Lower back pain exercises
Lower back pain exercises are an essential part of any rehab program,, but choosing the right exercises and right intensity of exercises are just as important. Exercise can be the most dangerous thing for lower back pain, yet the right exercise are essential to helping you reduce your pain and then strength your lower back and core to live your life pain free. The right exercises will help turn off your pain, increase your core strength, help stabilise your pelvis and reprogram you body to start functioning correctly again. When you put all these elements of a program together you can eliminate back pain for good.
Lower back pain exercises that help!
When it comes to managing lower back pain, finding the right exercises is crucial. While it’s challenging to recommend specific exercises without knowing the exact cause of your pain, we can provide some general movements that are safe and effective. Here, we focus on two key exercises that can help alleviate lower back pain by targeting the nervous system and promoting relaxation and healing.
Neural Desensitisation Exercise
The first and most important exercise for lower back pain is the neural desensitization exercise. This exercise helps desensitize the nervous system, reducing pain and discomfort. By calming the nervous system, you can decrease the intensity of pain signals sent to the brain. You can find a detailed guide on how to perform this exercise in the following video: Neural Desensitization Exercise.
The second essential exercise for lower back pain is known as TVA (Transversus Abdominis) breathing. This exercise focuses on deep, diaphragmatic breathing, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and turn off pain signals. Deep breaths slow down your heart rate and stimulate the vagus nerve, which sends safety signals to the brain. When the brain receives these signals, it reduces the body’s defenses and promotes relaxation and repair. You can learn how to perform TVA breathing by watching this video: TVA Breathing Exercise.
Why These Exercises Work
Both the neural desensitization exercise and TVA breathing aim to calm the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “fight or flight” response) and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest”). By shifting the balance towards relaxation, these exercises help reduce the neural aspect of pain and support the body’s natural healing processes.
TVA Breathing Lower Back Pain Exercise
The second essential exercise for lower back pain is known as TVA (Transversus Abdominis) breathing. This exercise focuses on deep, diaphragmatic breathing, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and turn off pain signals. Deep breaths slow down your heart rate and stimulate the vagus nerve, which sends safety signals to the brain. When the brain receives these signals, it reduces the body’s defenses and promotes relaxation and repair. You can learn how to perform TVA breathing by watching this video: TVA Breathing Exercise.
Why These Exercises Work
Both the neural desensitization exercise and TVA breathing aim to calm the sympathetic nervous system (responsible for the “fight or flight” response) and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest”). By shifting the balance towards relaxation, these exercises help reduce the neural aspect of pain and support the body’s natural healing processes.
Core Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening your core muscles is vital for supporting and stabilizing your spine and pelvis. Your core includes your abdominal muscles, and the most important muscle in this group for lower back support is the transversus abdominis (TVA). Strengthening your TVA helps interlock the back muscles, co-activating them and reducing the load on your spine. Additionally, strengthening your pelvic floor will stabilize your pelvis, preventing instability and subsequent issues in the spine.
Steps to Strengthen Your Core:
- Activate Your Pelvic Floor: Learning to engage your pelvic floor muscles is the first step. These muscles support your pelvic organs and play a crucial role in stabilizing your pelvis and spine.
- Connect Pelvic Floor and TVA: Create a connection between your pelvic floor and your TVA. This synergy helps in supporting your lower back more effectively.
For a detailed guide on how to activate your pelvic floor and TVA, watch this video: Pelvic Floor and TVA Connection Exercise.
Glut Activation Exercises
Activating your glutes correctly is an essential part of any lower back pain rehabilitation program. The glutes work with the lower back muscles and hamstrings to support the lower back. When your glutes are weak or not functioning correctly, your lower back and hamstrings take on extra load, which can lead to pain and discomfort.
Steps to Strengthen Your Glutes:
- Glute Bridges: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes, then slowly lower back down. This exercise helps activate and strengthen your glutes.
- Clamshells: Lie on your side with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Keeping your feet together, lift your top knee while squeezing your glutes, then lower back down. This exercise targets the gluteus medius, important for hip stability.
By incorporating these glute activation exercises into your routine, you can reduce the load on your lower back and hamstrings, preventing further issues and promoting overall stability.
Lower back pain exercises in conclusion
Incorporating lower back pain exercises focused on strengthening your core and glutes can provide significant relief and support for your spine and pelvis. By targeting key muscles such as the transversus abdominis and glutes, you can stabilize your lower back and reduce pain. Always consult with a healthcare professional, such as an osteopath, to ensure these exercises are appropriate for your specific condition.
