If you get back pain when you try to do anything active, then you’re in a similar situation to many people we see at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. You may find that simple things like getting out of a chair, picking up grocery bags, and going for a walk are painful. Or you might be avoiding playing with your kids or working out at the gym because your afraid of hurting your back. The good news is, there are some easy things you can do to stop back pain and do all the things you love again
Even though your back hurts, targeted exercise is one of the best ways to stop back pain. This is because back pain is often caused by weakness in the muscles of the legs and low back.
The good news is there are simple exercises you can do to stop back pain and live an active life again.
Bridges
Bridges are great way to improve low back awareness and control. They can also help you regain strength and endurance in your low back muscles and glutes.
Initially try to hold at the top for 10 seconds and do 2 sets of 10 reps. As they get easier, you can increase the hold times, trying to work up to 30 sec holds for 3 sets. 1 to 2 times a day is a good frequency for these.
Chair Squats
Chair Squats are a great way to do 2 things:
- Build up strength and endurance in your legs. This puts less stress on your low back when you move.
- Improve control of your low back and endurance of your low back muscles.
Hold the bottom position for 5 seconds with your butt just above the surface of the chair. Make sure your low back doesn’t round out as you move.
Start with 2 sets of 10 of these everyday, progressing to 3 sets of 10 as they get easier.
Deadlift
There are many variations on the deadlift. This one is called a Romanian deadlift and is a great way to strengthen the low back and thighs. A couple key points with this exercise:
- It is really important to keep a slight arch in your low back throughout the movement. You should not bend forward at your back at all.
- Start with the weight on a chair or gym bench instead of the floor. You may even want to start with no weight until you learn the movement better.
- Don’t worry about lowering the weight all the way to the floor. Start just trying to get your hands to knee level.
Start with 2 sets of 10 every other day. As it gets easier, increase the number of reps and then add more weight.
None of the exercises above should make your back hurt more. If you’ve tried these and you’re still hurting, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, our physical therapists are experts at treating back pain and will develop a plan to help you stop it.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here and a member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t try have a plan to stop your back pain?
- You avoid going for walks because your back hurts
- Friends or neighbors need to help you lift even light things because your afraid of hurting your back
- You stop working out to avoid pain, leading to other diseases and injuries
But WITH a plan to stop back pain you can live the life you want again.
The exercises above are a great way to get started. They don’t require a ton of time and are pretty easy to do correctly. They can help you get moving and living and active life again.
But if you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to stop back pain and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
