The best exercise for low back pain. This is from Mike our sports massage therapist who works back pain every single day, a great insight here.
Patients often ask what the best exercise is to make their back pain to go away. The answer is that there is no single exercise that is the best. In fact, this way of thinking is too simplistic and focuses on certain body part rather than a person.
Looking at most recent studies, that were comparing different forms of exercises in people experiencing low back pain, we can conclude that doing any form of physical activities has beneficial effects. In other words the best exercise is the one that gets done, “movement is the medicine” or “motion is the lotion“. We should look at different exercises as for different vitamins that body needs just like in balanced diet. Deficit of certain elements might contribute to the system not functioning well and on the other end of spectrum too much movement might cause overuse. Therefore, we should incorporate high and low load, coordination, power, endurance and grade exposure exercised into well balanced programs. Patients with back pain often display decreased movement variety so using various modalities such as spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapy in conjunction with range of exercises is the most effective form of comprehensive therapy.
General rule is that patients experiencing low back pain in acute stage should start off with low positions like lying on the front or side lying in order to find the most comfortable position and to unload the lumbar spine. After feeling improvement, it is advised to move on to higher positions like on all fours or sitting. Progressively we want to start introducing some movement
Other important factor we need to take into consideration is that forms of physical activities must be enjoyable. Performed exercise must be associated with positive change and be meaningful. Summing up exercising influence us on several different levels- physical and psychological.
Mike Ludwicki, Sports Massage Therapist
For more information on how to book with Mike, email us info@westchiropractic.co.uk
