Effective exercises for back and lower back pain

The causes of pain in the lumbar spine can be different. These include pathological changes in the spinal column (osteochondrosis), dystrophic changes in the muscle system of the back area. Among all the possible ways to combat this disease, we will analyze in detail which exercises will help with lower back pain.

Incorrect movement, often sudden, can also lead to pain, when a nerve is pinched, which further contributes to the appearance of painful sensations.

Benefits of Exercise

Physical activity is one of the first places in activities aimed at eliminating back pain. This type of therapeutic effect occurs in different ways and has its advantages:

• Exercises for the lumbar spine help stretch and relax smooth muscles.
• Regular muscle work will help strengthen and restore the entire lumbar spine. This affects not only the etiology of the pain syndrome, but also the general condition of the person.
• During physical activity, blood circulation in the circulatory system increases. This helps to improve the absorption of nutrients into the joint apparatus, vertebrae, as well as restore the function of intervertebral structures.

Before starting a training complex, it is recommended to consult a doctor for possible contraindications and concomitant pathologies.

Let's consider Dr. Evdokimenko's recommendations on gymnastics for exacerbation of disc herniation or lumbar osteochondrosis. These exercises are also suitable for treating lumbar pain or shooting from the lower back to the leg.

Self-medication can seriously harm your health, so you should not engage in inappropriate exercises. The correct selection of a training set is important.

A universal solution is proven exercises from the field of Therapeutic Physical Culture (PT).

The role of exercise therapy for the treatment of back pain

Often, for back pain, especially if its cause is pathological changes in the spinal column, conservative treatment methods based on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. At the same time, the leading role is given to physical therapy exercises.

What are the benefits of therapeutic exercises for back pain?

Firstly, physical activity helps maintain the smooth muscles of the spine, returning the active shape of the back, which makes it easier to endure everyday activities.

• Strengthened muscles and ligaments prevent displacement of the vertebrae during awkward or sudden movement of the body, lifting heavy objects, and prevent the occurrence of various injuries.
• Moderate physical exercise helps normalize metabolic processes in the body. This improves the absorption of vitamins and nutrients necessary for bone and cartilage tissue.

In people leading a sluggish, sedentary lifestyle, metabolic processes are primarily disrupted, which subsequently leads to the development of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

Physical therapy exercises bring a variety of benefits to the body:

• With the help of training, circulatory circulation is normalized and the flow of oxygen to tissues improves.
• The load on the spinal discs is reduced due to the expansion of the space between the vertebrae.
• Smooth muscle spasm occurs.
• Performance increases.
• Pinched nerve endings are eliminated, followed by the disappearance of pain.

Therapeutic gymnastics can be practiced not only in hospitals or specialized institutions. A home environment won’t hurt to do the exercises; the main thing here is the right training complex.

Strength training for a sore back

Scientists from the University of Alberta in Canada published a study in the journal Strength and Conditioning Research that suggests the benefits of exercise for back pain. The study involved men who had suffered from back pain for an average of two years.

There were a total of 45 participants with complaints of back pain of various natures. It is important to note that the pain symptoms were not associated with spinal or nerve damage. It is known that a strong muscle corset helps get rid of back pain, so scientists conducted a practical study that lasted 16 weeks. Of the 45 participants, 15 people in the control group did not exercise during the experiment. During the first week, 30 people trained with weights that were 55% of their maximum weight. Over 16 weeks the weight was gradually increased to 79%. The men performed linear periodized training 4 times per week. The workouts were divided into 2 parts in such a way as to involve all muscle groups of the body (part in one workout, part in another). Rest between sets was 1-2 minutes. At first, the classes were held on exercise machines, then, if possible, the training switched to working with free weights.

The scientists divided the training participants into two subgroups: in the first group the average age was 52 years, in the second - 63 years. Thus, the scientists wanted to find out whether there is a difference in the response to stress depending on age. As a result, the experiment showed that both groups responded to the loads in the same way. All participants noted a decrease in pain and an overall improvement in quality of life and well-being.

