Lower back pain can affect the back anywhere below the ribs and above the legs. The lower back is the connection between the upper and lower body, and it bears most of the body’s weight. Because of these roles, it is easily injured when you lift, reach, or twist.

Almost everyone has lower back pain at one time or another. The good news is that most lower back pain will go away in a few weeks with some basic self-care. But if your pain is severe or lasts more than a couple of weeks, see your doctor.

What causes lower back pain?

Lower back pain is often caused by overuse, strain, or injury. For instance, people often hurt their backs playing sports or working in the yard, being jolted in a car accident, or lifting something too heavy.

Aging plays a part too. Your bones and muscles tend to lose strength as you age, which increases your risk of injury. The spongy discs between the bones of the spine (vertebrae) may suffer from wear and tear and no longer provide enough cushion between the bones. A disc that bulges or breaks open (herniated disc) can press on nerves, causing back pain.

In some people, lower back pain is the result of arthritis, broken vertebrae (compression fractures) caused by bone loss (osteoporosis), illness, or a spine problem you were born with.

Often doctors don’t really know what causes lower back pain. But it is more likely to become long-lasting (chronic) if you are under stress or depressed.

What are the symptoms?

Depending on the cause, lower back pain can cause a range of symptoms. It may:

* Be dull, burning, or sharp.
* Be felt at a single point or over a broad area.
* Come on gradually or suddenly.
* Occur with muscle spasms or stiffness.
* Cause leg symptoms, such as pain, numbness, or tingling, often extending below the knee. These symptoms can occur on their own or along with lower back pain. Leg symptoms are often caused by lower spine problems that place pressure on a nerve that leads to the leg.

A rare but serious problem called cauda equina syndrome can occur if the nerves at the end of the spinal cord are squeezed. Seek emergency treatment if you have weakness or numbness in both legs, or loss of bladder or bowel control.

Doctors say back pain is:

* Acute if a spell (or episode) of pain lasts less than 3 months. Most back pain is acute and goes away with 4 to 6 weeks of home treatment.
* Recurrent if acute symptoms come back. Most people have at least one episode of recurrent lowerback pain.
* Chronic if your back bothers you most of the time for longer than 3 months.

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Many things can cause low back injuries — muscle strain or spasm, sprains of ligaments (which attach bone to bone), joint problems or a “slipped disk.”

The most common cause is using your back muscles in activities you’re not used to, such as lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work. Unexpected events such as taking a fall or a car accident can also cause low back pain.

A slipped disk (also called a herniated disk) happens when a disk between the bones of the spine bulges and presses on nerves. This is often caused by twisting while lifting.

Many people who have a slipped disk don’t know what caused it. In most cases, slipped disks and other low back pain can be relieved by following a few simple methods.

What can I do for relief when I’ve hurt my lower back?

The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair, or just with your hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off your back.

You may need 1 to 2 days of this sort of rest for a hurt back. Resting longer than this can cause your muscles to weaken, which can slow your recovery. Even if it hurts, walk around for a few minutes every hour to help keep your back muscles strong.

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If your back and abdominal muscles are strong, you can maintain good posture and keep your spine in its correct position.

If your muscles are tight, take a warm shower or bath before doing the exercises. Exercise on a rug or mat. Wear loose clothing. Do not wear shoes. Stop doing any exercise that causes pain until you have talked with your provider.

These exercises are intended only as suggestions. Ask your provider or physical therapist to help you develop an exercise program.

Check with your provider before starting the exercises. Ask your provider how many times a week you need to do the exercises.

Caution: If you have a herniated disk or other disk problem, check with your healthcare provider before doing these exercises.

Exercises

• Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your injured leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing this or you will stretch your lower back instead of your leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Cat and camel: Get down on your hands and knees. Let your stomach sag, allowing your back to curve downward. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Then arch your back and hold for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Quadruped arm/leg raise: Get down on your hands and knees. Tighten your abdominal muscles to stiffen your spine. While keeping your abdominals tight, raise one arm and the opposite leg away from you. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Lower your arm and leg slowly and alternate sides. Do this 10 times on each side.
• Pelvic tilt: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push your lower back into the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Partial curl: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your stomach muscles. Tuck your chin to your chest. With your hands stretched out in front of you, curl your upper body forward until your shoulders clear the floor. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Don’t hold your breath. It helps to breathe out as you lift your shoulders up. Relax. Repeat 10 times. Build to 3 sets of 10. To challenge yourself, clasp your hands behind your head and keep your elbows out to the side.
• Gluteal stretch: Lying on your back with both knees bent, rest the ankle of one leg over the knee of your other leg. Grasp the thigh of the bottom leg and pull that knee toward your chest. You will feel a stretch along the buttocks and possibly along the outside of your hip on the top leg. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Extension exercise: Lie face down on the floor for 5 minutes. If this hurts too much, lie face down with a pillow under your stomach. This should relieve your leg or back pain. When you can lie on your stomach for 5 minutes without a pillow, then you can continue with the rest of this exercise.After lying on your stomach for 5 minutes, prop yourself up on your elbows for another 5 minutes. Lie flat again for 1 minute, then press down on your hands and extend your elbows while keeping your hips flat on the floor. Hold for 1 second and lower yourself to the floor. Repeat 10 times. Do 4 sets. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. You should have no pain in your legs when you do this, but it is normal to feel pain in your lower back. Do this several times a day.
• Side Plank: Lie on your side with your legs, hips, and shoulders in a straight line. Prop yourself up onto your forearm so your elbow is directly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the floor and balance on your forearm and the outside of your foot. Try to hold this position for 15 seconds, then slowly lower your hip to the ground. Switch sides and repeat. Work up to holding for 1 minute or longer. This exercise can be made easier by starting with your knees and hips flexed to 45 degree angles.

