This will build a set of corrective exercises and stretches you can implement to your daily routine. We realize there are different types of corrective exercises to strengthen your lower back. We have provided you with just a sampling of beginner level correctives. More advanced solutions should be supervised by a doctor to take any red flags into consideration.

8 Most Effective Exercises to Strengthen Your Lower Back

Cross-Crawl (Bird Dog Alternating Arm & Leg)

• Begin on your hands and knees in a quadruped position.
• While abdominally bracing, slowly extend your right leg and left arm into a fully straightened “bird dog” position.
• Hold this contraction for two seconds before returning to touch your right hand to your left knee and repeating for ten repetitions before switching sides.
• Keep your abdominals engaged the entire time and do not arch your back or twist your hips at any point

Glute Bridge

• Lay on your back on an exercise mat or the floor in a bent-knee position with your feet flat on the floor.
• Place your feet hip-width apart with the toes facing away from you.
• Gently contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your low back into the floor. Attempt to maintain this gentle muscle contraction throughout the exercise.
• Gently exhale. Keep the abdominals engaged and, pressing through your heels, lift your hips up off the floor until your body is in a straight line between your knees and shoulders.
• Avoid pushing your hips too high, which can cause hyperextension (arching) in your low back.
• Lowering Phase: Inhale and slowly lower yourself back to your starting position.

Single Leg Glute Bridge

• Lay on your back on an exercise mat or the floor in a bent-knee position with your feet flat on the floor.
• Raise one leg off the ground, pulling the knee to your chest. This will be your starting position.
• Execute the movement by driving through the heel, extending your hip upward and raising your glutes off the ground.
• Extend as far as possible without arching your back, pause and then return to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.

Front Plank

• Lay face down with your elbows bent directly under your shoulders and your knees bent.
• Engage your abdominals and raise your body off the ground onto your elbows and knees.
• Maintain a straight spine, chin tucked, and abdominal brace. Do not allow hips to drop or spine to arch!
• Hold this position for 30 seconds or to fatigue.
• Once you can perform with ease, change from a knee position to a toe position.

Side Plank

• Begin lying on your side, resting your weight on your forearm and feet with your elbow directly under your shoulder.
• Have your legs stacked one on top of the other and lift your hips forward and up to the ceiling until your body is straight keeping your shoulders, hips, and ankles in a line.
• Engage your abdominals while holding this position for 30-60 seconds or to fatigue.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Standing Back Extensions

• Stand up, with your feet about hip-width apart, and place your hands on top of your pelvis (the back of your hips).
• Keep your knees straight as you gently bend until you can feel a mild to moderate stretch in your lower abdominals.
• Return to the starting position and repeat ten times, trying to extend slightly farther back each time.
• If you experience low back pain or discomfort when extending back, only extend back until you “touch discomfort.”
• Stop this exercise immediately if you notice increased radiating pain into your leg

Triplanar Hip Flexor Stretch

• Begin standing in a “lunge” position with one leg back until a stretch is felt in your hip.
• Lunge forward to increase the stretch in your hip. Hold this position for two or three seconds and return to neutral.
• Slowly lunge forward ten times, each time increasing the stretch.
• Perform ten additional repetitions of increased stretch by rotating your body away from your back leg.
• Perform a final set of 10 repetitions of increased stretch by raising your arm on the same side and rotating your body away while performing lunges.

Single Leg Deadlift

• Begin by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in one arm by your side.
• Transfer your body weight to the leg opposite the arm holding the weight with your knee bent only slightly.
• Slowly flex forward from the hips on your stance leg while moving your chest and the dumbbell toward the floor.
• Keep your back and kicking leg straight while keeping your glutes and core tight.
• Once a stretch along your glutes and hamstrings is felt, pause at the bottom, and then nearly return to the top.
• Repeat for 10-15 repetitions before switching to the opposite leg.

These are all helpful exercises to strengthen your lower back. However, they may not be completely effective on your own. For that reason, chiropractic care is a great resource to relieve your low back pain. Contact Back to Health Chiropractic today!

