Archive for the ‘Back Strengthening Exercises’ Category
Oct
11
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
“My back hurts me right here.” Unfortunately, helping with lower back pain is not always that easy. Often, it takes detective work. Usually, the person is pointing to a symptom of lower back pain and not the cause. Our body is highly trained in compensating movement in order to avoid pain.
If a minor injury occurs and it is treated immediately, it is easier to evaluate and manage the cause. As time goes on, and the body learns compensatory movement patterns, the detective work begins.
It is said that after an acute injury to the lower back, it should take about three weeks to resolve. If it does not resolve, the pain can go from subacute to chronic at about six weeks. Chronic pain is much more challenging to treat.
Not only does the body learn compensatory movement patterns, but the body then produces more pain receptors. The brain will interpret these pain receptors as increased body pain. This can cause a chronic pain cycle to begin. When this nerve pain cycle begins, even if the mechanical issues of the lower back are corrected, the perception of pain can continue.
Pain can be mechanical, thermogenic and/or chemical. Manual therapy and lower back exercises can treat the mechanical pain. Thermogenic is related to cold and heat provoking pain. Chemical pain refers to inflammation. Also, the body releasing chemicals to the brain will continue to make pain receptors. At this point, education to the patient becomes a key component.
Chronic pain causes difficulty in having a good quality of life. It also can shorten your length of life if not controlled properly. It is important to address lower back pain as well as other pains so optimal treatment can be given. When a person is proactive with pain, they usually have better outcomes.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Here are some readings you may enjoy:
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Alternative medicine (Esther Gokhale,US) | Stanford | World … – Esther Gokhale wrote: I am a friend of Phyllis Gardner and an alternative medicine practitioner in the area. RH: I asked her what alternative medicine us. She replies: I have an approach that successfully and efficiently takes care of most back pain and many other muscle and joint problems.
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aching back? put your mind to it – study in journal pain describes relief by mindfulness meditation older adults with chronic lower back pain can benefit from a mindfulness meditation program, according to a study by university of pittsburgh researchers in the february …
Here are a list of articles you might enjoy:
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back-pain-cured.com » Blog Archive » How To Cure Back Pain | Yoga … – Yoga is an easy and efficient method to stay fit mentally as well as physically. Choose from a range of treatment methods available to suit all needs. By ROGER DOBSON BACK pain is being combatted using infrared therapy, which is giving a significant reduction in symptoms.
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Home, Family, Lifestyle » Blog Archive » Find a Good Lower Back … – Home improvement « Review On Amazon Kindle 2 Personalize A Child’s Room With Decor » Find a Good Lower Back Exercise For Sciatica Pain. If you have problems with your sciatica nerve, you are likely to be seeking a decent lower back exercise that acts quickly to help you get rid of the pain. When referring to sciatica, it should be known that the term refers to a set of symptoms that are commonly found together when looking at what causes the irritation to the root of the sciatica nerve.
Sep
16
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Have you ever gone to the doctor for lower back pain and was told to either lose weight or do lower back exercises? If so, the hoola hoop may be the tool for you. About 45% of the US population has had lower back pain and it’s the second leading cause for disability.
As a Certified Functional Manual Therapist and Pilates Certified Physical Therapist, I have had the opportunity to treat patients primarily diagnosed with acute or chronic lower back pain. Often, the patient’s lower back pain is mechanical in nature. Mechanical lower back pain is a result of a dysfunction of the muscles/ligaments and/or misalignment of the spine and/or pelvis. Therefore, they CAN be treated with manual therapy, education, and lower back exercises.
According to pioneer physical therapist, Gregg Johnson, our core stabilizers are the transverse abdominus, pelvic floor muscles, multifidus,and deep fibers of the hip flexors and quadratus lumborum. When our body experiences lower back pain, our body has a mechanism that “inhibits” these muscles. Once these muscles are “sleeping”, our body lacks protection from perturbations. This can lead to further injury and pain.
