Dr Barry L Marks, DC
Orange, CA

Lower Back Arch

The lower back arch is good to stretch out and elongate your entire spine. This may relieve pain and tension from back strains, disc herniation, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease and arthritis.

• Assume a hands and knees position
• Arch your back up 
• Tuck your tail and head downward and squeeze lightly while exhaling
• Take a breath in and straighten your back then repeat

For more information on lower back pain exercsies and treatment go to http://orangespinaldecompression.com

Exercises, stretches for lower back pain

Lower Back Pain Stretches and Exercises for Back Pain
Dr Barry L Marks, DC
Orange, CA

A good stretch for lower back pain due to disc herniation, bulging disc, degenerative disc disease, sacroiliac strain and tight lower back due to a strain is the Knee-to-Chest stretch.

• Simply lie flat on your back
• Bend your knees and grasp them with your hands
• Pull knees up towards chest and hold for a 5 count
• Lower slightly and repeat

An alternative is to use only one knees at a time or to bring one knee up towards the opposite shoulder and hold. This is good for stretching the sacroiliac joint.

For more information on back pain and lower back pain exercises go to
Cure for Lower Back Pain

Stretching Exercises for Lower Back Pain

Lower Back Pain Stretches  from Orange County Lower Back Pain expert
Dr Barry Marks, DC | Orange, CA 92868

Back Extension:

This stretching exercise for lower back pain may help alleviate the following causes of back pain: disk herniation, bulging disc, back strain and subluxation. It is not recommend for facet syndrome.

1. Stretch your back into this position and hold for a count of 5
2. Release tension slightly
3. Repeat 10-20 times.

This stretch for back pain can be a beneficial part of a lower back pain treatment program to relieve your lower back pain and strengthen your core muscles for lasting back pain relief. 

For more back pain stretches and exercises for back pain follow these links: 
http://spinaldecompression.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/back-pain-remedies-do-100-sit-upscrunches-per-day/
http://spinaldecompression.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/back-pain-remedies-stretching-exercises/

To learn more about lower back pain treatment and a possible Cure for Lower Back Pain try this link.

For a Free Home remedies for Back Pain E-book follow this link

Cure for Lower Back Pain… in only 5 weeks!

Orange, CA
Back pain diagnosis and treatment for lower back pain

Dr Barry L Marks, DC’s latest book, “Cure for Lower Back Pain” is now available.

Who needs this book?

• If you are suffering from severe back pain and leg pain from back muscle strain, herniated disc, bulging disc, sciatica, stenosis, facet syndrome or arthritis…YOU need this book.
• If you continue to suffer from back pain, leg pain and diminished physical activity….YOU need this book.
• If your life is hampered in any way by your back pain…YOU need this book.

“Cure for Lower Back Pain” will teach you:

• How to know if you have been accurately diagnosed
• What treatments are best for your particular condition
• Plus…special free bonuses including Free direct access to the author for a second opinion

For more details go to www.CureForLowerBackPain.com

Back Pain Treatment Orange County

Back Pain Treatment Orange County
By back pain specialist Dr Barry Marks, DC Orange, CA

Back pain treatment tips between chiropractor, therapist or doctor visits:

• Alternate heat for 15 minutes and ice for 12 minutes
• Rest on your back with your knees over the back of a couch or chair for one hour 2-3 times each day
• Get up and around as much as pain will permit; too much lounging will make your back even more stiff.
• Ask your doctor for “natural pain relievers” or “natural muscle relaxers” such as Formula 303
• Drink lots of water; poorly hydrated muscles are prone to spasm and have a hard time recovering from injury
• Try the “Child’s pose” back stretch periodically throughout the day to relieve muscle tension
• Have a positive outlook; positive thoughts are therapeutic and can help you heal faster
• Be patient; back pain can be tricky to treat. Allow your doctor adequate time to figure out what will work for your particular condition. In general, most types of back pain will see signifcant relief within 1 month. After 1 month, if you have not improved at all, it may be time to look further into your condition with an MRI or other examinations.

Try these tips between your back pain treatment visits, they may help you get by as your back heals.

For more information on Back Pain treatment in Orange County visit:
www.orangespinaldecompression.com

“Help For Pain of Bulging Discs”

If you are sufferingg from back pain or sciatica due to disk herniation, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease or a slipped disc, here are a few tips to help ease the pain. These tips may not be a cure for lower back pain, but they will provide back pain relief while you are pursuing a lower back pain treatment program.

What causes the back pain from a bulging disc?

The pain comes from two main sources:

1. The disc itself has nerves in its outer fibers. When a disc has been injured and is bulging and swollen, these nerves become irritated and send out pain messages to your brain. Your brain interprets the pain messages and you feel the characteristic pain. The pain is usually deep and achey and is located in the central area of the spine or just slightly off to one side or the other of the spine.
2. If the bulging disc or disk herniation is large enough, the spinal nerves will be irritated which causes referred pain down to the buttocks, thigh, leg or foot. This is called “sciatica.” How far down the leg the pain travels depends on which nerves are involved.

So now you know where the pain comes from and that’s just great, but…

What can you do for back pain relief?

This article is going to assume that you are already under the care of a doctor and you are trying to solve your problem with some sort of medical/chiropractic/acupuncture/physical therapy treatment. Although you may be in the middle of a back pain relief program, you may still be experiencing pain. So what to do while you’re waiting for this treatment to “kick in” and make you feel better?

Here’s what I recommend to my spinal decompression patients:
(Do these in order, one immediately after the other.)

1. Hot shower, hot wet towels or moist heating pad for 15 minutes

2. Knee to chest stretch

3. Disc & sciatica relief position while lying on ice
(remove ice after 12 minutes, keep laying in this position for 1 hour total)

Perform this routine 1-3 times a day to get relief from back pain due to disk herniation or bulging discs.