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These are a sampling of some daily activities that you may encounter. We encourage you to practice and apply the body preparation and positioning described above. “Sternum Up”, “Power Zone” and “Abdominal Bracing” should be utilized to protect and spare the spine.

The below images and descriptions were resourced from The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (2004) pages 8, 85–87 written by Craig Liebenson, DC.

Low Back Pain Prevention Techniques

Hip Hinge

• Keep the spine upright by hinging from the hips as you bend your knees
• Maintain all three points of contact as you move to an upright position

Going From Sitting to Standing

• Start in a seated position at the edge of your chair with your feet under your thighs before sitting up
• To initiate movement, begin upward movement by using your hips and knees
• To avoid strain to your back, keep your torso upright when rising from the chair.

Picking Up a Bag Off the Ground

• When picking up a bag from the ground, bend from the hips and knees.
• Make sure to keep the back flat and keep lower back’s natural curve by keeping it curved forward while bending.
• When lifting, initiate the movement by keeping the back flat while extending with the hips, and tightening the glutes.

Brushing Your Teeth

• Keep your chest upright while brushing the teeth.
• When you bend forward to rinse your brush or mouth bend from the hips, not from the waist.
• Keep your chest lifted while you bend forward.

Changing a Diaper

• Before changing your baby ensure that you have a changing station that is the appropriate height.
• If it is too low (below your waist), you will be forced to bend forward from the waist.
• The correct height is approximately waist high and allows you to maneuver your baby without having to bend much.

Picking Up Objects From the Ground

• When lowering to pick up the object, bend from the knees and keep your chest lifted.
• When lifting keep your spine upright by hinging from the hips and knees.
• If the object is not directly in front of you, it is important to keep your chest lifted in front of you while keeping your lower back’s natural curve.
• Avoid lifting immediately after sitting for a prolonged period.

Body Preparation & Positioning

Keeping the sternum up automatically sets the body into the good posture and maintains:

Neutral Spine: Maintaining good spinal alignment decreases the stress placed on the spine and discs.

Hip Hinging: Bending at the hips – and not the low back – decreases the stress placed on the low back and increases strength & power.

1. Power Zone
   The zone that will optimize lifting strength and injury reduction.
   • Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, and you are in the “Primary Power Zone.”
   • The area up to the shoulders and down to the hips is acceptable.
   • The more you can work in the “power zone” the less fatigue on your body
     
2. Abdominal Bracing- When all of your core muscles work together, a “Super Sti­ffness” occurs, and all three layers of the abdominal wall are activated to protect and stabilize the spine and discs.
   • Without bending forward, contract the abdominal muscles (like you are about the get punched in your gut – feel them tighten with one hand) and the buttock muscles (as if you are holding in a bowel movement). You will feel the lower back muscles contract (with the other hand) when you contract your abs and buttocks.
     

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Lumbar Disc Disorders May Include One or a Combination of the Following Symptoms

• Intermittent or constant lower back pain and pain in the buttock,
• leg and foot pain, numbness or a tingling sensation in the leg and foot,
• Weakness in the leg and foot
• Decreased reflexes in the knee or ankle
• Changes in bowel or bladder function.

The symptoms will vary depending on if and where the disc has herniated, and what spinal nerve root is affected. Leg pain is usually greater than low back pain with disc herniations and nerve root involvement. However, if there are only annular tears without herniation, the pain will be localized to the low back and buttock. The onset of pain can be sudden or gradual after an injury. Pain may follow heavy lifting, twisting, or straining activities or repetitive stress trauma. However, patients may not recall a prior injury or a precise time the condition began because it is often preceded by frequent episodes of less severe low back pain that usually resolved.

Pain is usually characterized by sharp, shooting, or electrical pain that may be aggravated by movement, changing positions, sneezing, coughing, or prolonged sitting and standing. The pain is usually relieved with rest and a recumbent position.

