Low back pain can be a daunting side effect of auto accidents, stress or spinal injury. Without proper treatment, back pain can become debilitating and negatively affect your quality of life.

The addition of more activity and exercise to your daily routine may be a vital component of your low back pain treatment plan.

What Causes Low Back Pain?

Low back pain is most commonly caused by an injury, disk problems, poor posture or structural issues in your back. Preventative measures can be taken to relieve both acute and chronic pain.

Acute pain can last days to weeks. While typically less severe than chronic pain, acute pain still needs to be treated effectively. Chronic pain generally lasts 12 weeks or longer and can result in significant difficulty performing daily duties if left unchecked. 

One of the best ways to treat low back pain is with exercise. Patients who followed a consistent regimen of exercise saw 10 percent to 50 percent reductions in their back pain.

Benefits of using exercise to treat low back pain include:

• Increased blood flow to back tissue resulting in reduced stiffness
• Increased strength in muscles to prevent low back pain
• Increased flexibility resulting in improved mobility

Exercises to Increase Flexibility and Boost Strength

Exercise can treat low back pain by increasing the flexibility of your muscles, increasing strength and improving mobility. This allows back muscles to stretch more effectively, so they are better prepared to handle situations that could result in strain or injury.

Child’s Pose

Child’s pose is a yoga pose that targets stiffness in the lower back muscles along the spine. Also known as prayer stretch, this position is best if you experience low to moderate pain.

To do a child's pose, begin by starting on the floor on hands and knees. Your shoulders and knees should be aligned. Place your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Extend your hands forward and slowly shift your hips back toward your heels while lowering your head. Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds for the best results.

If you experience pain while in child’s pose, you can modify the stretch to lessen the intensity. Place a pillow or cushion underneath your knees to limit the stretch. Over time, your lower back pain may lessen as the muscles become more flexible with consistent stretching.

Superman

To do the Superman, lie flat on your stomach and lift both your arms and legs at the same time. Hold this position for 10 seconds and repeat. The Superman position activates your lower back muscles and strengthens them with consistent use. It also strengthens the abdominal muscles, promoting proper spinal alignment.

Walking

Walking can improve the flexibility of your lower back muscles and strengthens other muscles that support your spine to help prevent low back pain. Adding walking to your daily routine can reduce stiffness caused by a lack of activity, which may be contributing to your low back pain.

Exercises to Prevent Low Back Pain

Preventing the recurrence of low back pain is possible for some sufferers. Similar to how you can lessen lower back pain by increasing mobility through strengthening and flexibility exercises, you can prevent back pain by strengthening the surrounding abdominal muscles.

Abdominal Exercises

The abdominal muscles play a key role in supporting your low back muscles and preventing pain. By strengthening your abdominal muscles, you increase your ability to transfer stress through your abdominal muscles rather than your spine. This reduces the likelihood of strain or injury.

Strong core muscles help to maintain proper spine curvature and a healthy pelvic tilt. Examples of core exercises you can perform to help prevent back pain include:

• Plank
• Superman
• Glute bridge
• Crunches
• Sit ups

Abdominal exercises strengthen your core and improve core stability, both of which reduce pressure on lower back muscles in times of stress.

Treat Your Low Back Pain Effectively

If you are experiencing low back pain after suffering an injury, consulting with a medical professional on treatment may be your best option. At HURT911, we diagnose the root cause of back pain and develop effective back pain treatment plans for Georgia residents. We use proven strategies to lessen or eliminate back pain. Visit a clinic near you today to see how we can help.