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 JUNE 5, 2002 A Back Pain Workout Play sports and you're bound to get back pain. Back muscles tense or strain from sudden twisting or overloading during activity, or they may pull or tear, go into spasm, and cause intense pain. Fortunately, most simple backaches go away within a few weeks, with or without treatment. A workout that strengthens the back and stomach muscles can help prevent back pain. While it may be easier to lie on your back and do sit-ups, "people with back pain would be much better off doing back extension exercises," says Vert Mooney, MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California at San Diego. In a controlled study of 38 women, average age 68, with chronic back pain, he found that back extension exercises could decrease pain and increase their range of motion (ROM). Before going through his program, the 18 women with back pain had weaker back extension muscles than the 20 healthy women involved in a community adult fitness program. "This confirms the notion that many back pain sufferers have weaker back extension strength," says Dr. Mooney. After two months of back extension exercises, about twice a week for 20-minute sessions, the back patients showed significant improvement in back strength, and their ROM was equal to the active women. While the women in this study were in their 60s and 70s, the same principles apply to any adult with chronic back pain. If you have a bad back, Dr. Mooney recommends slowly rehabilitating the muscles for four weeks before attempting any intense workouts. To decrease the strain on your back, try these exercises: Back Pain Exercises 1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise your knees toward your chest. Place both hands under your knees and gently pull your knees to your chest. Do not raise your head or straighten your legs as you lower them. Hold for 2 seconds. Do 5 repetitions several times a day. 2. Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulders with your elbows bent and push up. Raise the top half of your body as high as possible, keeping your hips and legs flat on the floor. Hold for 2 seconds. Repeat 10 times several times a day. 3. Stand with your feet slightly apart. Place your hands in the small of your back. Keep your knees straight. Bend backwards at the waist as far as possible and hold for 2 seconds. Repeat several times a day. |
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