Our body has two types of muscle fibers: phasic and tonic. Our phasic muscles are our “movers” for quick movements like getting out of bed and do not last long. On the other hand, our tonic muscles are for “posture” by stabilize the body. Tonic muscles are capable of working for long periods of time. Therefore, the core muscles are known as tonic muscles. Again, when the body feels pain, these tonic muscles, known as “core stabilizers”, turn off and it is my job to teach you specific exercises to “wake” those muscles up again.
Therefore, I focus on core stabilizing exercises to “wake” up the “protective” muscles. One way to do this is with hoola hooping. Many patients note their abdomen feeling sore the next day after hooping and did not even feel like they were working their abs out.
Not only does the hoola hoop focus on core stabilization, certain movements performed in conjunction with the hoop can also help with lower back pain. These lower back exercises with the hoop can help improve posture, increase coordination and balance, gain body awareness and symmetry, teach your spine and pelvis to be supple again, and lose weight from a cardiovascular perspective. These additional benefits can also help decrease lower back pain.
As you know, lower back pain can be very disabling. Hoola hooping lower back exercises can also help prevent lower back pain and help your body be efficient with its movement and perform your daily functions with increase ease.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: hoola hooping, Lower Back Exercises, lower back pain
Jan
14
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
I often am told that my body moves so easily when I hoop. I call this ‘effortless movement’. I explain that usually when you first start hooping, it requires a lot of effort. In this case, your movement is less subtle. As your spine becomes more supple, your movement will become smoother and less jerky.
When the spine and pelvis move like a slithering snake, then each segment of the spine and the pelvis are contributing to the movement. In other words, if a segment is stiff, then other segments have to move more to make up for it. This dysfunction can be diagnostic. It could tell me that there may be an instability at the segment where there is too much movement. This instability is where core stabilization is helpful. It also could indicate that there is a restriction where there is no or little movement at a segment. I find hula hooping to be what pioneer Physical Therapist, Gregg Johnson, terms as an excellent ‘functional movement pattern.’ A series of movements that helps evaluate and treat the body’s dysfunctions in a functional way.
I have also noticed that personality types and emotions can play a role in how well someone starts hooping. I find it interesting when someone who seems to be ‘uptight’, ‘insecure’ or has experienced a traumatic event can hoop like a champion. Often this is not the case. And this works both ways. I also notice and find it interesting when someone who seems quite ‘laid back’ or ’secure’ gets really stiff when they hoop. Again, this is not always the case. I feel like hooping could also tap into the psychology diagnostic world as well.
But, what I love most is the energy shifts I see after someone hoops. I know what it is like, since I experience this transformation myself with hooping. It does not matter if the person was very successful or just a little successful with their first attempts at hooping. Regardless, there is a smile. And when someone is smiling, their energy is flowing up. And when energy is flowing, it feels delightful.
I love how hula hooping is so much fun and yet diagnostic and transforming. Hooping can help the spine loosen up and strengthen core muscles to help prevent possible injuries. It also seems that it can help change your state of emotional being. This can help a person feel better about themselves. Yet, there are still many other additional benefits including losing weight and improving posture. Wow, pretty amazing for a plastic circle.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: exercise for lower back, hula hooping, lower back pain exercises, strengthen lower back exercise
Nov
21
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
In the previous articles in this series ‘What Do I Need To Stretch For My Lower Back Exercise Program?’, we discussed the hip flexors, hamstrings, and ‘chest’ muscles. Now, are you ready to learn about the buttocks muscles? There are several large and small buttocks muscles that are very powerful. These muscles help extend the leg as well as rotate the hip. Here we will discuss the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius. We will discuss why the buttocks muscles are important to be included in your lower back exercise program in a Q & A format. Let’s begin.
Q: Where are the buttocks muscles?
A: The gluteus maximus originates from the posterior ilium, sacrum & coccyx as well as posterior fascia and ligament. It inserts into the lateral fascia or the thigh (’IT’ band) and upper posterior thigh. The gluteus medius is a deeper and smaller muscle than the gluteus maximus. The gluteus medius originates on the posterior ilium and inserts into the upper lateral thigh.
Q: Why should the buttocks muscles be stretched?