Risk Factors of Lumbar Disc Disorders

• Age and Gender: the highest incidence in men between the ages of 30 and 50.
• Obesity: being overweight puts added stress on lumbar discs.
• Sedentary lifestyle: lack of exercise and poor core body strength.
• Smoking: Smoking decreases oxygen supply to the discs causing more rapid degeneration.
• Improper Lifting: using your back muscles instead of your legs to lift heavy objects. Twisting while lifting
• Posture: hyperlordotic lumbar curvature, anterior pelvic tilt (lower cross syndrome).
• Repetitive Activities That Strain Your Spine: jobs that require constant lifting, pulling, bending, or twisting.
• Frequent Driving: staying seated for long periods and the vibration from the car can put pressure on your discs.

Treatment of Lumbar Disc Disorders

Conservative care should be your first course of treatment to manage lumbar disc disorders, but treatment will depend on the clinical presentation, your age, overall health, and tolerance to therapies. With disc herniations, the first few days of care will focus on centralizing (reducing) leg pain, decreasing inflammation, and preventing further neurological loss by decompressing nerve root impingement and reducing the disc herniation. Osseous mobilization and manipulation and soft tissue therapy may be administered as tolerated.

Home care will consist of pain-relief repetitive positional exercises and lumbar stabilization exercises. We will also educate you on ways to protect your lower back, positions to avoid, and how to manage activity. In most cases, bed rest will not be recommended as the sooner you are up and moving, the better the prognosis.

Once pain and inflammation have decreased, we will continue working on lumbar stabilization and progress into proprioceptive training. We will evaluate muscle imbalances using posture and movement patterns with the goal of restoring good biomechanics and core body strength. Your home care will emphasize the progression of stabilization protocols and corrective exercises.

If you fail to respond to conservative treatment, or in cases of severe neurological loss, a referral for a surgical consultation will be recommended.

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3 Lesser Known Low Back Conditions

1. Lumbar Stenosis

This condition occurs when there is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar vertebrae (low back). Often, this results in compression of the spinal cord, which can lead to pain, numbness, discomfort and radiating symptoms. This is usually mechanically caused by the degenerative changes of aging. However, there are other causes.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

• Degeneration of the lumbar spine
• Lumbar disc herniation putting pressure on the spinal cord
• Osteoporosis
• Dwarfism (achondroplasia)
• Tumor

Degeneration of the spinal column is inevitable with aging and may reflect normal changes in an aging spine. It does not necessarily always result in lumbar stenosis but is often the most common cause.

While it is difficult or impossible to combat normal aging of the spine, there are some habits and tips you can use to reduce this condition related to the other causes. Reduce your chances of a lumbar disc herniation by learning proper bending and lifting biomechanics. Crouch, rather than bending, and lift by utilizing the power from your legs and not your back. As far as osteoporosis goes, make sure you are meeting your recommended calcium intake as well as incorporating weight-bearing activities into your exercise routine (lifting weights). Post-menopausal women tend to be more susceptible to this condition and should ensure they are doing everything they can to prevent osteoporosis.

2. Facet Syndrome

Over half of facet syndrome cases occur in the neck (cervical spine), and a third occurs in the low back (lumbar spine). Facet joints are the small joints in the back of the spine that are responsible for much of rotational movement and limit side-to-side movement. The pain is often worst when moving from a sitting position to a standing position or moving from a bent-over position back to an upright standing position.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

• Excessive weight
• Overuse (sports or labor)
• Whiplash/motor vehicle accident
• Pre-existing arthritis
• Sitting for long periods of time

However, with the proper education, you can protect yourself from many of these causes. The primary sufferers of this condition, especially chronic cases, often are in poor physical condition with weak stabilizing paraspinal muscles. A comorbid factor of this condition is often a desk job that involves sitting for most of the day. This type of patient usually has poor sitting posture, which can lead to a weakening of your spinal erectors and destabilize the spine, contributing to the condition. The importance of a strong core and training your spinal muscles cannot be overstated.

In cases where the injury stems from a problem related to overuse, poor posture or improper exercise, there are steps that you can take to help prevent these injuries from happening. Proper instruction about your postural habits can reduce the detrimental effects of sitting on the spine. In addition, education about correct lifting form can reduce these episodes of low back pain and help you build a healthy spine.

