31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Americans spend more than $50 billion each year to treat back pain – including expensive surgeries that can sometimes lead to more problems than they fix! If you are experiencing minor to moderate back pain, simple at-home exercises may be able to go a long way to relieving this pain and help prevent it from worsening.
How to Relieve Back Pain with Daily Exercise
Try the following exercises for back pain relief:
#1: Partial crunches. Strengthening your core improves posture and reduces lumbar spine compression. To perform a partial crunch, lie with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms over your chest or gently cradle the neck. Tighten your core and raise your shoulders a few inches off the floor. Lead with your chest rather than your head. Until your core is stronger, avoid sit-ups. Sit-ups can actually worsen back pain since most individuals end up using their hips rather than core muscles to complete the movement, which stresses the lumbar spine.
#2: Cat/cow pose. This classic yoga pose is a gentle way to lubricate the spine and increase mobility. Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. For cow, lift the chin up and drop your belly to the mat as you arch your tailbone upwards. To transition to cow, drop the tailbone down and look back towards your thighs. Match your breath to your movement as you flow between the two poses.
#3: Side twist. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. While keeping the shoulders firmly pressed to the floor roll your knees to the right and hold for 5 to 10 seconds; then roll the knees to the left and hold again. Repeat each side three times.
If your back pain intensifies or does not respond to lifestyle modification and exercise, you may benefit from chiropractic adjustments.
Have you tried any exercises to relieve back pain? Share your experiences below!