Do you experience lower back pain and want a natural way to relieve your pain? Remember if you have consistent pain you should consult a doctor. If you are looking for some ways to relieve lower back pain naturally through stretching and exercise these will help.
If you experience back pain, it’s most likely caused by muscle weakness. Therefore, if you increase your muscle strength, you can relieve almost every back problem. Your back-strengthening program needs to work on the muscles that pull your back forward and down. The exercises that work these areas are called flexion exercises. You’ll also need to strengthen the muscles that lift your torso into an upright position with extension exercises. If you have strong, flexible muscles around your lower back and abdomen, they will help stabilize your spine and reduce your risk of injury. Here are some of the best exercises you can use to strengthen your back. And the good news is that you can do all of these exercises at home.
Stretching and Flexion Exercises To Relieve Lower Back Pain Naturally
Your doctor will likely recommend a flexion exercise program if you are experiencing lower back pain. These types of exercises widen your intervertebral foramina, which hold your nerves. They also widen your facet joints, which are the joints in your back that allow you to bend and twist. When these areas are widened, there’s less compression on your nerve roots. Flexion exercises also stretch your hip flexors and back extensors and strengthen your abdominal and gluteal muscles.
1. Knee Pull With or Without a Head Curl
For this exercise, start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee up toward your chest and clasp it with both hands. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Then return your leg to the starting position and repeat with your other leg. Start with 3 repetitions and then add 1 more repetition every other day until you reach 12 reps. Once you can do that easily, add a head curl. While you’re holding your knee for 10-15 seconds, gently curl your head up slightly. Then return to the starting position.
2. Abdominal Curl
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your hands clasped loosely behind your head. Without pulling with your hands, slowly lift your shoulder blades up off the floor, but leave your lower back on the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and then slowly lower your head and shoulders back down to the floor. Start with 5 repetitions but work your way up to 10 reps as it gets easier for you.
3. Modified Hurdler Stretch
Start by standing with a chair or bench about 3 feet in front of you. Place the heel of one of your feet on the seat of the chair or the bench. Then bend forward at your waist, moving your forehead toward your knee. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat with your other leg. Start with 3 repetitions and gradually increase by adding 1 more rep every other day until you reach 12 reps.
4. Modified Toe-Touch
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Then bend forward, moving the top of your head toward the floor. Look backward between your knees, bending as far as you can. Then grasp your legs behind your knees and try to stretch a little farther. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Start with 3 repetitions but add 1 more rep every other day until you get to 12 repetitions.
5. Modified Toe-Touch with Rotation
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend at your waist, lowering your forehead towards your right knee. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Stand up straight again and then lower your forehead toward your left knee. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Start with 3 repetitions and gradually increase by adding one more rep every other day until you reach 12 repetitions.
6. Pelvic Tilt
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Relax your back muscles, tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles, and press your back flat against the floor. This will tilt your pelvis forward. Once your back is totally flat, hold this position for 10-15 seconds. Start with 3 repetitions but add 1 more rep every other day until you reach 12 repetitions.
Here is a Great Video on Some Stretches to Relieve Lower Back Pain Naturally
Extension Exercises to Relieve Lower Back Pain Naturally
Once you’ve been doing your flexion exercises for a while, you should start to become more comfortable and feel your back muscles begin to lengthen and strengthen. Now it’s time to start your extension exercises. Gravity naturally pulls your back forward and down. But, extension exercise programs have become very popular in recent years because they’re a great way to strengthen the muscles you need to counteract the force of gravity. These are just three of the most common extension exercises.
7. Standing Back Extension
Start by standing up straight with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides. Slowly lean your upper body back from your waist and try to look up at the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax and straighten yourself up. Start with 5 repetitions and gradually increase by adding 2 more reps at a time as this exercise becomes easier.
8. Hip Extension
Lie on your back on a table with one leg hanging over the side. Gently lower your leg from your hip toward the floor. When you feel the stretch in your hip, hold for 10 seconds. If possible, have a partner gently push down on your knee to increase the stretch. It shouldn’t be painful, though. After the 10 seconds, return your leg to table height. Do 5 repetitions and then repeat with your other leg. Add 2 more repetitions at a time as this exercise gets easier.
9. Reverse Sit-Up
For this exercise, you’ll need to work with a partner who will hold your legs down. Lie on your stomach with only your legs and pelvis on a table. Keep your upper body horizontal in the air off the end of the table, let your hands hang down, and look at the floor. Have your partner hold your ankles while you bend down at your waist until the top of your head is pointed toward the floor. Then slowly lift your upper body back up until it’s horizontal again. Start with 5 repetitions but add 2 more reps at a time as this exercise becomes easier for you.
Here is a Great Video on Extension and Rotation Exercises to Relieve Lower Back Pain Naturally
How to Relieve Lower Back Pain Naturally Through Weight Lifting
This may seem counter-intuitive but if your lower back is stronger you will likely solve your back pain problem. Unless the problem is from some kind of injury, even then the most effective rehabilitations include resistance training or weight lifting. The number one exercise that can help you strengthen your back is the deadlift. Two other very practical exercises for strengthening your lower back are hyperextension and reverse hyperextension.
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