3. Lower Crossed Syndrome

The abdominal muscles are inactive and not supporting the spine, while the spinal erectors are pulling the lumbar spine forward, resulting in something called hyperlordosis. This means that the spine in the lower back has an exaggerated curve, which can result in accelerated degeneration of the joints of the spine.

At the same time, the hip flexors are facilitated and are chronically tight while the gluteus muscles are inhibited and have reduced activation. This leaves the back muscles to do most of the work to extend the spine instead of the gluteus muscles keeping the pelvis level.

Back to Health Chiropractic’s Treatment Approach for These Low Back Conditions

1. Chiropractic spinal and extremity adjustments

Adjustments help restore normal motion, balance musculature and reduce pain.

2. Physiotherapy

Your chiropractor will use this to reduce acute pain and inflammation.

3. Muscle and soft tissue techniques

These help to reduce muscle pain and tightness and improve muscle/ligament function.

4. Therapeutic exercises

Specific “low tech” rehabilitation exercises and assisted stretches are given to improve flexibility, function, and strength and prevent re-injury.

5. Diet and supplement suggestions

An anti-inflammatory diet and specific supplements can help reduce neck pain.

6. Lifestyle modifications

Postural and repetitive stress activities may need to be addressed.

All these treatments depend on the needs and tolerance of each patient.

For more information or to get help treating your low back pain, especially these lesser known low back conditions, contact Back to Health Chiropractic today!

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Notorious Low Back Conditions

Lumbar Strains and Sprains

A lumbar strain is when an injury occurs to the muscles of the low back. A sprain is an injury to the ligaments or joints. Both injuries however have similar pain and symptom patterns. When these muscles or ligaments become injured, it can lead to compensation or dysfunctional movements, and cause instability in the spine. Patients suffering from this diagnosis often have pain when attempting to walk, sit, exercise. In addition, pain can even occur during sleep.

The main physical causes of this condition are:

• Overexertion
• Falls
• Poor movement mechanics
• Poor posture
• Heavy lifting

However, with proper education, you can protect yourself from many of these causes. The primary sufferers of this condition, especially chronic cases, often are in poor physical condition with weak stabilizing muscles. An additional factor of this condition is often a desk job that involves sitting for most of the day. This type of patient usually has poor sitting posture, which can lead to a weakening of spinal erector muscles and destabilize the spine, contributing to the condition. The importance of a strong core and training your spinal muscles cannot be overstated.

In cases where the injury stems from a problem related to overuse, poor posture or improper exercise, you can take steps to help prevent these injuries. In addition, proper instruction about your postural habits can reduce the detrimental effects of sitting on the spine. Moreover, education about correct lifting form can reduce these episodes of low back pain and help you build a healthy spine.

Lumbar Disc Disorders

The lumbar spine is made up of five bone segments called vertebrae. In between each vertebra are flexible intervertebral lumbar discs, which act as shock absorbers for the spine. The intervertebral discs are composed of two components:

1. A tough outer ring of fibrous tissue called the annulus fibrosis
2. A jelly-like center inside the annulus fibrosis called the nucleus pulposus

The structure is then held together by ligaments on the front and the back of the vertebrae. Additional support is provided by muscles of the trunk.

In most cases, lumbar disc disease is the result of a normal aging process called disc degeneration which causes structural changes in the normal disc. As we age, the disc begins to lose fluid and become dried out causing the disc to compress. This may lead to the breakdown and degeneration of tough outer ring of the disc (annulus fibrosis) allowing the inner core (nucleus pulposus), to bulge out. This is considered a bulging disc.

This puts pressure on the outer ring of the disc, which may cause low back pain. As further degeneration of the disc continues, or with continued stress on the lumbar spine, the inner jelly-like core may rupture out from the outer ring causing a ruptured, or herniated, disc. Once the inner nucleus herniates through the outer ring, pain in the lower back may improve.

