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Back Pain Exercises

Exercises to minimize problems with back pain

You can minimize problems with back pain with exercises that make the muscles in your back, stomach, hips and thighs strong and flexible. Some people keep in good physical condition by being active in recreational activities like running, walking, bike riding, and swimming. In addition to these conditioning activities, there are specific exercises that are directed toward strengthening and stretching your back, stomach, hip and thigh muscles.

Before beginning any exercise program, you should discuss the program with your doctor and follow the doctor's advice. It is important to exercise regularly, every other day. Before exercising you should warm up with slow, rhythmic exercises; if you haven't exercised in some time, you can warm up by walking. Inhale deeply before each repetition of an exercise and exhale when performing each repetition.

Exercises to strengthen your muscles

Wall slides to strengthen back, hip, and leg muscles

Stand with your back against a wall and feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down into a crouch with knees bent to about 90 degrees. Count to five and slide back up the wall. Repeat 5 times.

Leg raises to strengthen back and hip muscles.

Lie on your stomach. Tighten the muscles in one leg and raise it from the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg.

Leg raises to strengthen stomach and hip muscles

Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Lift one leg off the floor. Hold your leg up for a count of 10 and return it to the floor. Do the same with the other leg. Repeat five times with each leg. If that is too difficult, keep one knee bent and the foot flat on the ground while raising the leg.

Partial sit-up to strengthen stomach muscles

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor and reach with both hands toward your knees. Count to 10. Repeat five times.

Back leg swing to strengthen hip and back muscles

Stand behind a chair with your hands on the back of the chair. Lift one leg back and up while keeping the knee straight. Return slowly. Raise other leg and return. Repeat five times with each leg.

Exercises to decrease the strain on your back

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on your bed or floor. Raise your knees toward your chest. Place both hands under your knees and gently pull your knees as close to your chest as possible. Do not raise your head. Do not straighten your legs as you lower them. Start with five repetitions, several times a day.

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 the position for one or two seconds.

For more information on "Prevent Injuries America!®," call the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' public service telephone number 1-800-824-BONES (2663). or visit their website at: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Boot Camp & Shin Splint Treatment

We do a bit of running on pavement in our Boot Camp class, about 15-20 minutes during our hour. It being LA, there's not much else to run on besides pavement here. I've been running on trails in Northern California for the last 10 years though so my legs and knees aren't too happy about the hard and unforgiving ground.

It doesn't sound like much running but it has led to a classic case of "shin splints" in my left leg. Which is quite painful. Of course I could just stop running for a bit, which is option one.

This injury is called a medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). Experts say that shin splints are the most common injury among athletes whose sports involve extensive amounts of running (e.g., runners, soccer players, rugby players and other participants in field sports).

Apparently, each shin absorbs a force equal to two to three times body weight with every footfall during running - about 700 times per shin per mile. So basicly, this is a repetitive stress injury on the muscles and connective tissues in the shin area.

It's called an 'overuse' injury, although in my case we know that's not true. The real problem, they say is a lack of preparation, which makes more sense to me. My body hasn't been doing this much running lately and all of a sudden its given a task its not prepared to do. So, my shin splints have occurred because I'm heel to toe runner and I'm a "foot slapper". Which means, I have weak ankle dorsiflexors. This rapid downward "slapping" movement of my foot tears at and overstresses my dorsiflexors, which causes this shin pain.

Apparently, if we'd have grown up like the Kenyan runners, who have tremendous dorsiflexor strength, because they spent the early years of their life running and walking endless miles while barefooted, instead of with their feet clamped into running shoes, like we do. They do not get shin splints.

Treatment for Shin Splints

The classical mode of treatment for shin splints - RECEIPT (rest, elevation, compression, easy stretching of the muscles, icing, and possibly taping) - works fairly well at relieving symptoms but does a very poor job of keeping the injury from recurring. Only by improving the functional strength of the dorsiflexors and the strength and coordination of the entire ankle area can one be confident that MTSS will be held at bay.

Shin Splint Exercises

1. Wall Shin Raises. Simply stand with your back to a wall, with your heels about the length of your feet away from the wall. Then, lean back until your buttocks and shoulders rest against the wall. Dorsiflex both ankles simultaneously, while your heels remain in contact with the ground. Bring your toes as far toward your shins as you can, and then lower your feet back toward the ground, but do not allow your forefeet to contact the ground before beginning the next repeat. Simply lower them until they are close to the ground, and then begin another repetition. Complete about 12 to 15 reps.

See lots more shin splint exercises at: Sports Injury Bulletin

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