Pain level (the lower the number, the less pain):

Oswestry Sickness Level (the higher the number, the worse you feel):

General physical well-being (the higher the number, the better):

Mood (mental and emotional state). The higher the number, the better:

Scientists attribute the success of the program not only to the well-known factor of the positive effects of physical activity on the body, but also to the smooth introduction of loads and the gradual increase in them.

Increase in strength indicators over 16 weeks as a percentage:

Exercises to Reduce Back Pain

The next complex is primarily aimed at reducing pain in the back and is carried out slowly, measuredly, and breathing should remain free.

(1) - Gluteal bridge

Take a lying position on your back on the floor, with your legs bent at the knees. Lift your pelvis up and freeze in this state for a few seconds. Exhale as much as possible, slowly lowering to the original position.

(2) - Boat

Roll over onto the front abdominal wall, stretch your arms along your body, palms up. Raise your head, shoulders and lower limbs at the same time. Your torso should be similar to a boat shape. This exercise helps eliminate pain in the sacrolumbar spine.

(3) - Stretching the back flexors

Now lie down on your back. The left leg must be bent at the knee, pulling it with your hands towards the chest area. The same should be repeated with the right leg. Then, you need to pull both limbs towards your chest. In this position, you should freeze for a few seconds, slowly, rocking on your back.

(4) - Back stretch

Take a chair and sit on it. Grasp its lower edge with your hands, and pressing tightly, bend forward and backward. This movement will eliminate congestion in the back, improving circulatory circulation. This exercise is useful for people who spend a lot of time sitting in the office.

(5) - Back warm-up

Take a knee-elbow position. Smoothly lower yourself onto your buttocks until they touch your heels. You must repeat the exercise 7 times.

"Kitty"

Get on all fours. As you exhale, round your back, pull your shoulder blades up and draw your chest in as much as possible. The head is directed downward. Stay in this position for 10 seconds. Then take a deep breath and bend your back as much as possible. Gently lift your head and pull your pelvis up. The chest should be as open as possible. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then return to the starting position.

Photo: istockphoto.com

If there is no discomfort, you can do 10-15 repetitions. The cat exercise helps stretch and strengthen the muscles of the lumbar spine and effectively relieves back pain.

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Back complex from Dr. Bubnovsky

There are a number of training methods developed by Dr. Bubnovsky. The exercises are aimed at eliminating pain in the back and lumbar region.

(1) - Walking on all fours

A physical activity that has shown good results is walking on all fours. Use it as a warm-up.

(2) - Raising legs from a lying position

Option A. Take a lying position and relax. The legs should be bent at the knees and the hands should be clasped behind the head. You should prepare a cold compress in advance by placing it under the lumbar region. At the same time, press your head to your chest (twisting) and tighten your lower limbs. At the same time, your elbows should touch your knees.

Option B. Place your hands freely along the body. Bend your legs alternately at the knee joint. Also use a cold compress, placing it under the lumbar region.

Exercise during flare-ups

Proper physical activity will help even during periods of exacerbation of pain. The intensity of the exercises should be minimal, otherwise there is a high probability of worsening the patient's condition, and the back muscles can be easily injured. Medical gymnastics provides a number of safe techniques that can be performed in case of severe pain.

(1) — Warm-up

You need to lie down on a hard surface. This could be a bed or a couch. Lower your legs down to a hanging position. Take five deep breaths slowly. Then, carefully, slowly, lift your torso.

(2) - Voltage

Take a knee-elbow position. It is necessary to take a measured, long breath, and then exhale the air. The buttocks should be tensed, remaining in this position for several seconds. Now relax and repeat the exercise 5 times.

Bend forward from a standing position

Place your feet shoulder-width apart or wider, back straight, neck extended down. Exhale smoothly and lean forward. The back should remain straight and the knees should not be bent. Rest your hands on your shin. Stay in the arched position for a few seconds and then straighten your back. Repeat five times or until discomfort occurs.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Relieving acute pain

With weakened, insufficiently strong back muscles, lumbodynia may periodically appear, as a sharp acute pain in the lumbar region. Simple but effective therapeutic exercises can help cope with pain.

