Back pain is almost inevitable for most of us in our lifetime but it doesn’t have to be debilitating. There are many reasons that pain can be coming from the back and each has to be treated correctly to achieve relief. If the correct source of back pain isn’t identified, certain treatments will actually make the pain worse! In this blog, I will go over three exercises I have found helpful for treating back pain related to arthritis in the spine.
Arthritis in the spine, also called stenosis, is an incredibly common condition. So common in fact that if we took X-Rays of 100 people between the ages of 50-55, about 90 of them would show some sort of degeneration in the spine. Of those people, about 60% wouldn’t have any pain associated with that arthritis! Those numbers only get higher as we age. The degeneration that happens in the joints and discs of the spine is a very natural process and it, alone, does not cause pain. No one can take away those arthritic changes, but because the arthritis alone doesn’t cause pain, certain areas can be addressed to relieve stress and pain from that area. That is where these exercises come in.
Before we get into the exercises we have to make sure arthritis is the correct contributing factor to your pain. Typically, back pain from arthritis is most noticeable when standing for periods of time, walking for periods of time, or standing up after sitting for a period of time. Another common sign that arthritis or stenosis is a culprit is the ability to walk as much as you want without pain if you are holding onto a shopping cart or walking device of some kind. Bending forward, even slightly, will relieve the pain.
If that is you then keep reading! Here are the 3 exercises to improve back pain from arthritis:
1. Seated Forward Flexion
While sitting in a chair, reach down toward your ankles by running your hands down your lower legs. Make sure your arms are fully supporting your weight. Walk yourself back up your legs using your arms. DO NOT LIFT YOURSELF BACK UP USING YOUR BACK/TORSO. If that is too intense of a stretch at first, just lean forward and rest your elbows on your knees and work up toward leaning further forward. Hold four about 10-15 seconds and complete this 10 times.
2. Posterior Pelvic Tilt
On your bed or a couch, lay on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your buttock muscles and abdominal muscles and flatten your back into the surface you are laying on. This is a fairly small motion. Your hips should not be lifting up off of the surface much at all. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 30 times.
3. Sit to Stand
In a kitchen chair, scoot toward the front edge of the chair, keep your chest up tall and stand up. Try to think about squeezing your buttock muscles as you stand up. Leaning forward while keeping your chest up tall will make it easier. You can use your hands if you have to for balance. Make sure you control your descent back down to the chair. No plopping! Complete 3 sets of 10 reps.
These may not be a cure-all but can help improve mobility in your back and muscle activation and strength in your core and glutes (buttock muscles) which are all important to treat back pain from arthritis. Try these daily and see how they work! Age does not have to equal pain. So keep moving to ensure you can do what you love as pain free as possible!
For more information on back pain check out this blog.
The sooner you treat back pain the better. Contact us today for a full evaluation of your back pain to ensure you are getting the best treatment possible for your pain!
