THE 4 BEST BACK PAIN RELIEF EXERCISES

Back pain, one of the most common reasons people visit the doctor, can cause muscle aches, shooting and stabbing pains and reduce flexibility and range of motion. Several of the best exercises for the relief of back pain will stretch, strengthen and improve flexibility in your back muscles. Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen for the relief of back pain.

Stretching

Begin one stretching exercise by sitting in a chair and leaning forward with your head hanging down and your neck relaxed. Touch your feet and hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Complete this stretching exercise three times. The cat stretch is performed on your hands and knees. Arch your upper back, contract your stomach muscles and let your head drop. Avoid pushing your pelvis forward, which can produce a swayback. Hold this position for five seconds. Raise your head and lower your back. Maintain this position for five to 15 seconds and repeat three times. 

Strengthening

Strengthening the muscles in your abdomen and back can help alleviate back pain. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends an abdominal contraction that starts on your back with knees bent and your hands resting on your chest below your ribs. Tighten your abdominal muscles and squeeze your ribs toward your back without holding your breath. Hold this position for five seconds, relax and repeat 10 times. Also, perform wall squats by standing with your back against a wall and your feet 12 inches in front of your body. While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, slowly bend both knees at a 45-degree angle. Maintain this position for five seconds, and then return to an upright position. Repeat this back exercise 10 times.

Yoga

Yoga techniques for back pain relief can increase your muscle strength, flexibility, improve your coordination and promote body alignment to help relieve soreness, says Dr. Anders Cohen, chief of neurosurgery at Brooklyn Hospital Center, in a CNN interview. One yoga position to improve your spinal posture and ease back pain involves standing with a water bottle in your hands. Holding the water bottle, raise your arms forward and upward halfway, until parallel with the floor. At first, you will feel a slight backward displacement of your shoulders; and as your body changes its posture to maintain this position, the muscles in your shoulders and upper back will become tense and contract.

Pilates

Pilates exercises, based on the exercises developed by Joseph Pilates, also work on body alignment and strengthen abdominal muscles to help alleviate back pain, according to the IDEA Health and Fitness Association. Perform a Pilates upper-back exercise by lying flat on your stomach with your legs together and your hands by your shoulders on a mat. Inhale as you stabilize your shoulder blades and contract your abdominal muscles. Then, exhale and raise your upper body off the mat --- keeping your lower ribs and elbows on the mat and your head aligned with your back. Inhale and hold this position; then, exhale and lower your upper body back to the mat. Complete five to eight repetitions of this exercise.

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References

• MayoClinic.com; Back Pain; Mayo Clinic Staff
• CNN Health; Back Pain? Alternative Therapies May Help; Amanda Gardner; July 24, 2006
• American Viniyoga Institute; Yoga For Back Pain; Gary Kraftsow; 1999-2006
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Low Back Pain Exercise Guide
• "IDEA Fitness Journal"; Pilates for Low-Back Pain; Moira Merrithew; September 2009