However, the fragmented disc material can inflame or put pressure on the spinal nerves leading to an increase in sciatic leg pain, weakness, numbness, or changes in sensation in one or both legs. Most disc herniations occur at the lower lumbar spine at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. Occasionally, severe trauma can cause a normal disc to herniate or may cause an already herniated disc to worsen.

Back to Health Chiropractic’s Treatment Approach for These Low Back Conditions

1. Chiropractic spinal and extremity adjustments

Adjustments help restore normal motion, balance musculature and reduce pain.

2. Physiotherapy

Your chiropractor will use this to reduce acute pain and inflammation.

3. Muscle and soft tissue techniques

These help to reduce muscle pain and tightness and improve muscle/ligament function.

4. Therapeutic exercises

Specific “low tech” rehabilitation exercises and assisted stretches are given to improve flexibility, function, and strength and prevent re-injury.

5. Diet and supplement suggestions

An anti-inflammatory diet and specific supplements can help reduce neck pain.

6. Lifestyle modifications

Postural and repetitive stress activities may need to be addressed.

All these treatments depend on the needs and tolerance of each patient.

For more information or to get help treating your low back pain, especially these notorious low back conditions, contact Back to Health Chiropractic today!

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There is a study out of Canada on alternative pain management therapies versus conventional medicine. Researchers followed 150 patients that had been suffering from a low back condition for less than seven months. Half of the patients received conventional medical techniques, which included anti-inflammatories to treat their condition. The other half received chiropractic care. Researchers were astonished to find that the patients receiving chiropractic care twice a week for four weeks were significantly better as opposed to the patients who were receiving conventional medicine. Those patients improved very little over a period of six months.

Low Back Pain is Common in Modern Society

There can be many reasons for back pain and especially low back pain. Low back pain can result from an injury or accident. It could also be genetic, or possibly a result of poor posture and bad habits. Today I want to not only touch on “bad habits“ but also one very important and unique muscle. As we’ve previously stated, as a society today we sit or are stationary more than any other society in history. Sitting for an extended period day after day can have devastating effects on the lumbar spine and all its supporting muscles.

Our bodies were designed to move. Movement brings nourishment to our bones and joints. The nourishment to these areas come from the blood which contains nutrients as it flows through the joints. For that reason, when we are inactive, we don’t just lose valuable nutrients to our lumbar spine. We also start to see atrophy and decreased length in the hip flexor muscle group, more specifically the Psoas muscle.

How Do Chiropractic Care and Stretching Work Together?

The Psoas muscle is unique because it is the main muscular connection to the upper body (torso) and the lower body (legs). This powerful muscle also attaches to the lumbar spine and to the front of the body at the femur close to the groin area. Therefore, when someone sits habitually for an extended period with inactivity, this muscle group which gives us the ability to stand and walk starts to weaken and shorten.

When the Psoas and hip flexors shorten, they begin to pull on the bones to which they attach. This pulls the lumbar spine out of alignment causing pain and weakness in the hip and groin area. This is where chiropractic care, preventative stretching, and exercise come together to remedy lower back pain and muscle dysfunction.

As we know, when our chiropractor preforms an adjustment, they are targeting specific joints that are not working properly. After the adjustment when the joint has restored mobility, the muscles attached to the joint begin to relax. For that reason, this decreases the stress on the joint. At this point during each patient’s treatment, they then need to incorporate a provider guided stretching and exercise regimen. This way, patients are empowered to keep their joints and muscles healthy.

Trust Us to Help You Get Back to Health

Again, we at Back to Health Chiropractic not only want to get our patients out of pain, but we want to keep you out of pain using the science of chiropractic care and preventative measures.  Call and make your appointment today and let us get you Back to Health.

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How Can Spring Result in Back Pain?

In many instances, as fall gives way to winter, not only do we lose daylight, but the weather also becomes unsuitable for most, causing us to retreat indoors. As the cold air takes over we tend to become dormant like plants and animals, taking shelter in our homes. During this time, inactivity can take a heavy toll on our bodies, and specifically our muscles. While indoors, many of us resort to sitting in our favorite chair and letting our televisions entertain us for hours on end.