(1) - Tilts

You need to kneel down. Place a chair in front of you for support. You need to put both hands on the chair and arch your back as much as possible up, and then also down. It is recommended to perform up to 10 approaches of the exercise.

(2) - Cat/Cow

Take a kneeling position. You should rest your head and arms on a chair, making slow movements from right to left, while arching your back.

Take a position on all fours, slowly arch your back like a cat, and then arch it, trying to inflate your hump like a camel. This movement is also effective for acute back pain.

All therapeutic sets of exercises formed according to the principle of medical gymnastics must be carried out smoothly and measuredly so as not to harm the patient’s condition and eliminate pain in the back.

If pinched

When the vertebrae are pinched, acute pain occurs. A therapeutic complex aimed at separating the intervertebral space can help cope with pain.

(1) — Hanging on the bar

A fixed door or training bar is available as additional equipment. It is necessary to hang evenly on the bar, remaining in this position for 60 seconds, completely relaxing the muscles, without making any other movements. The exercise should be repeated after 10 minutes, doing three approaches a day.

(2) — Hanging side crunches

It is necessary to hang on the horizontal bar with straight arms, making turning movements from side to side. When performing the movement, the body must be completely relaxed.

How to warm up your muscles

Before starting any training complex, it is necessary to do a warm-up, which will warm up the muscles and prepare the joint apparatus for the exercises.

Pelvic rotations. Take an upright position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your palms on the lumbar region. Make circular movements to the right and left. Should be repeated several times.

Lateral bends help stretch muscle fibers. Take a vertical position, clasp your palms, leaning toward your left and right feet in turn. In a bent position, place your palms on the floor, between your feet, and hold for five seconds. Slowly and smoothly return to the starting position.

Take a supine position on your chest . Extend your arms behind your head. Raise your upper body using your back muscles. Fix the maximum position and lie on the anterior abdominal wall. It is necessary to repeat the exercise, slowly, 8 times.

How the workouts work

With a correctly formulated therapeutic-physical complex:

• Smooth muscles relax, stretch, and pain disappears.
• Blood circulation in the lumbar spine improves, helping to normalize the flow of nutrients to the spine.
• All muscle groups of the back are strengthened, the intervertebral space expands, from where the pinched nerve is released.

To improve the quality of life and overall well-being, it is recommended to carry out treatment activities regularly, without skipping.

When to see a doctor

Pain syndrome can be caused by a number of serious reasons. Before starting exercises, you should consult a doctor to clarify the pathology. An appointment with a doctor is required if:

• The pain does not go away for several weeks.
• When the body moves, a crunching sound is heard in the lumbar region.
• Inability to fully carry out movements due to pain.
• The pain syndrome is accompanied by headache, weakness, nausea, dizziness, and numbness of the extremities.

Exercises to strengthen your back

Many patients tend to perform exercises for the lumbar spine without leaving home. To eliminate and prevent unpleasant sensations in the sacral-lumbar zone, a set of therapeutic measures has been created that can easily be carried out at home:

(1) — Forward bends

Take a sitting position on the floor, bending one leg at the knee, moving it to the side. The other leg is straight. It is necessary to reach for the fingers of the straight limb, slowly and smoothly. After performing 10 times, the leg should be changed and repeated.

(2) - Lunges

To perform the exercise, take a vertical position, arms along the body, legs slightly wider than shoulders. Now you need to slowly lower yourself down, putting one leg forward, bending it at the knee. The back remains as straight as possible. It is necessary to perform lunges 10 times, then the position of the legs changes and the movement is repeated. This exercise for the sacral region of the spine eliminates pain and improves circulatory blood flow.

(3) — Scissors

Take a lying position on your back, lifting your legs one at a time, trying to pull as high as possible. It is recommended to perform at least 3-4 sets of 15-20 repetitions.

Abs Exercise - Sit-ups

The method of removing excessive tone from the spine is to strengthen the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall. The abs are directly connected to the lumbar spine, forming the anterior muscle corset.

