Relieve Back Pain - McKenzie Modification - On the Ball

Best Exercises to Reduce Low Back Pain: The Bird Dog (and Variations)

Exercise Ball Workouts for Back Pain

http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/physical-therapy/commonly-prescribed-exercise-ball-workouts-back-pain

Commonly Prescribed Exercise Ball Workouts for Back Pain

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By: Thomas E. Hyde, DC

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Figure 3: Pelvic tilt.
(larger view)

Fig. 4: spine extension...
(larger view)

The exercise ball (or Swiss ball or physio ball) is a versatile piece of exercise equipment available to help people with back pain. In particular, many exercise ball programs are designed to bring movement to the spine in a controlled manner to help keep the discs nourished. Moving the vertebrae helps nourish the discs in the spine by increasing blood flow around the disc and by causing the water to flow in and out of the disc.

Additionally, the local gym or fitness center is often a good place to find an individual certified in exercise ball technique. In addition to a certified individual, this website, or a video or book will be able to provide helpful information in terms of which muscles are being utilized and which muscles are necessary to achieve specific goals with the exercise ball.

The difficulty of exercises using an exercise ball will vary for each person and will challenge areas of inflexibility. Typically, a physical therapist or other spine specialist will have the patient start using an exercise ball with small, gentle movements, such as the following:

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Pelvic Isolation with the Exercise Ball

• Rock back-and-forth - Sit on the exercise ball with arms to the sides or on hips. Slowly do a pelvic tilt, pulling stomach muscles in and moving hips slightly toward the front to flatten the small of the back (reduce lordosis) (see Figure 3). Return to the neutral position on the exercise ball. Arch small of the back slightly and move hips slightly toward the back. Return to neutral position on the exercise ball. When comfortable with these movements on the exercise ball, do them continuously back and forth for 10 repetitions.
• Rock side-to-side - Sit on the exercise ball with arms to the sides or on hips. Slowly shift weight slightly to the right. Return to the neutral position. Slowly shift weight to the left. Return to neutral position on the exercise ball. When comfortable with these movements, do them continuously side to side for 10 repetitions.
• Circles - For a more advanced exercise, start in the front/pelvic tilt position and slowly shift weight around in a circular motion, 3 times clockwise and 3 times counterclockwise.

In This Article:

• Exercise Ball Therapy for Lower Back Pain Relief
• About Exercise Balls
• Exercise Ball Uses
• Commonly Prescribed Exercise Ball Workouts for Back Pain
• Core Body Strength Exercises
• Exercise Ball Precautions

Spine Rotation with Exercise Balls

• Sitting on the exercise ball, raise arms straight to front; without twisting at the spine, move both arms across the body to the right, bending the left elbow and keeping arms at shoulder height; move both arms to the left, bending left right elbow. Repeat 5 times to each side.
• Add head movement to the arm movement by turning the head to the opposite direction from the arm movement, still without twisting at the spine. Repeat 5 times to each side.
• Increase the difficulty by spreading feet slightly and twisting the spine in the direction of the arm movement, straightening the opposite knee and rocking forward slightly on the ball as necessary.

Mobility and Stretching with the Exercise Ball

• Sitting on the exercise ball with arms to sides, slowly walk feet out and lean back slightly, rolling ball to the upper back; raise arms over head and straighten knees to arch over the ball, moving it to the mid-spine and touching the hands to the floor. Hold stretch for 10 seconds before bending knees, bringing arms down and rolling to start position. Repeat 3 times.
• Kneel with hands on the exercise ball; use hands to roll the exercise ball out from body, keeping back flat until hips and knees are at 90 degrees and back, head and arms are straight; roll the exercise ball slightly from side to side, 5 times on each side.
• Kneel with chest resting on the exercise ball; roll forward and straighten knees, with ball at chest level, relax around the ball to stretch the upper spine.

