Low back pain is no fun. The majority of adults will experience significant low back pain for 3 months or more in their life. There are excellent home exercises to help.
These are a few simple ideas that have helped the majority of my patients over the past 35 years. Remember: We’re all different and there is usually not an ‘instant’ fix. Try these ideas out gently and carefully. Please consult with a Physiotherapist or Physician if your pain is not improving.
Lay on your back with knees bent and pull one knee to your chest. Hold it there for 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times on each leg. This works best on a firm surface like the floor/carpet or your front lawn!
2) This stretch, labeled Child’s Pose by many, is a fabulous way to lengthen your spine musculature, stretch out your low back, hips, knees, ankles and shoulders. If there was one stretch you picked to do every day for the rest of your life, it would be this one.
Try reaching to the right while in the ‘Child’s Pose’ position for 15 seconds. Now try to the left. You may feel an additional great stretch along the side of your body.
Caution: Child’s Pose can be difficult to achieve fully if one has loss of range of motion in the hips or knees. Never bounce or force the movement.
3) Traction your low back to increase the space ever so slightly between the vertebrae.
You will need an exercise ball inflated to about 65cm high unless your are particularly short or tall in which case, usually a 55cm or 75cm ball will be needed. Drape yourself over the ball with your forearms planted firmly on the ground & toes ideally touching the ground too. Try relaxing into this position for 15 seconds and repeat 4x.
Caution: If you feel that your head &/or neck does not tolerate the position, please try the traction idea in the next photo. Finally, occasionally when the sciatic nerve is particularly aggravated (Severe pain down the back of the leg to the foot), this method of traction is not ideal.
b) Traction the low back by hanging from a Chin-up bar, a deck, an open staircase or a tree. When injured it is best to keep both feet on the ground and bend your knees until the right amount of traction is applied. It should feel good. You can decide on the amount of time that feels right. Usually this is not more than 30 seconds to start.
Hopefully one of two of the stretching ideas above are helpful for you.
Remember that each human spine is different and the pain experienced by each person can have a wide variety of causes. These are general exercises that tend to help improve a wide variety of low back problems.
Jennifer Wright BScPT
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