To do the exercise, you need to lie on your back, cross your arms at your chest or behind your head. Raise your body, trying not to bend your arms; only the rectus abdominis muscles should be used. The neck is completely relaxed, do not put pressure on it with your hands. The exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, as well as the lumbar spine.

Complexes for strengthening the back of beginners

Physical fitness is individual for everyone, it all depends on age, weight, and concomitant diseases.

That is why specialists in the field of medical physical education have created training complexes for back pain for beginners:

You can also consider a simpler set of 3 exercises:

Contraindications to gymnastics

Therapeutic exercises cannot always relieve and eliminate pain in the lumbar region. Physical training is contraindicated for lumbar injuries, kidney pain, herniated discs, and various tumors.

When there are indications for performing therapeutic exercises, you should take a comprehensive approach: perform exercises not only to relieve pain, but also to prevent it.

Features of exercises for the lower back

When performing complexes for the lower back, it is important to consider several points. To relieve pain and prevent its occurrence in the future, it is necessary to combine stretching exercises and strengthening the muscles of the lumbar region. If you have back pain, you need to be extremely careful about the level of stress and avoid sudden movements that can aggravate the situation.

Severe lower back pain may indicate serious illness, so if you experience prolonged discomfort, you should consult a doctor.

Level 1 - Exercises and Stretches for Low Back Pain

A sedentary lifestyle, accidental injuries, and prolonged standing can lead to sprain or rupture of the ligamentous apparatus of the muscles that fix the lower back. In this case, therapeutic exercises that can be easily performed outside of medical facilities can help.

1 - Cat/Cow pose

Exercise will help relieve muscle tension and also eliminate pain in the lumbar spine.

It is advisable to perform the movement on a sports mat or rug.

- Take a position on all fours, your back remains straight, your feet are brought together. Elbows parallel to shoulders.

— Taking a deep breath, arch your back, looking up.

- During the inhalation phase, pull in your stomach, round your back, and lower your head down.

Repeat the movement for 3 sets of 8 reps.

2 - child's pose

A therapeutic exercise – child’s pose – helps relieve lower back pain and relax smooth muscles.

• You need to sit on your knees with your legs spread wide. Bring your toes together and extend your arms, leaning forward. The frontal part of the head should rest on the mat.
• Don't stop breathing. Count to 15 and take the starting position.
• Repeat the movement 2 times for 3-4 approaches.

3 - hip flexor stretch

The exercise activates circulatory circulation in the lower back, pain disappears, and the muscular system relaxes.

• Take an upright position and step forward with your right foot. As you lunge, place your left shin on the floor. Straighten your shoulders, keeping your back straight and your hands on your right knee.
• You need to tense your gluteal muscles and abs, stay in the position for 10 seconds.
• Change the position of your legs and repeat the exercise.
• It is recommended to perform 4 repetitions of 3-4 sets on each leg.

4 - shell stretcher

Stretching is useful for aching pain. Exercise increases blood flow, expands the intervertebral space, eliminating pain.

Take a tabletop position and lower yourself onto your heels.

Your arms should be extended forward, palms down on the floor.

At the same time, your forehead needs to touch the mat.

Inhale and exhale until you feel the tension in your lower back. Relax completely.

It is necessary to repeat 2 exercises in two approaches.

Level 2 - for mild back pain

In case of stiffness of movements, tension in the lumbar region, a therapeutic training complex has also been formed.

1 - wall squats

For aching back pain, an exercise like squats is useful. The method eliminates pain and facilitates body movements.

• Place your back against the wall. Straighten your shoulders and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Smoothly lower your body down, as if doing a squat. Hold the position for 15 seconds.
• Return to the original position.
• It is necessary to repeat 2 times in three approaches.

2 - stretching the flexor muscles of the lower back

Stretching the muscles of the lower back will help you cope with back pain, improve your well-being and facilitate movement.

You need to lie on the mat with your feet on the floor.

Raise your right limb by clasping your hands around your hips.

You should press your foot to the chest area and hold the position for 25 seconds.

Repeat the movement with the other leg.

It is recommended to perform 3 sets of 3-4 repetitions.