Sitting for long periods of time day after day can cause certain muscle groups, such as your hamstrings and hip flexors, to shorten and become weak. When we experience dysfunction in one muscle group, we tend to use or overcompensate with another. The result of overworking a muscle group almost always results in pain. For example, when we experience low back pain, it could very well be due to the dysfunction of another muscle group. That dysfunction can cause us to overwork the muscles of the lumbar spine. For that reason, it is so important to maintain an exercise and stretching regiment all throughout the year. So, as we get back outside and engage in the activities we love, it is important to start gradually allowing our bodies to regain strength and mobility that we may have lost during winter.

Seek Chiropractic Help for Back Pain

We at Back to Health don’t just focus on maintaining the alignment and functional health of the entire spine. We also care for the function and proper mobility of other joints and muscle groups throughout the body.   Something to remember: be vocal with the doctor when you are in for your regular adjustments! If you’re experiencing any pain or discomfort in your joints or muscles other than the areas of the spine, please inform the doctor. If you do, we can treat a potential painful chain reaction resulting in pain and immobility of the spine.

Now that Spring Has Arrived, Let Us Get You Back to Health!

At Back to Health, we work with our patients on an individual basis. That means we give specific, age-appropriate stretches and exercises that address your condition and help you maintain a quality of life. It’s wonderful to be pain-free and able to perform the tasks and activities you love. Contact us today for an appointment!

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Habits of poor posture are the most common cause of office workers’ painful symptoms. However, with regular chiropractic adjustment, your pain can be relieved – and your spine will stay aligned.

Poor posture hurts more than just your neck and back. In fact, many health issues are related to poor sitting posture. Some, like aches and pains, are unsurprising. But other health problems can seem to be unrelated to posture. You may notice discomfort in your back or neck. All your vertebrae have the potential to be pinched or compressed. This affects all areas of your body, since your spine is so vital to your body parts’ healthy communication with each other.

A poorly aligned spine doesn’t work right. Or, at least, it doesn’t work at its highest level. This discrepancy between intended function and actual performance affects every part of your physical experience.

Chiropractic Care Helps Heal Poor Posture Problems Like:

• Headaches
• Sinus pressure
• Neck pain
• Tingling in your arm, hands, or legs
• Painful shoulder/loss of shoulder movement
• Trapezius tightness
• Dizzy spells
• General fatigue
• Allergy symptoms

Here’s what you need to understand: loss of spinal curvature and misaligned vertebrae doesn’t always hurt. It will definitely cause symptoms of some sort. However, you just may not recognize them right away. That seeming lack of connection between cause and effect often confuses patients who are less acquainted with chiropractic.

How Does Chiropractic Care Work?

Most people know that chiropractors adjust the bones of the spine and neck, among other areas. Each adjustment is meant to replace the patient’s vertebrae into healthy alignment. This reduces pressure on compressed vertebrae or pinched nerves.

Many patients find that their symptoms of pain or tingling go away after adjustment. Chiropractic adjustments can be an enjoyable experience, and patients are often immediately relieved afterwards.

However, aligned bones won’t stay aligned for long if you have poor muscle tone. Your chiropractor may assign specific exercises to reinforce your back, neck, and core muscles. They need to be able to work together to keep your spine in its proper place. For that reason, follow your chiropractor’s instructions completely for the best, most long-lasting results.

If you’re experiencing symptoms that stem from poor desk posture, start to correct those habits right away. Your chiropractor can recommend the most healthful working posture. They can also tell you about ways you can stretch and exercise during the day to maintain strength and flexibility. The more you move around, the better you’ll feel. You’ll run less risk of “locking up” in one position. And your spine will experience less pressure.

The last thing you want to do is mask symptoms! Pain relief medication isn’t always the answer. In many cases, we’ve found that chiropractic care helps heal poor posture problems to the point that pain meds are simply unnecessary. It’s far better to fix the main problem than to ineffectually treat symptoms.

We aren’t interested in taking away your pain. Our goal is to help your body function at its best, most healthful level. And if your body is functioning well, pain will naturally be relieved.

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