A: The gluteus muscles play an important role for the flexibility of the hips. The mobility of the hips effects the position of the pelvis. The position of the pelvis plays a primary role for the position of the lower back. The position of the lower back is important because an arched or flexed lower spine can compress structures in the spine. Compression of the spine can lead to pain and dysfunction.
Q: How should the buttocks muscles be stretched?
A: The buttocks muscles can be stretched in many directions. This is because the buttocks muscles help move your hip in both directions of rotation as well as extension.
Q: What are some examples of buttocks muscle stretches?
A: There are many variations and positions. I will discuss some starting with the positions that are easiest to perform correctly.
1. Single Knee to Chest
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee towards your same side shoulder. Use both hands to supprt leg up. Then you can progress the stretch by gently bringing your knee gently towards the opposite shoulder. Repeat this exercise on the other leg.
Single Knee to Chest
2. Crossed Knees to Chest
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross one leg over the other knee. Gently bring both knees to your chest with your hands clasped around your shins. Repeat exercise on the other side.
Crossed Knees to Chest
3. Figure 4 Hip Stretch
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross one ankle over the other knee. Gently push the crossed knee away from your body. Repeat exercise on the other side.
Figure 4 Hip Stretch
4. Standing Hip Rotator Stretch (modified pigeon)
Place your leg bent and knee turned out on a medium-height surface (can use firm bed). Bend your standing leg. Make sure both hips are facing forward. Try to turn out the bent knee for a deeper stretch. You can also deepen the stretch by leaning forward. Be sure to keep your back in neutral (not rounded). Reach your tailbone back when leaning forward to help maintain alignment.
Standing Hip Rotator Stretch (modified pigeon)
Q: How often and how many times should I stretch my buttocks muscles?
A: If you do not experience sharp pain in your hip, you can hold the position for 30-60 seconds 1-2 times in the a.m. then 1-2 times in the p.m. to help build length in your muscles. Be sure not to ‘bounce’ in the stretch. If you feel sharp pain, you may want to consult your medical doctor for further evaluation.
Q: What should I be careful of when stretching my buttocks muscles?
A: Sometimes you may feel a ‘pinch’ deep in your hip when stretching your buttocks muscles. Do not push yourself into a deep stretch, which may cause more harm. Be patient and be sure to stretch all the muscle groups I talk about in this series of articles to help improve your hip flexibility and decrease the ‘pinch’ sensation.
Q: What are some helpful hints and tips about the buttocks muscles?
A: If you feel a ‘pinch’ in your hip, try placing a small towel roll in the crease where your thigh meets your trunk. Do this technique for exercises #1 and #2. It will also help to increase your stabilizing muscles in your pelvis after doing these stretches. One fun exercise would be to hoola hoop on one leg. That will ‘wake up’ your buttocks stabilizing muscles!
I hope this helps you have a better understanding of your buttocks muscles. It is important to understand why you are stretching a particular muscle group. When you understand more about your body, it helps to do your exercises safe and correct. In the next and final article for this series, I will address the lower back muscles. The lower back muscles also play an important role for the pelvis along with the hip flexors, hamstrings, ‘chest’, and buttocks muscles. This will be discussed in great detail in Part V of “What Do I Need To Stretch For My Lower Back Exercise Program?”
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: best lower back exercise, exercise for lower back, exercise for lower back pain, hoola hooping, lower back stretching exercises
Oct
12
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
“I am looking for an exercise program that is fun, but works to keep my back strong.” Although both Pilates and hoola hooping have been around for some time, let me tell you why these exercise programs are great for lower back and general exercise programs.
When performing Pilates exercises, it is important to perform them using the principles of movement. These principles includes breathing, body alignment, activating your core, elongation of the spine, spine articulation (spine moving wave-like), and integrating movement. Just by hoola hooping, all these principles get incorporated.
Both Pilates and hoola hooping focuses on movement. In particular, correct body movement. When performing both these methods, you learn to improve your body awareness. You learn to ‘feel’ where your body is in space. You also improve body posture. As you lengthen your spine, you align your body better. Also, you tap into your core muscles. This is important to stabilize your spine for safe movement. You also increase your body balance and symmetry on your left and right side. Finally, you lose weight because it is fun and you keep moving and burning calories.