3 - exercise to correct pelvic tilt

Movement allows you to activate blood circulation, improve the functioning of the ligamentous apparatus, and eliminate pain.

Take a horizontal position on the floor. Feet should be placed shoulder-width apart, arms placed at the sides of the body, knees bent, and feet placed on the mat.

Tighten your deep abdominal muscles, pull your stomach towards the spinal column, carefully lifting your pelvis. Your lower back should be in contact with the floor.

Hold the position for 3 seconds, then relax.

Repeat the exercise for 5 sets of 3-4 repetitions.

How to relieve lower back pain with simple exercises?

However, before doing the exercises below, you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications, these are:

• recent injury;
• back pain that worsens during exercise;
• numbness or tingling sensations in the limbs.

If you have any of the above, we strongly recommend that you visit a doctor.

Basic stretching exercises

With the help of these stretches you can reduce lumbar pain:

1. To complete this you will need a sports mat. It is necessary to take a lying position, extend your arms perpendicular to the body. Then, drawing your knees towards your chest, remain in this position for some time.
2. Tilt your bent legs to one side and your head to the other side. Make sure your shoulders are pressed firmly to the mat. Stay in this position for about 20 seconds, then switch sides. Number of repetitions - 5 times.
3. Performed from a lying position. The feet are pressed tightly to the support, while the knees are pulled up to the chest. Without changing your position, make smooth tilts to the right and left, turning your head in the other direction. With the help of such movements you can stretch your spine well. You can do 10 approaches in each direction.

The following exercise helps a lot when your upper back hurts:

- You need to get down on your knees, spreading them slightly to the sides. Then lean on your palms, lower your head, tense your stomach and arch your back in the form of an arc. This position is called "cat's back." Next, you need to raise your head, arching your back. Perform smoothly without overloading the lower back. 5 repetitions are enough.

A general stretching exercise is also quite effective:

— Starting position: “cat’s back.” The right knee is pulled towards the chest so that, if possible, the forehead can reach it. Next, straighten your leg and keep it parallel to the floor. After this, you must again take the starting position. Move slowly, 4-5 approaches will be enough. At the end, when the leg is straightened, you should extend your left arm. Maintain this position for a few seconds and change sides, performing the same actions for your left leg. These movements will perfectly strengthen your back muscles.

Don't forget about the abdominals

The lower back also hurts when the abdominal muscles are weak; if the abdominal press is absent, then protrusion of the abdomen and displacement of the spine occur.

To work on your abs, do the following exercise:

— Lying on the floor, place your bent legs shoulder-width apart. Hands behind head. The lower back must be pressed. Inhale and lift your shoulder blades up, exhale and lower back down. You should not strive for a large amplitude. If you feel that your muscles are trembling, you can stop the exercise.

Prevention of back pain

However, the best option will be if you start doing the exercises without waiting for back pain. If you feel fatigue in the back, problems with flexion and extension, you need to start regularly performing simple exercises, as they are excellent for restoring performance and can be carried out in any conditions - during a work break, in the country, after a long car ride, the main thing is that the movements should be without pauses, leisurely and neat.

To perform these exercises, take the following starting position:

1. Straighten up, tuck your stomach, and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Both arms should be bent at the elbows and raised to shoulder level. Next, carefully pull them back. Having reached your maximum, arch your chest. Do several repetitions.
3. The hands are there too. Make a few turns to the left, return to the starting position and repeat the movements to the right.
4. Move your hands toward your waist, with your fingers on either side of your spine. Begin to carefully work your back, arching it as far as possible, while your thumbs make pressing movements. You need to repeat it several times.

Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr

Level 3 – developing mobility and strength of the back muscles

Performing stretching exercises is necessary to stretch the muscles of the lumbar region, eliminate tension in the ligamentous apparatus, and facilitate body movements.

1 - roller rolling with the lower back

When the therapeutic exercise is performed correctly, the muscular system is stretched, the fascia and ligamentous system are strengthened, tension in the lower back goes away and pain disappears.

