How to Strengthen Your Lower Back and Relieve Pain
Exercises are not just for getting your body into shape. For instance, strengthening exercises for the lower back can help relieve and prevent pain in this area. Whether your lower back pain is mild or severe, it can interfere with daily activities. Fortunately, certain strengthening exercises can be beneficial for treating this type of pain. These exercises not only target your lower back, but they can also strengthen your core, arm, and leg muscles. A professional physical therapist can recommend exercises to increase blood flow to your lower back which will reduce tension and stiffness while encouraging faster healing after injury. Additionally, we can also design a customized treatment plan to help you live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
Strengthening Exercises for Your Lower Back
The main goal of lower back exercises is to strengthen the muscles so that they can better support the spine and withstand stress. Unlike your arms and legs, your core does not usually get much use during a typical day. However, your core muscles are essential for strengthening your lower back and reducing pain.
Read on to learn about some common exercises to strengthen your lower back:
- Bridges: The bridge pose works on your gluteus maximus, the large muscle in your buttocks. As one of the strongest muscles in your body, it is responsible for allowing hip movement and extensions. Since this muscle stabilizes your hip joints and lower back, weakness in this area can contribute to lower back pain.
- Draw-in Maneuver: The draw-in maneuver works your transversus abdominis, the muscle on the front and sides of your abdomen. It is responsible for stabilizing spinal joints and the lower back, while helping to prevent injury during movement.
- Lying Lateral Leg Lifts: Implementing lying lateral leg lifts into your exercise routine will strengthen your hip abductor muscles which affect balance and mobility. They allow you to lift your leg to the side and away from your body and help support your pelvis. If the muscle is unstable it can lead to lower back pain.
- Supermans: Back extensors run along your spine and help you maintain good posture. Performing ‘superman’ exercises can help strengthen these muscles to increase spinal and pelvic support.
- Partial Curls: As mentioned above, your core muscles play a significant role in supporting your spine and keeping hips properly aligned. Curls and partial curls can improve core strength and your overall stability while reducing lower back pain.
- Pelvic Tilts: Doing pelvic tilts can strengthen your pelvis and relieve tight back muscles while keeping them flexible to relieve pain.
At Medical Rehabilitation Centers of Pennsylvania, our licensed physical therapists can provide you with a suitable exercise regimen that increases muscle strength and flexibility to relieve your lower back pain. Whether you have chronic pain or recently experienced a traumatic injury that resulted in lower back pain, our team can provide you with relief through a tailored education and rehabilitation program. We can assist you with proper exercise techniques to promote healing and also prevent future discomfort. With over two decades of experience, we can help you make significant improvements not only when it comes to your specific condition but also in terms of your overall health and well-being.
Book an appointment for physical therapy treatment today. Contact us at the location of your choice or complete our online form and we will get back to you soon.