If you are suffering from back pain or sciatica due to disk herniation, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease or a slipped disc and you’ve tried drugs, shots, chiropractic, acupuncture and/or physical therapy without success, you owe it to yourself to at least look into spinal decompression. Get a Free Guide to Severe Back, Disc and Sciatica Pain written by a former Associate Clinical Professor and a noted OC Spinal Decompression specialist and author with over 22 years experience here:
http://www.orangespinaldecompression.com/

“Do 100 Sit-ups Part 2″

This is Part 2 in a quest to do 100 sit ups a day to aid your lower back pain treatment or just for general fitness.  

Warning:
If you are having more than just mild back pain from disk herniation, bulging disc, degenerative disc disease, stenosis or other cause of back pain, go back to this article (Do 100 sit-ups per day) and stick with those abdominal core exercises for back pain.

If, however, you are not in severe pain and are in fairly good shape and ready to advance your ab workout to the next level, then try these variations on Pilates, Yoga and rehab abdominal strengthening exercises.

Swiss Ball Crunch A
Lie on floor with legs resting on therapy ball. Reach arms out at a 45-degree angle, lift torso off floor hold for a second, lower then repeat until fatigued.

Swiss Ball Crunch B
Sit on your therapy ball with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Roll with ball until you are on your back. Assume crunch position and lift your torso up until your abs tighten. Hold for a second, lower and repeat until fatigued.

Jack Knife
Lie on floor on your back with feet together and hands together, simultaneously lift your leg and arms up towards each other until only back is on the floor hold for a second, lower then repeat until fatigued.

Swiss Ball Side Lifts
Lie on the floor with a therapy ball between your ankles. Lift your shoulders and legs off the floor hold for a second, lower then repeat until fatigued.

Bicycle Crunch
Lie on your back in crunch position, lift your left elbow and right knee up towards each other, lower then repeat until fatigued.

Variations:

• Basic:
  Do the exercises as described above, 1 set of each exercise until fatigue

• Advanced:
  Quickly do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds then move to the next exercise until all exercises have been done. That would be 1 set. Rest for 30-60 seconds between each set. Do 1-3 sets.

Try adding these advanced core muscle exercises into your lower back pain treatment program to tighten up your abs and stabilize your back.

“Back Pain Remedies: Get Orthotics”

Among back pain remedies you should try if you are suffering from chronic low back pain despite acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy and medications is a set of orthotics or shoe inserts.

The feet play a very important role in spinal health. The entire weight of your body and the forces of gravity end up down there. Even small imbalances in your feet can cause large amounts of stress on the knees, hips and lower back. This increased stress will aggravate back pain caused by disk herniation, bulging discs, degenerative disc disease and facet syndrome.

Types of Orthotics

• Generic arch supports are the type you’d find at a shoe store, grocer or drug store. These are designed to cushion shock and support your arch. These are inexpensive ($7-$20) and easy to get.
• Semi-Custom Orthotics are supports designed for improved foot support and stability as well as arch support. These are “stock” off the shelf orthotics of various sizes and configurations. The closest match to your foot and needs are then fitted. These are moderately priced ($150-200) and can be found at special retail outlets.
• Custom Orhtotics are created specifically for your foot by a doctor. A plaster mold is made of your foot and then the device is sent to a lab for fabrication. These are designed to correct foot imbalances and support the arch. They can also be created to correct for leg length discrepancies or for special athletic needs. This type of insert has the widest variety of materials and uses and is totally custom made, therefore they are more expensive than other types ($250-$500 for orthotic + $200-$300 for doctor’s visits). These orthotics are usually covered by health insurance.

Which orthotic you choose depends on your needs and budget. If you do not have a specific foot problem detected by a doctor like a flat (pronated) foot or other problem, then an inexpensive arch support that absorbs shock and gives you more support will be fine. On the other hand if you do have a pronated or flat foot or other foot problem, then semi or full custom orthotics are what you need.

Your 3 Action Steps:

1. The first step is to have your feet looked at. A Podiatrist or Chiropractor who works with orthotics will be able to tell you what type of insert or orthotic is best for you.
2. Next, you need to choose the type of orthotic you will use.
3. And lastly, you actually need to wear them…all the time. It takes a while for your feet to adapt and even longer for your back to adapt to the changes.

Shoe inserts or orthotics can be an effective home remedy for back pain that you can use to help your other doctors as part of your lower back pain treatment or spinal decompression program.

“Back Stretches for Bulging Discs: Side Stretch”

Back muscle pain and back pain from strain, subluxation, stenosis, disk herniation, bulging disc and degenerative disc disease can be relieved by this simple side stretch exercise.

This stretch can be used as part of a spinal decompression rehabilitative program or for general fitness. The goal of the side stretch exercise is to elongate and relax the lateral muscles of the back and abdomen. Muscles such as the latisimus dorsi, the quadratus lumborum, erector spinae and abdominal obliques are effectively stretched with this core muscle exercise.

 

Side Stretch

Begin by sitting on the floor as shown. Lift one arm up and lean to the side. Make sure you feel the muscles stretch all along your side from your lower back up to your shoulder. Hold for a count of 5 then release and repeat 10-20 times.

 

Switch sitting position and stretch to the other side.

 

Alternate version often seen in Pilates and Yoga workouts is to use a therapy ball (Swiss ball). Stand holding therapy ball over your head with both hands. Slowly bend to the side while reaching out with the ball. Hold then repeat 10-20 times each direction.

Add this stretch to your lower back pain treatment plan to help get back pain relief.