• Take a sitting position on the mat. You need to take the roller and place it in front of you.
• Raise your buttocks and try to keep your own weight on your lower limbs, then sit on the bolster.
• Smoothly move it to the lumbar region, leaning behind you on your palms. To maintain balance, the right leg must be placed on the left limb.
• Move your body back and forth while rolling the roller on the floor for 25 seconds.
• Repeat the exercise 3 sets of 3-4 repetitions.

Use other back exercises with a massage roller. For example, working on the collar area and the middle part of the back.

2- Dog-Bird pose

The exercise relieves tension in the smooth muscles of the lumbar region, expanding the intervertebral space, relieving pain and improving overall well-being.

• Take a position on all fours, keeping your back straight.
• Raise your left lower limb so that it is parallel to the floor.
• Lift your right limb in the same way, extending it in front of you.
• Hold the position for 5 seconds, then return to the original stance.
• The same should be repeated with the opposite leg and arm.
• Do 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions with each hand.

3 - raising the pelvis on the bench

If there is stiffness in the lumbar spine, as well as aching pain, it is useful to perform an exercise with lifting the pelvis. If performed correctly, you can eliminate lower back pain.

• Secure your upper back on the bench. Legs should be bent at the knees and feet should be on the floor. Stretch your arms to your sides, relaxing them.
• Raise your hips so that they are in the same position as your spine. Looking at the ceiling.
• Smoothly lower your hips down, gradually returning to the original position.
• You need to do 5 sets of 6-8 repetitions.

Prohibited exercises for lumbar disc herniation

• “Clean” vertical hanging and pull-ups on the bar. Since the spine will experience a significant load of body weight, due to the weakness of the ligamentous apparatus, pathological stretching may occur, which will have the opposite effect.
• Work with additional weight on the lower limbs and lower torso. Lifting weights with your legs, pressing limbs against resistance, squats and bends with dumbbells, kettlebells, or lifting heavy equipment from the floor with your hands. The danger lies in overstraining the spinal and abdominal muscles and increasing compression in the lumbosacral region.
• Torso twisting. To put it simply, it is forbidden to pump the press in any way. When performing a crunch, the lumbar region is critically overworked in your case. Moreover, twisting can displace the hernia and cause pinched nerves and compression of the spinal canal.
• Run, jump. You should avoid all situations where you need to run, jump or jump from some elevated object. Fast walking is also not recommended. The listed types of activity reduce the depreciation resource of the intervertebral discs, and, therefore, are fraught with aggravation of their morphological condition and the appearance of pain.

It is worth warning you against trying to do swings with the lower limbs, “mill” with the arms, all kinds of lunges on one leg, deep bends of the body down and to the sides from a standing position, circular rotations at the waist.

Gymnastics for back pain

Pain in the lower back, as well as other parts of the spine, often occurs at the end of a hard working day. To relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory components are used in the form of creams or ointments.

Performing medical exercises is also a useful method for pain relief.

Such physical exercises are not recommended for independent performance by patients with fractures of the pelvic bones, spine, or in the postoperative period.

1 - leg lift

Therapeutic exercise is indicated for pregnant women, as well as patients after spinal surgery. Exercises allow you to stretch the muscles of the back, eliminating aching pain.

• You need to lie on your back with your legs stretched forward.
• Raise them with smooth movements to the 90-degree mark, and then bend them at the knees.
• Fix the position for 30 seconds, then return to the original position with straight legs, repeat the movement 20 times.
• The therapeutic exercise should be performed slowly.

2 - half-twisting

Exercise allows you to improve motor activity and relieve tension in the lumbar region.

• Take a lying position on your back, place your hands behind your head.
• Slowly, using only the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, raise the body to 30-45 degrees. At the same time, it is important to keep your head straight, without throwing it back.
• Carefully lower the body slowly onto the mat.
• It is recommended to perform 30 repetitions.

3 - walking on the buttocks

This exercise will help eliminate pain in the pelvis and lumbar spine.

• You need to sit on the mat, stretch your legs, keep your back straight.
• Now, you need to “walk” with your gluteal muscles along the surface of the floor. When doing the exercise for the first time, it will be enough to walk from one end of the room to the other.

