30 Mar The Best Exercises For Low Back Pain
What are the best exercises for low back pain?
Low back pain is a big ol’ pain in the… well, back. All jokes aside, low back pain is a massive problem. According to a meta-analysis conducted by the Global Burden of Disease Study, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Experts also predict that a whopping 75-80% of Americans will suffer from back pain in their lives!
Pretty scary right? Well the good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. Through proper spine hygiene, which includes good posture, breathing, and exercise, it becomes a lot easier to prevent and reduce low back pain. Today we will be focusing on the exercise component, and more specifically, the 5 best exercises you can do to prevent low back pain.
A couple things before we get started. Firstly, it is always wise to consult your doctor or healthcare practitioner before starting a new exercise program. Secondly, before we get into the exercises we have to understand what causes low back pain. There can be a whole litany of causes, but research indicates that most commonly low back pain is caused by a mechanical issue in how you move.
Generally speaking, low back pain flare ups happen when the core muscles surrounding the spine aren’t braced or active. This then causes micromovements the spine doesn’t like, which results in pain. These micromovements can happen when doing seemingly innocuous movements such as rolling over in bed, tying your shoe, or brushing your teeth. Therefore, the exercises we will focus on today are going to be ones that add muscle tone to your core, and strengthen the musculature around the spine.
Top Best Exercises For Low Back Pain
The first exercise is a simple one where we will just be focusing on breathing. Not so bad right? We want to start with oblique breathing as it will lay the foundation for all the other exercises that lay ahead. Typically people bias towards breathing into their chests. You can test to see if you are a chest breather by standing in front of a mirror, clasping your hands around your neck as if you were choking, and taking in as deep of a breath as you possibly can. If you notice your hands raising up as you breathe in, chances are you are a chest breather. The issue with this is chest breathing tends to cause people to arch their low backs (or go into excessive lordosis if you’d like to use the technical term). This excessive arching is a very common low back trigger for people. Oblique breathing teaches you how to do a much more effective diaphragmatic breath into your belly, which will support your spine a whole lot more.
The deadbug, a much loved exercise here at MYo Lab, is an exercise popularized by DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) and The Prague School of Rehabilitation. The reason why we love it so much is it takes the diaphragmatic breathing skills we just practiced above, and adds a challenging bracing component. If done correctly, the deadbug can challenge even the most seasoned weightlifters. When performing the deadbug, always try to keep your head and back completely flat on the floor with a neutral, unflared ribcage to make sure you are using the correct musculature. Make sure you are doing this exercise with lots of purpose and intent. The deadbug isn’t effective if there is no core brace and you are just flopping your limbs back and forth. If you are struggling to feel the bracing component, one helpful mental queue, and sorry for being crass here, is to imagine you are trying to push out a fart, and not hold in urine.
The next three exercises we will look at are what’s known as the McGill Big 3 Exercises. These three exercises were popularized by the world’s foremost low back pain expert Dr. Stuart McGill. Through over 245 peer-reviewed, scientific journal papers, Dr. McGill has determined these three exercises are the most likely to reduce low back pain in all people. We should note, here at MYo Lab we proudly employ staff in our Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, and Personal Training departments who have taken multi-day, in-person education from Dr. McGill. The McGill curl up is a variation on a crunch/sit-up that strengthens the core, without putting the spine into a compromised position. An important thing to note is more range of motion isn’t necessarily better here. Your aim should be to pull your shoulder blades off the ground, only raising up about an inch.
Next up on the list, another McGill Big 3 Exercise, is the side plank. This is a plank variation that focuses on strengthening your obliques, or lateral core muscles. Make sure your shoulders are supported while performing the side plank. If you feel that your shoulders are limiting you during the side plank, make sure you are pulling on your shoulder with your other arm as demonstrated in the video above. Another helpful queue is to imagine pulling your elbow down towards your hips. Doing so will engage your lats more, further supporting your trunk. As with all the exercises we’ve discussed today, be sure to maintain a neutral spine and strong core brace throughout!
Finally, the last exercise on our list, and the last of the McGill Big 3 Exercises, the bird dog! The bird dog is a phenomenal exercise for strengthening the core, with a focus on the posterior musculature. One thing that makes this exercise so excellent is that you are practicing moving your limbs, while keeping your spine neutral and braced. This concept of needing proximal stability, for distal mobility transfers over into almost every activity you will ever do. When performing the bird dog, be careful to not raise your hind leg too far in the air as this will put excess strain on the lumbar spine. Instead, try to imagine pushing your leg directly behind you, as if you are trying to stick the sole of your foot through the wall. You will know you are doing it correctly once you feel your glute muscle activate.
By practicing these five exercises daily, you should be able to tame even the most troublesome low back pain! For a more in depth explanation and demonstration of some of the breathing and bracing concepts we discussed today, check out the videos linked in the titles above. If you want to get to the root of your low back pain and have the support of a multidisciplinary team to help you resolve it, click here to book in at MYo Lab today!
We are always accepting new members who are ready to commit to their health and wellness journey. If you are ready to experience the MYo difference, book now so one of our team members can welcome you to the MYo Lab community!