By Nikki London
If you are not currently suffering from low back pain, you
probably will be soon! I don't want to be a prophet of doom
(ha, ha). But doesn't it seem that as we women get older, we
just tend to experience more pain in our backs, especially
in the lower area.
I've put this article together on low back pain stretches
simply because I have had my own share of lower back pain
over the years. I am certainly not a doctor or a physical
therapist. Of course, if you have chronic low back pain, you
want to consult with the professionals to get the help you
need. The low back stretches here should help strengthen
your muscles and relieve some of your pain.
The Causes of My Low Back Pain
I have found that the general cause of my chronic lower back
pain has been when I have accidentally strained my muscles.
Whenever I have not kept myself in good shape by regular
exercises, I seem to be particularly susceptible to low pack
pain.
I discovered that much of my lower back pain has come from
bending my body too long at an awkward angle. I remember the
night I bent over a table working late into the evening on a
project that just had to be done for the next day. Boy, did
I pay for pushing my body like that!
And sometimes I'll pick up a box that is just too heavy for
my little five foot tall body. Maybe its pride. But I just
don't like running to bother my husband about all things
little things that need to be moved. You usually know it
when you've lifted too much. And I always pay for that extra
strain later in the night . . .
For me, regular exercise tends to restore the strength of my
back keep me from being so susceptible to low back pain.
When I do suffer from this malady, I find that the exercises
in this article gradually return me back to everyday
activities.
Some orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists recommend
that their patients should exercise between 10 and 30
minutes a day, one to three times a day during the early
stages of their recovery. I like these exercises because you
can do eight of them right on your bed.
Here are the exercises that I have found and which I use on
a regular basis, but especially when I feel the onset of low
back pain. You'll notice that leg exercises are particularly
effective because the leg muscles reach right up into your
lower back. As you perform these exercises, you will
strengthen your lower back muscles.
Exercise
#1): The Ankle Pump
1. You want to lie on your back.
2. Tilt your right ankle up towards your head and then back
down their the relaxed position (where you started).
3. Repeat this 10 times with both ankles (one at a time).
4. Then repeat the exercise for a second 10 times.
Exercise #2) Knee Bend & Heel Slide
1.
Again, lie on your back.
2. Slowly slide your right heel on the bed so that your knee
bends and raises up.
3. Once it is all the way up, then slide the heel back down
to the original position. Do each leg, one at a time.
4. Repeat, alternating legs as you go, until you have
completed a total of ten repetitions per leg.
Exercise
#3) Stomach Contractions
1. Again, lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90
degree angle and your hands resting below your ribs.
2. Now tighten your abdominal muscles, as if you are trying
to push your ribs downward towards your back.
3. Hold this for a count of five seconds. Then relax.
4. While you do this exercise, don't hold your breath.
5. Repeat 10 times.