Extension Exercises

• Lumbar extension - Place lower chest/stomach area over the exercise ball with legs straight, spread apart for stability and feet flexed up on toes (or with legs together and feet against a wall); rest hands on side of the ball, but do not use arms to push up; slowly lift head and chest off the ball as far as is comfortable, squeezing shoulder blades while lifting; return to start position. Repeat 5 times. For a harder exercise, place hands behind head or straighten arms above head (see Figure 4)
• Bridge - Lay flat on the ground with legs straight. Place both legs together on the exercise ball at the calf area with arms at sides and hands flat on the floor; tighten and lift the buttocks up off the floor to straighten the back, keeping abdominal muscles tight and hold for 5 seconds. Return to start position. Repeat 3 to 5 times.
• Bridge with leg - make this exercise more difficult by lifting one leg at a time 1 to 2 inches off the Swiss ball.
• Bridge with arm - even more difficult, lift arms off the floor while bridging over the exercise ball.

There are literally hundreds of different exercises that one can do using exercise balls, or using exercise balls in conjunction with other proprioception exercises, such as the BOSU ball balance trainers, Dynadiscs, BAPS Boards, Pods, Therabands, weights, weighted balls, medicine balls and many more. The above list describes a number of the more commonly prescribed exercises that may be used to help patients with low back pain.

For more information, the National Strength and Conditioning Association also has videos, CDs and books of exercises.

How to sit on a medicine ball

HOW TO SIT ON A MEDICINE BALL

Photo Credit fitness 10 image by Nathalie P from Fotolia.com

OVERVIEW

Exercise balls, also called fitness balls or medicine balls, are a useful piece of fitness equipment for a variety of exercises. In particular, if you sit on an exercise ball at any time, you can strengthen and tone core abdominal muscles. To maximize this type of strength building workout, however, you need to choose the right ball and follow proper sitting form.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BALL

Step 1

Choose an exercise ball that is appropriate for your height. If you are under 5 feet tall, choose a 45 cm ball.If you're between 5 and 6 feet tall, choose between a 55 or 65 cm ball. If you're taller than 6 feet, you can even try a 75 cm exercise ball.

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Step 2

Test the size of the ball by sitting on it with your feet flat on the ground. The right size exercise ball will allow you to have your thighs exactly parallel with the floor.

Step 3

Measure the area in which you are going to use your exercise ball, like your desk space for example. Ensure that the dimensions of the work space will allow the ball to fit and for you to sit on top of it.

PROPER FORM

Step 1

Sit on your ball with your feet flat on the ground and your thighs parallel to the floor. Your lower legs should form a 90-degree angle with the floor. Your feet will naturally lie about shoulder length apart to maximize your balance.

Step 2

Hold your back in a straight and erect posture. Do not lean forward or back, as this can strain your spine and back muscles. If you find that sitting straight up is very difficult, check to make sure that you have the right size exercise ball.

Step 3

Flex your abdominal muscles to maintain proper sitting posture. This is the baseline sitting exercise that fitness balls provide. As you become comfortable with this posture, begin to add in more intensive exercises that start from sitting position.

Step 4

Sit on your exercise ball for short sessions to start, and build up to longer sitting sessions. You will be exercising your abdominal and core muscles throughout the sitting period, so treat it as you would any other workout. Building up to more intense sessions will minimize injury risk.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/185634-how-to-sit-on-a-medicine-ball/#ixzz1aO0JsSCn

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2011/1/19/health/7614838&sec=health

Relieve back pain with a good mattress

By MAJORIE CHIEW
maj@thestar.com.my

A good mattress helps us to sleep better and aids in preventing backache.

SOME people can doze off anywhere. But generally, most of us are used to having a good or fairly comfortable bed (or mattress) for a good night’s sleep.

Then again, a good mattress not only allows us to sleep better, it also does our back a favour, so to speak. If we sleep on a good mattress, we are less likely to end up with a backache or low back pain.

Studies show that a proper mattress can help relieve back pain and improve sleep quality in people with low back pain, says orthopaedic surgeon Dr Siow Yew Siong.