It is ideal to have an exercise program that your are motivated to do and have fun doing. Both Pilates and hoola hooping help release endorphins to give you a euphoric feeling. You no longer have to dread exercising, but look forward to your workout time.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: best lower back exercise, exercise for lower back, exercise for lower back pain
Oct
12
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
There are so many lower back exercises and approaches to exercises, how do you know which are best for you? Once you gain an understanding that you are trying to strengthen your core muscles, your choices become simpler.
Be sure you understand that it is important not only to work core muscles, but how you do the exercises. Once you gain an understanding that core muscles stabilize the spine all day, it makes sense that you want to do exercises that hold for a long period of time. Holding the exercise for the core will train the muscles correctly to do their job. Yes, there job is to make your spine stable day and night!
One of the most fun and beneficial exercise that works the core is hoola hooping. Once you get the ’spin’ going, you tap into the core muscles. You ‘wake’ them up. And because hooping is so much fun, you can build up spinning the hoop for longer periods of time. In this exercise, you actually perform a ‘functional’ exercise.
A ‘functional’ exercise is when you are performing movement that looks like a daily activity. For example, when you are hooping in stride position, it works a position you go through in your walking cycle. Also, in this position, it stretches your hip flexor muscles. The hip flexors are often a culprit of lower back pain. This position also replicates the movement you do when you reach up for an object. And this is with only basic hooping.
As you progress with hooping exercises,, you can challenge your core in other functional positions like squatting. The more you can find exercises in functional positions, the more benefit you will get out of the exercise. On the other hand, a non-functional exercise may get that muscle stronger, but not necessarily be stronger when doing an activity. For example, one exercise for your quadriceps is in sitting. You sit on a machine with your leg bent and push a weight up to straighten your leg. Where would you realistically need to do that daily? See my point? So, it is best to find ‘functional’ lower back exercises.
Some other ideas include bridging while squeezing a ball between your knees. Once you build up your stamina and hold the exercise for longer periods of time, you are waking up the core muscles in another functional position. Another functional core exercise would be on your hands and knees. This position is known as quadraped. In this exercise, you reach with your arms and/or legs in different variations. It is important to do this exercise trying to make yourself long with each reach. You want to make sure your spine maintains a ‘neutral’ posture. This really wakes up the core muscles along your upper and lower back and abdomen. This exercise helps stabilize your spine for activities you may do on your hands and knees like scrubbing the floor or playing with your children.
Using these examples may further help you decide if an exercise will tap into your core and help you in a functional way. Remember, once you understand what you are trying to achieve in an exercise, you can modify and change the exercise to fit your needs and be safe.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: best lower back exercise, exercise for lower back, exercise for lower back pain
Oct
10
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
I have lower back pain! Now what am I supposed to do? What am I working to achieve with exercises for my lower back pain? One minute I hear stretch and the next it’s about strength, but you’re supposed to be ‘protecting’ your back also. Which is it?
What are good lower back exercises?
What we want to accomplish is mobility with stability. Mobility with stability is the body’s neuromuscular system’s ability to stabilize a joint or a group of joints while allowing movement in other places.
This is measured in either a static or dynamic posture. A static posture for the trunk, for example, is reaching overhead. When reaching overhead, the trunk needs to steady while the arms move to do the task. In a relative dynamic posture, like shoveling dirt, the trunk is stabilizing while twisting and the arms are doing the task.
What about flexibility? Yes, it’s part of the recipe and is measured by the length a muscle can stretch from its origin to connection. And strength? Yes, strength is necessary and measured by how much weight (include your own weight in that) a body part can move. Although we need both flexibility and strength, if our body does not learn to stabilize during activities, our body’s natural protective mechanism will not kick in and can lead to injury and pain of the spine. Once pain sets in, the whole system can “shut off”.
There is a different focus during exercises to achieve mobility with stability than when you’re going for flexibility with strength. Lower back exercises that focus more on stability with mobility include core stabilization exercises. We want to wake up the “long-lasting” muscle fibers. They are built to hold us in correct alignment. But, sometimes these “long-lasting” muscles get a little lazy from disuse or “shut off” from pain.
