When Lower Back Pain Flares: Movement Matters

Don´t skip exercise when you have back pain- just change your routine

With lower back pain, it is important to avoid movements that will exacerbate your condition. These movements include: bending, toe touches, sit ups, leg lifts, and twisting motions. Lower back pain is often accompanied by less range of motion, meaning that excessive movements can cause injury. Instead focus on these types of exercises:

• Yoga- especially child’s pose and bird dog, provides gentle stretches that challenge your core stabilizing muscles.
• Cardiovascular activity- even walking gets circulation flowing and releases tension in the musculature that creates a pull on the lower back. 
• Focus on stretching the hamstrings- tight hamstrings create a pull on the lower spine which can wreak havoc in the lumbar vertebrae.
• Pelvic tilts- focus on undoing pelvic tilt and strengthening the core stabilizing muscles. 

Movement speeds up the healing process

That being said, don’t speed into an exercise routine without checking with your Park Slope Chiropractor first. We can help design a multi-faceted, goal-oriented treatment plan for your specific body type and back pain. By combining chiropractic modalities including spinal adjustment and decompression, with targeted exercise and stretching, you can effect great improvements in your spinal health. If you are interested in using our services to manage lower back pain, give our office in Park Slope a call to schedule an appointment today.