Back care: Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles, and does not help keep the spine in alignment, says Dr Siow Yew Siong.

He explains: “A good mattress provides support for the natural curves and alignment of the spine.”

Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause or worsen low back pain.

“Lack of support from a mattress reinforces poor sleeping posture, strains muscles, and does not help keep the spine in alignment, all of which can cause low back pain,” says Dr Siow, in his recent talk on Back Pain And Care.

He was speaking at the global launch of the new Dunlopillo Florelle Collection of Talasilver Latex mattresses.

Better backs

A study found that medium-firm mattresses provide patients with better back support and comfort and more back pain relief than firm mattresses.

In a trial involving 313 adults with chronic lower back pain and backache (The Lancet, 2003), patients who slept on medium-firm mattresses reported reduced back pain than those who slept on firm mattresses.

Sleeping on a mattress that is too hard, the study found, exerts additional pressure on the back, resulting in more back pain for some patients.

Another randomised study (in 2008) compared back-conforming mattresses (waterbed and foam) with a firm mattress.

Dr Siow says: “Those who slept on conforming mattresses had less back pain and improved sleep and there were higher dropout rates for those assigned to the firm mattress.

“The curves of our bodies and the arch of our bone structures are unique to us. If we continue to sleep on too hard or too soft mattresses, in the long run, it will re-configure the formation of our bone, which will cause us great discomfort in the form of body aches, back pain, and spinal disorders.”

Back pain is the second most common neurological ailment, reveals Dr Siow. About 80% of people, at some point, have back pain that interferes with work, routine daily activities, or recreation. Acute low back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks while chronic low back pain can last more than three months.

Most acute back pain, Dr Siow says, is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis.

Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, housework or gardening, or a sudden jolt, such as a car accident. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility, or an inability to stand straight.

Causes of lower back pain

As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The discs begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which reduces their ability to cushion the vertebrae.

“Pain can occur when someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back,” says Dr Siow.

If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on nerve roots from the spinal cord.

“When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, back pain results. In spinal stenosis, pain related to disc disease is felt by some people due to the narrowing of the bony canal.

“Low back pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or other bone diseases.”

Contributing factors to back pain include obesity, smoking, stress, poor physical condition, inappropriate posture, and poor sleeping position or support (mattress).

Occasionally, low back pain, says Dr Siow, might indicate a more serious medical problem, especially when it’s accompanied by symptoms such as fever, or loss of bowel or bladder control, pain when coughing, and progressive weakness in the legs.

Most often, back pain occurs in people between ages 30 and 50 due to ageing and sedentary lifestyles. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increases with age.

“A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for a long time,” says Dr Siow.

Treatment of back pain

Most cases of low back pain can be treated without surgery. Dr Siow says treatment involved using analgesics, reducing inflammation, restoring proper function and strength to the back, and preventing recurrence of the injury.

Ice and heat compresses may help reduce pain and inflammation. Warm baths may also help relax muscles. Bed rest is recommended, but bed rest alone may make back pain worse and can lead to secondary complications such as depression, decreased muscle tone, and blood clots in the legs.

Exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery of low back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Back-healthy activities such as stretching exercises, swimming, walking, and movement therapy may be helpful.

Sometimes, medications are used to treat acute and chronic low back pain while interventional therapy (such as injections of local anaesthetics, steroids, or narcotics into affected soft tissues, joints, or nerve roots) can ease chronic pain by blocking nerve conduction.

Recurring back pain resulting from improper body mechanics or other non-traumatic causes is often preventable. Dr Siow says a combination of exercises that don’t jolt or strain the back, maintaining correct posture during work and sleep and lifting objects properly can help prevent injuries.

Applying ergonomic principles at home and in the workplace can reduce the risk of back injury and help maintain a healthy back.

People with back pain are advised to maintain proper nutrition to reduce and prevent excessive weight gain, especially around the waistline, that taxes the lower back muscles. Smokers too should think of quitting. This is because smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.