Exercises to avoid

It is best to avoid the following exercises because they strain the lower back:

• legs raised straight and together
• sit-ups with legs straight
• hip twists
• full sit-ups

Sports and other activities

In addition to conditioning your back, you need to condition your whole body. Physical activities such as walking or swimming can help strengthen your back. It is always best to check with your provider before you start any rigorous exercise program. Remember to begin slowly. Some sports can be harmful to your back.

Good activities for people with back problems include:

• walking
• bicycling
• swimming
• cross-country skiing

Sports that may be dangerous to your back because of rough contact, twisting, sudden impact, or direct stress on your back include:

• football
• soccer
• volleyball
• handball
• golf
• weight lifting
• trampoline
• tobogganing
• sledding
• snowmobiling
• snowboarding
• ice hockey

Please be careful!

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According to the Ohio State University Medical Center, the buoyancy of the water can reduce stress on the joints by making it necessary for them to support only 10 percent of your body weight.

As a result, you can improve your back pain while experiencing less pain in the process.

Side Leg Raises
While standing erect in neck deep water, raise your right leg out and to the side and hold for five to 10 seconds.

Return your leg back toward the starting position, but instead of placing your right foot on the pool bottom, cross it over your left foot. Perform up to 10 repetitions, then repeat the exercise with your left leg.

Leg Extensions
Stand with your feet together in neck deep water. Lift your left knee off the pool bottom so that your upper left leg is parallel to the bottom. Then straighten you knee so that your leg is extending directly outward. Return to the starting position, then repeat up to nine more times. Repeat the exercise with your other leg.

Calf Raises
Stand at the edge of the pool in waist deep water while holding on to the side of the pool. Rise up on your toes and hold, then lower yourself back down and rise up on your heels. Perform a total of 10 repetitions.

Leg Circles
A variation of the leg raise is the leg circle. Stand in waist deep water. Raise your right leg and make three clockwise circles, followed by three counterclockwise circles. When finished, perform the exercise with the left leg. A total of 10 sets should be completed with each leg.

Imaginary Chair
Stand in waist deep water at the side of the pool. With your back resting against the side, squat down so that your body is in a sitting position. Begin pumping your arms as if you were walking briskly or marching until you have completed 50 repetitions. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat.

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First time my back got sick when I was about 20 years old. My back pain started after I lifted a heavy iron box.

Then I lay in bed all day and night. In the morning the pain stopped.

After this incident I felt pain in my back from time to time. I decided to do exercises to strengthen my back.

I have tried many exercises but only some of them helped me to strengthen the back.

Back pain is very common among adults. If you suffer from it too you can do such exercises.

They can help you stay as active as possible, and they will help you understand that some continued or repeated back pain is not surprising or dangerous.

Exercises to reduce low back pain are not complicated and can be done at home without any special equipment.

Most low back pain can get better if you stay active, avoid positions and activities that may increase or cause back pain, use an ice.

Pelvic tilt Lie on your back with your knees bent. In this relaxed position, the small of your back will not be touching the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles so that the small of your back presses flat against the floor. Hold for five seconds then relax. Repeat three times and gradually build to 10 repetitions.
Knees-to-chest Lie on your back with both legs straight. Bring one knee up to your chest, pressing the small of your back into the floor (pelvic tilt). Hold for five seconds and repeat five times. Repeat exercise on other leg.
Back stretch Lie on your stomach. Use your arms to push your upper body off the floor. Hold for five seconds. Let your back relax and sag. Repeat 10 times. Discontinue any exercise that produces or increases pain in the leg. © Copyright 1995-2009 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All rights reserved. Link

In this article I presented you only some exercises. If you’d like to get a whole video course about lower back pain exercises CLICK HERE.

I wish you all the best!

Vladimir.