(1) Pilates
Pilates is another great exercise for relieving back pain because it focuses on strengthening your core muscles, which include the back. Pilates exercises are very smooth and controlled movements, so there is little danger of getting injured while exercising.
It’s also a great way work on your strength and flexibility, both of which help to alleviate back pain. However, as with yoga, you should avoid any extreme twisting or bending movements. Also as with yoga, Pilates exercises should be done on a mat or other soft, supportive surface.
One of the best benefits of Pilates is that it helps improve posture, a common cause of lower back pain. Use common sense when doing Pilates; if exercises that arch your back hurt, don’t do those. Or if exercises that round your back hurt, do only the back arching ones.
The following Pilates exercises benefit the spine and are appropriate for beginners.
Do each exercise slowly and smoothly, and repeat ten times if you can. The key to pilates is quality of exercise, not quantity; it is more important to do fewer exercises slowly and correctly than to do all ten repetitions quickly.
THE HUNDRED: Start by lying on your back with your legs either stretched out or bent at the knees, whichever is most comfortable. Raise your head and, if you can, your legs off the floor a few inches. If this puts too much stress on your lower back, just raise your head and keep your feet on the floor with your knees bent. Try to keep your neck relaxed. Now extend your arms, and raise and lower them about two inches. While doing this, inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five.
SPINE STRETCH FORWARD: Sit with legs extended in front of you and slightly more than hip width apart and feet flexed. Inhale and pretend that you are hovering over an imaginary beach ball by leaning your upper body forward, arms extended, while rounding your back and pulling in your abdomen. Exhale as you sit back up slowly one vertebra at a time.
The ROLLUP: Begin by lying on your back, legs extended, and arms stretched above your head with your shoulders on the floor. Alternately, you may want to do this exercise with your feet on the floor, knees bent. Inhale and lift your arms toward the ceiling. Exhale and roll your torso forward, as if you are doing a full body sit-up. You should ideally roll into a sitting position, but if you can’t, just bring your torso as far off the mat as you comfortably can before returning to your starting position.
The SAW: Sit with your legs slightly wider than hip width, feet flexed. Your arms should be extended straight out to the side. Sit up very straight as if you are trying to touch the ceiling with the top of your head. Exhale; turn your body to the left, keeping your arms in line with your shoulders, and bend over as if your hand is going to saw off your little toe. Inhale, return slowly to your original position, and repeat on the other side.
SPINE TWIST: Sit with your legs slightly more than hip width apart and your arms extended out to the sides. Inhale, tighten your abs, and sit up very straight as if you are trying to touch your head to the ceiling. Now exhale and turn to the right as far as you comfortably can. This exercise is to increase your back mobility only, so do not stretch your back muscles. Inhale and return to your starting position. Repeat on the left side.
BALLERINA ARMS: Sit with legs crossed and spine straight, as if you were sitting against an imaginary wall. Bend the elbows at a 90-degree angle and pull the arms back so that the shoulder blades are touching. Next take your arms down so that the shoulder blades slide down the spine. Next raise the arms over the head as a ballerina would. Return arms to starting position.
(2) Tai Chi
Tai chi is an ancient form of martial arts that is soft and slow, making it great for people who have back pain. The Taoist Tai Chi Society's Medical Advisers have documented that tai chi helps improve posture, reduce spinal degeneration, maintain flexibility of joints, improve balance, and increase strength and stability in the lower back.
Everyone can benefit from tai chi; if you can’t do the exercises standing up, you can still do many of them while sitting in a chair.
Unlike yoga, tai chi requires extensive movement, but is less jarring to the joints than aerobic exercise. It’s almost impossible to describe how to do a tai chi movement correctly—you really need to see someone else doing it to understand.
There are numerous videos you can check out if you’re interested, and some video stores offer free exercise video rentals.
Libraries may have videos, too. The best way to learn tai chi, though, is from an instructor, and classes tend to be relatively inexpensive. Take a class or two just to learn the movements and you’ll be able to practice at home on your own.
(3) Stretching
Stretching is very important in relieving back pain for several reasons:
a) it improves your flexibility, which in turn allows your back to move through its natural range of motion painlessly,
b) it sends necessary nutrients to the tissue along the spine that keep your muscles from getting stiff and weak, and
c) it helps to prevent further injury to the back.
Some of the above pilates exercises involve stretching, and listed below are a few more stretches that will benefit the back. There are a couple of things you should remember about stretching. First, you should not feel pain when you stretch.
If you do, you have gone too far so ease up a little. Stretch only as far as you comfortably can, hold it for about ten seconds, and then slowly release the stretch. And second, don’t bounce. Move smoothly and slowly. If you jerk or bounce your body, you’re likely to injure it.
HAMSTRING STRETCH: It might seem strange to stretch your leg to relieve back pain, but actually, the upper leg is important to the support of your lower back. Increase the flexibility of your upper leg and you’ll be helping your lower back. Some hamstring stretches put a lot of strain on the lower back so try this one:
Lie on your back and bring your right knee towards your chest. Put a towel around your right foot, hold the two ends in each hand, and try to straighten the foot as far as you can. Repeat with the left leg.
When you an easily accomplish this, try some harder hamstring stretches: 1) Sit in a chair and place legs straight out in front of you resting on another chair. Try and touch toes. 2) Lie on the floor with the buttocks against the wall. Place the foot up against the wall and then try to push the knee straight one leg at a time, and 3) Bend over at the waist, with legs straight, and try to touch your toes. Hold this stretch.
LOWER BACK STRETCH: Lie face down on the floor with hands on each side of your head, elbows on the ground, and feet shoulder width apart. Slowly lift your body off the floor so that only your forearms and toes are supporting you. Contract your buttocks and extend your right arm straight out in front of you. Hold this position for ten seconds, and then switch arms. Do the same with your legs; return your forearms to the floor and extend first your right and then your left legs straight out behind you. Work up to extending your right arm and left leg at the same time, holding for ten seconds, and then switching sides.
MIDDLE BACK STRETCH: Stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms extended out to your sides parallel to the floor, and knees slightly bent. Slowly twist to the right side until you feel the stretch in your back. Do not twist quickly or so far that you feel any pain in your back. Hold for ten seconds and then twist to the left side.
UPPER BACK STRETCH: Stand in the same position as with the middle back stretch. Interlock your fingers and extend your arms as far out in front of you as you can, palms turned away from your body. Keep your upper back relaxed and you will feel this stretch in your shoulder blade area.
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