Your Guide to Begin Living a Pain-Free Life
Top 5 Exercises for Back Pain Relief
By Alexandra Dent and Dr. Ryan Lumia, DPT
If you’ve ever experienced the relentless grip of lower back pain, you understand the profound impact it can have on your life. The simplest tasks become daunting, and pursuing a pain-free life may seem unattainable. But there is hope, and it begins with understanding your condition and exploring safe, effective ways to find relief.
Lower back pain can stem from various causes, including stenosis, sciatica pain, herniated discs, bulging discs, and more. While managing lower back pain can be challenging, consider incorporating these at-home exercises into your routine:
- Pelvic Tilts: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push your lower back into the floor, holding for a few seconds before relaxing (repeat-10x).
- Bridge Exercise: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for a few seconds and lower (repeat-10x).
- Lower Trunk Rotations: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Outstretch your arms and press them into the floor. Rotate your knees slowly to one side, hold for 3-5 seconds and then rotate to the opposite side (repeat-10x).
- Open Books: Lie on your side with your feet in line with the back of your pelvis. Start with both arms extended out in front of you. Inhale and lift your top arm up and over behind your back, following your hand with your eyes. Breathe out as you bring your arm back to start (repeat-10x, each side).
- Clamshells: Lie on your side with your knees bent, rest your forearm on the ground, and lift yourself. Engage your core and glutes, keeping your feet together, and lift your upper knee up as high as possible without shifting your hips/pelvis. Lower your knee to return to the start (repeat-10x, each side).
While exercise is a powerful tool for managing lower back pain, consulting a healthcare professional is crucial. If you experience any of the following symptoms, reach out to the team of physicians at Performance:
- Severe pain that doesn’t improve with rest or exercise.
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs.
- Pain that radiates down one or both legs.
- Loss of bladder or bowel control.
You’re not alone on your journey to alleviate lower back pain. Performance, with locations in Somerset County, NJ (Branchburg, Somerset, and Watchung), and a surgical center in Bridgewater, offers diverse options for pain relief. These include physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, regenerative medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic care, MLS laser therapy, spinal decompression therapy, and more. At Performance, we use a proven, team-based approach to get to the root cause of your pain and get you back to living life free of pain. Don’t let lower back pain limit you any longer. Call to book an appointment today at 908-751-1010.
