Posts Tagged ‘exercise for back pain’

Improving Internal Hip Rotation with Spider Walks

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

We talk a lot about the importance of hip rotation and the importance of hip mobility on the lower back above, and the knees below. People often focus on tight hip flexor and the front to back mobility of the hip. All of it is very important, but if one is going to be forgotten, it is probably rotation, and more specifically, internal hip rotation.

In a previous post, we provide another hip rotation corrective exercise called Femur Rotations. Spider Walks have a greater emphasis on internal hip rotation and has added benefits to the foot and ankle. The Femur Rotations are great for active internal and external rotation without load on the hips and help with elongating the hamstrings. Spider Walks are done with the knees bent which removes any limitations that the hamstrings might cause.

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Corrective Exercise Sitting Leg Extensions for Lumbar Stability

Wednesday, April 14th, 2021

Don’t be fooled. This exercise has nothing to do with strengthening the quads or the provocative slump test for neural tension. Both of those exercise look similar at first glance, but the nuances of this exercise give it a completely different objective.

Sitting Leg Extensions is an incredibly effective exercise to introduce a lumbar stability strategy that does not involved bracing or conventional core work.

The goal is not terminal knee extension. The goal is to generate enough internal tension from above and below the lower back, that the tensegrity forces help to de-rotate and stabilize the lumbo-sacral-region.

This is a self limiting exercise, meaning that the breakdown of the form and execution will be a result of the individual’s own internal force generation.

Give this one a try and let us know what you think.

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The 25 Things You Must Know About Lower Back Pain

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Earlier this month I presented at the IDEA World Fitness Conference. It is a conference I’ve had the privilege of presenting at for quite a few years. Fitness professionals from around the globe come to learn and connect.

One of my presentations this year that was filmed by IDEA to share with others was,”The 25 Things Your Client Must Know About Lower Back Pain”.

I thought I would share with you the list of items in the presentation. Of course during the presentation each topic was discussed and explained in detail. But I’m sure you’ll find some great tips from the list alone!
iliopsoas

1. A bad back is not always a weak back.

2. A weak back can be a precursor to a bad back.

3. Muscle endurance is initially more important then muscle strengthening for your back.

4. Acute episodes of back pain respond better to ice than heat.

5. Positive finding on an MRI often have less to do with your pain than you might think.

6. Stretching alone is an incomplete answer to solving your back problems.

7. Your body adapts to exercise, so doing the same “back” exercises for months or years has diminishing returns.

8. Chronic back pain can be months or years in the making.

9. Sleeping on your stomach is good for some people.

10. Lower back pain can be caused by your feet.

11. Lower back pain can be caused by your neck.

12. Never roll out of bed and immediately stretch in the morning.

13. Pulling your knees to your chest may be bad for your back.

14. Lumbar supports when sitting are helpful.

15. More serious medical problems sometimes mimic lower back pain.

16. Stretching your hamstrings when you have sciatica can make the symptoms worse.

17. Pregnancy and monthly cycles with increased hormone production can decrease the stability of the sacroiliac joint in women leading to LBP.

18. The best back exercises are those that are designed for you following an evaluation.

19. An old injury to another part of your body can contribute to your back pain.

20. Lying on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90 degrees and legs supported can passively mitigate back pain.

21. Repeated work or recreational postures or movements will lead to imbalances in your body and impact the back.

22. Back surgery can almost always be rescheduled.

23. If medication is your only intervention, you’ll be medicating for life.

24. Hinging from the hip can spare your back.

25. Good spinal ROM is not correlated with an absence

Is there anything you’d like to add to this list?

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