Lower Back Pain Exercises

There are a lot of reasons why lower back pain occurs. The most common cause of this pain is poor body muscle coordination. The muscles on the back have the primary purpose of aiding the vertebrae in moving in different directions. With such simple function, people would misuse this body muscle as they would use it to perform rigorous task such as lifting heavy objects. With this reason, the best way to treat lower back pain is through exercise. People do not know the value of exercise and they sometimes neglect this practice whenever they experience the pain. To help people in doing the proper exercise for the back, here are some of the common exercises that can be done.

1. Hamstring stretch. This exercise would require the person to lie supine on the floor with cushion support on the lower back. The right leg should be raised with the assistance of the hands. Once the leg is fully raised, the hands should hold the thighs with the fingers interlocked for added support. The elbows should be fully extended and not bent. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and after that, do the same procedure on the other leg. The key to this exercise is to feel the stretch of the lower back muscles. This exercise will releive any tension felt at the back. If no stretch is felt, then you are doing it all wrong.

2. Cat and Camel Stretch. You can start this exercise with your knees on the ground as well as both the hands. You should be able to resemble a four legged creature (like a camel or cat). First you should do the cat stretch by lowering the head and bringing the lower back up so that it will arch to stretch the muscles. Hold this position for 5 seconds. After that you should do the reverse action which is the camel stretch. You should bring your head up while the middle back lowers down. You should have a down curve over your back. Do this for 5 seconds after the cat stretch. This exercise should be done alternately so that it will keep the normal contractions of the back muscles at a normal rate.

3. Pelvic Tilt. This exercise is done by lying supine on the ground with the back flat and the knees flexed. The action done in this exercise should be to bring the buttocks upward while tightening the muscles. This exercise will help in coordinating the muscles whenever the back is excessively used in daily routine. It is very important that the buttocks tighten and not the back muscles because this will defeat the purpose of the exercise. The person should hold this position for 5 seconds and this should be repeated ten times for two sets.

4. Prone Hip Extension. This exercise would require the person to lie prone on the ground. The legs should be lifted off of the floor at the height of four to eight inches. Hold this position for five seconds then repeat with the other leg. It is important that the muscles of the buttocks tighten and not the back muscles. The head should lie flat on the ground and not lift off the floor.

These are only few of the exercises that can be done. These exercises should not be done when the pain is severe. Before doing any of the above exercises, it is important that the person with back pain should visit a physician first. These exercises should not be an alternative or a substitute to a real medical opinion.