To make it easier, while “walking” your arms need to be bent, performing the usual movements with an upward swing, as with accelerated walking.

4 - push-ups

This type of exercise is considered the safest for patients with acute pain in the spinal region, since it reduces the load on the lumbar area.

• You need to lie on your stomach with your palms resting on the mat. Raise your body and head so that your head is in line with your back.
• Keep your back straight, slightly twisting your groin. Look at yourself in the mirror and try to rule out lordosis.
• Bend your elbows and try to touch your chest to the floor.
• It is advisable to perform 15-25 repetitions.

By performing push-ups, you activate the muscular system of the shoulder girdle, where a moderate load occurs on the lumbar region of the spine. However, this movement should not be performed by pregnant women.

5 - walking on all fours

This type of therapeutic exercise is suitable for pregnant women, elderly people, spinal column injuries, as well as during the recovery period in the postoperative period.

Walking on all fours is used to eliminate congestion in the lumbar spine and relieve pain caused by compression of the intervertebral discs.

To perform the movement, you need to assume a cat pose, thus moving back and forth across the room. The exercise takes 120 seconds. Afterwards, you can change the direction of movement - left and right.

A set of exercises for lumbar hernia

Strength loads with resistance, using additional weight, for endurance require caution. They will lead to injuries, generalization of disc prolapse, compression and damage to nerves, vascular formations, the spinal cord and other dangerous reactions. In mild stages, strength training is sometimes allowed, but only on medical advice. In case of serious displacements of the nucleus pulposus, a strict taboo is often placed on them. Be that as it may, completely avoid independent experiments, entrust the choice of any training to a doctor!

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees. The feet are completely on the surface, arms along the body. As you inhale, draw in your stomach, tensing your abdominal muscles. Having reached the maximum point of retraction, record this result for 10 seconds. As you exhale, relax your stomach. Repeat 8-10 times.
2. I.p. the same. Raise your upper body about 30 degrees (you can put your hands behind your head for convenience). Stay in this position for 7-10 seconds, then smoothly return back. Rest for the same number of seconds, then complete the task again. The number of repetitions is similar to exercise. No. 1.
3. Lying on your back, bend your lower limbs at the knees. Very carefully and smoothly pull your knees to your stomach one by one, helping yourself with your hands. When you feel muscle tension in your back, fix the pose, and on the count of ten, return to i. p. Do 10 times with each limb.
4. The starting position is the same. Raise one limb up, straightening it at the knee joint. Keep your straight leg up for about 7 seconds. Then we slowly lower it, returning it to the original position of the bent knee with support on the foot. Perform identical actions with the opposite leg. Repetition frequency – 8-10 times.
5. Lie on your stomach. Hands are pressed to the outer thigh. Raise your head and chest above the surface to a distance that is acceptable for you. Hold this position for about 8 seconds. Slowly lower yourself to the floor and relax. After a 10-second break, repeat. Number of sets – up to 10 times.
6. I.p. - lying on your stomach. Arms extended forward, legs together. Lift your right arm and left leg off the floor at the same time. Pull the toes of the foot back, the tips of the fingers of the palm forward for about 10 seconds. The chest is raised, do not throw your head back. We perform a similar action with the left leg and right arm.
7. Get on all fours. Support in the legs: on the knees and the front of the legs. Support in the hands: on the palms, arms straight. This type of charging is similar to the previous one. Raise your straightened right arm and, on the opposite side, your left lower limb so that they are level with your back. We pull the toe (back) and hand (front) in different directions. Do not raise your chest or head.
8. It is useful for lumbar intervertebral hernia to walk around the room on all fours for several minutes. Keep your back level (do not bend or bend), make sure that your arms do not bend when moving.
9. Exercising in the pool has a beneficial effect. This could be aqua gymnastics or swimming. There are practically no restrictions on such activity in water, but the value is great: the lower back is unloaded and the spine is tactfully stretched, at the same time blood circulation is restored, metabolic processes are activated and the muscles are strengthened non-traumatically. But know that it is preferable for you to swim on your back or crawl style; it is not advisable to use other types.