Physical Therapy Exercises to Help Stretch and Strengthen Your Back Muscles
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Peg Smith
May 11, 2013, 9:36:03 AM5/11/13
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Article Title: Physical Therapy Exercises to Help Stretch and Strengthen Your Back Muscles
Author: Peg Smith
Word Count: 658
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1837157&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet
Format: 64cpl
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According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, back pain is one of the leading neurological ailments that affect people, second only to headaches. Back pain is also a common reason for missed work days, and billions of dollars are spent annually on treating spine-related discomfort.
Back pain and other symptoms can vary in severity, but physician-recommended treatment usually begins conservatively, or nonsurgically. Some commonly suggested treatments include pain medication, hot/cold therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Physical therapy is another common treatment method that focuses on restoring physical function and helps make performing everyday tasks easier for patients hindered by back pain. Physical therapy typically includes a variety of modalities, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ultrasound therapy, and massage, but a large part of improving body mechanics involves exercises that stretch and strengthen abdominal and lower back (core) muscles as well as leg muscles.
Types of Exercises and Stretches
Before you begin any exercise regimen, first consult with your physical therapist to ensure that you know how to perform each exercise correctly, which can help limit additional injury.
The following are some back exercises that your therapist may have you perform:
� Pelvic tilt � Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Take a few deep breaths and when ready, tighten your abdominal muscles as you exhale and press the small of your back into the floor. Your pelvis should roll slightly upward. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.
� Prone back extension � Begin lying on your stomach. Prop your upper body up on your elbows, extending your back. Then slowly straighten your elbows to deepen the spinal extension until you feel a stretch and hold for a few seconds. Lower your upper body.
� Cat stretch � Get down on your hands and knees and begin by holding your back parallel to the floor. While engaging your abdominal muscles and pulling them toward your lower back, gently arch your back toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch and hold. Return to the starting position.
� Straight leg raises � Lie on your back with one knee bent and one leg straight. Tighten your abdominals and slowly lift the straightened leg straight up several inches from the floor. Hold this position for several seconds, and then lower your leg. Perform the exercise with your other leg.
� Knee-to-chest stretch � Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent. Grasp one thigh behind the knee and gently pull toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the lower back. Hold this position for several seconds and release. Perform the same stretch with the other leg.
Without hurting yourself, you should try to repeat each of these exercises several times. For the best results, perform the exercises several times per day, or as directed by your physician.
Exercises that involve use of an exercise or physio ball may also help you mitigate and prevent back pain episodes. Performing exercises on an exercise ball introduces a level of instability that traditional floor exercises can�t offer. Your body will respond automatically to this instability, and will engage a variety of core muscles to keep your body or legs balanced on the ball. Additionally, physio ball exercises offer a controlled method of moving vertebrae and gently �pumping� intervertebral discs up and down. Pumping discs increases nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood flow to areas around the disc and helps flush cellular wastes and toxins. Additionally, disc pumping can also hydrate discs by causing water to flow in and out of them.
If you believe physical therapy exercises could help relieve your back pain or aid in preventing future acute episodes of discomfort, speak with your primary care physician or a physical therapist.
About The Author: Peg Smith is an experienced writer who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to physical therapy and back exercises. http://www.spine-exercises.com/
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837157
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
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Message delivered directly to members of the group:
publish-the...@googlegroups.com
*****************************************************************
Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Peg Smith
*****************************
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
- You have permission to publish this article electronically in free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as the bylines are included.
- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.
- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence, porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.
- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in an opt-in email list only.
- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that contains the article to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837157
- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of the URL where the article is posted to http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837157
- We request that you ask permission from the author if you want to publish this article in print.
The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as part of its Article Distribution feature ( http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT own this article, please respect the author's copyright and this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.
*****************************
Article Title: Physical Therapy Exercises to Help Stretch and Strengthen Your Back Muscles
Author: Peg Smith
Word Count: 658
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1837157&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet
Format: 64cpl
Contact The Author: http://www.isnare.com/eta.php?aid=1837157
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837157
*********************** ARTICLE START ***********************
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, back pain is one of the leading neurological ailments that affect people, second only to headaches. Back pain is also a common reason for missed work days, and billions of dollars are spent annually on treating spine-related discomfort.
Back pain and other symptoms can vary in severity, but physician-recommended treatment usually begins conservatively, or nonsurgically. Some commonly suggested treatments include pain medication, hot/cold therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Physical therapy is another common treatment method that focuses on restoring physical function and helps make performing everyday tasks easier for patients hindered by back pain. Physical therapy typically includes a variety of modalities, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ultrasound therapy, and massage, but a large part of improving body mechanics involves exercises that stretch and strengthen abdominal and lower back (core) muscles as well as leg muscles.
Types of Exercises and Stretches
Before you begin any exercise regimen, first consult with your physical therapist to ensure that you know how to perform each exercise correctly, which can help limit additional injury.
The following are some back exercises that your therapist may have you perform:
� Pelvic tilt � Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Take a few deep breaths and when ready, tighten your abdominal muscles as you exhale and press the small of your back into the floor. Your pelvis should roll slightly upward. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.
� Prone back extension � Begin lying on your stomach. Prop your upper body up on your elbows, extending your back. Then slowly straighten your elbows to deepen the spinal extension until you feel a stretch and hold for a few seconds. Lower your upper body.
� Cat stretch � Get down on your hands and knees and begin by holding your back parallel to the floor. While engaging your abdominal muscles and pulling them toward your lower back, gently arch your back toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch and hold. Return to the starting position.
� Straight leg raises � Lie on your back with one knee bent and one leg straight. Tighten your abdominals and slowly lift the straightened leg straight up several inches from the floor. Hold this position for several seconds, and then lower your leg. Perform the exercise with your other leg.
� Knee-to-chest stretch � Lie on your back with your feet on the floor and knees bent. Grasp one thigh behind the knee and gently pull toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the lower back. Hold this position for several seconds and release. Perform the same stretch with the other leg.
Without hurting yourself, you should try to repeat each of these exercises several times. For the best results, perform the exercises several times per day, or as directed by your physician.
Exercises that involve use of an exercise or physio ball may also help you mitigate and prevent back pain episodes. Performing exercises on an exercise ball introduces a level of instability that traditional floor exercises can�t offer. Your body will respond automatically to this instability, and will engage a variety of core muscles to keep your body or legs balanced on the ball. Additionally, physio ball exercises offer a controlled method of moving vertebrae and gently �pumping� intervertebral discs up and down. Pumping discs increases nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood flow to areas around the disc and helps flush cellular wastes and toxins. Additionally, disc pumping can also hydrate discs by causing water to flow in and out of them.
If you believe physical therapy exercises could help relieve your back pain or aid in preventing future acute episodes of discomfort, speak with your primary care physician or a physical therapist.
About The Author: Peg Smith is an experienced writer who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to physical therapy and back exercises. http://www.spine-exercises.com/
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=1837157
*********************** ARTICLE END ***********************
- To distribute your articles go to http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php
- For more free-reprint articles go to http://www.isnare.com
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