I like to use a specific technique developed by pioneer Physical Therapist, Gregg Johnson, to “wake up” these stabilizing muscles. In short, you ‘wait out’ the quicker acting ‘phasic’ muscles that start an action and when they start to shake with fatigue, the “long-lasting” tonic muscles kick in. Re-establishing a stabilizing effect to the core muscles.
So it’s the whole enchilada that adds up to comfort and avoiding re-injury. Thus, it is very important to focus on stabilizing exercises with mobility. Once your core muscles have kicked in and have minimal to no pain, it is also important to have the flexibility and strength to perform the task at hand. At the same time, we need to build the stamina and endurance to perform your activities safely. The hoola hoop is an excellent tool that can provide safe exercises to aid in meeting these goals and you get to have some fun while you do it.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Here are some readings you might enjoy:
Sep
26
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Have you ever noticed that you and your horse are a lot alike? Have you ever observed that if your right lower back is tight or painful, your horse may also have a tight or painful right lower back? If so, why is that? Does your body’s compensatory movements for tightness or pain effect your horse’s movement? Could that cause eventual pain for your horse?
If a rider cannot allow their body to move freely, then neither can your horse. Over time, your horse may need to learn movement patterns to compensate also. Once your horse begins to imprint these motor patterns, they become less supple and prone to injury.
Ultimately, we want to enhance our horse’s beauty and not inhibit their movement. Therefore, our ground work is just as important as our horse’s ground work!
If a rider is more relaxed in her seat (pain-free), then the spine can be more supple. In order to maintain a ‘good seat’ while riding, you must have a strong core. You also must be in good postural alignment. It also helps to have your body balanced, symmetrical, and good body awareness. These concepts are improtant for a lower back exercise program. It is important for these principles to be grasped on the ground.
One way to acheive these principles of a lower back exercise program is with the hoola hoop. As a physical therapist with advanced certifications and Pilates certification, I have found that hooping is a fun and beneficial tool to meet these goals. As you gain core stabilization, improve posture, increase balance, symmetry and body awareness, you will notice your seat and riding will also improve. As your movement improves on your horse, so will your horse’s beauty and movement.
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: hoola hooping, Lower Back Exercises, lower back pain
Sep
22
Posted by Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Why is it that most kids can pick up a hula hoop and move so fluidly and easily? Yet, when some adults start to hoop again, they are stiff and unsuccessful. What happened?
It seems that kids tend to be uninhibited, pain-free, and secure with their body movements. They are not concerned with their body image and can fully embrace the hoop. Their spine is supple and muscles are relaxed. Kids are more often tapped into their parasympathetic state of their nervous system.
The term “fight or flight” refers to the state of our nervous system. According to certified hypnotherapist (CHt.) Stephanie Moses, who practices bio-emotional release, states we are either in a “parasympathetic or sympathetic state of the nervous system.” Long ago, we would go into a sympathetic state if we were being chased by a lion, tiger or bear! Today, we are rarely being chased by life threatening animals or situations, but by our boss, co-worker, family and friends. In a sympathetic state, the body needs to run so the “spine gets stiff.” Then we wonder why we have lower back pain. When the spine is stiff, the hoop will fall!
The looser our spine gets, the more we can hoop and live in a parasympathetic state of mind! This is also a fantastic lower back exercise. An activity that encourages your spine both smooth and fluid movement, also allows circulation and healing to occur. The better we can move, the better we can enjoy a pain-free life!
As a certified Polestar Pilates and Certified Functional Manual Therapist, I encourage both male and female patients to get a large hoop so they can become a successful and safe adult mover. It improves body-spacial awareness, posture, and core strength. These components are goals for lower back exercises. Also, hooping can help evaluate function and sequencing of the body’s movements.
Once you get the movement back in your pelvis and spine, you will find it hard to put your hoop down. I have seen kids hoop for hours without a moment’s rest. What an energizing lower back exercise program!
Jodi Jainchill PT, CFMT
Technorati Tags: best lower back exercise, exercise for lower back, exercise for lower back pain, lower back exercise, lower back pain exercises, lower back stretching exercises, strengthen lower back exercise