PROPER EXERCISES & POSTURES FOR BACKACHE
For many people, the key to a healthy back is proper exercise. Some exercises are designed to strengthen the back and stomach muscles, while others are designed to improve posture. A 30-minute aerobic programme, three times a week, is ideal for overall fitness. Walking and water exercises are highly recommended for most people with back problems. The right kind of exercise programme may help keep the back problem under control. It makes it easy to continue the daily activities.
In the early stages, when the back is still quite painful, specific exercises which reduce the pain are advised. These exercises help ease pain through relaxation. The positioning exercises help in placing the spine at a resting position. These exercises give relief to sore muscles and joints.
Movement is also essential, even when the back is still painful. The therapists suggest careful movements to safely ease pain by providing nutrition and lubrication to injured areas. The movement of joints and muscles also signals the nervous system to block incoming pain. As the back becomes less painful, the exercises will be changed to focus on improving the overall health of the back. These changes will focus on the following:
Flexibility, Strength Coordination, and Aerobic conditioning Exercises help reduce pain and keep the spine neutral. Tight muscles can cause an imbalance in spinal movements, making the risk of injury to these structures more likely. Flexibility exercises for the trunk and lower limbs help establish a safe movement pattern. The stretching exercises also increase the flexibility in the muscles and ligaments of the back and reduce the chance of re-injury.
The following exercise stage focuses on the strength of the muscles that support the spine. These muscles help bring the spine into its standard shape. Well-trained abdominal, back, and hip muscles can help hold the back in a neutral position, almost forming a natural corset. Strength training is simple to do at home and doesn’t require any expensive equipment.
Posture exercises help train the muscles in the correct movements between the pelvis and low back. Learning how to find and hold the neutral position of the spine is the key to a safe and healthy posture. It should always be remembered that the pelvis’s position determines the curve in the low back. Forward rotation increases the curve, while backward rotation straightens the curve. Practising these exercises will make one more comfortable using the neutral spine position in daily activities. Strong muscles need to be coordinated. As the spinal muscle’s strength increases, training those muscles to work together becomes essential.
Learning any physical activity requires practice. Muscles must be trained so that physical activity should always remain under control. Muscles trained to control the safe movement of the spine reduce the chance of injury. Specific exercises train the back muscles to work together to protect the spine.
Finally, attention will be directed to increasing overall fitness. Muscles get the energy they need to work either by using oxygen to burn calories from the bloodstream or by burning sugars in the bloodstream quickly without using oxygen. By using oxygen, muscles are better able to move continuously rather than in spurts.
The word aerobic means intake of a lot of oxygen. Fitness training, or aerobic training, conditions the muscles to become better able to obtain the nutrients and oxygen they need from the blood. If muscles are more used to working in fits and spurts, they are more likely to burn sugars without oxygen. This is called anaerobic metabolism, which doesn’t work nearly as well as aerobic metabolism. As the muscles use the nutrients and oxygen, they switch to anaerobic metabolism and chemical waste products are created that can cause muscle pain. Aerobic training increases the muscle’s ability to eliminate these waste products.
Exercise has other benefits as well. Exercise can cause chemicals called endorphins to be released into the blood. These chemical hormones act as natural pain relievers, reducing pain. So, exercise can help control pain through the body’s natural pain medication. It will be essential to pick up an aerobic activity that is enjoyable and can be stuck to. But the exercise that makes the back pain worse should be avoided. The doctor or physical therapist may be consulted to know the right exercises.
MAINTAINING GOOD POSTURE
Mother Nature did not design the human spine to sit. Sitting, especially for long periods, is much harder on the back than lying down, standing up and even lifting (assuming that lifting is done correctly).
This concerns what happens to the spine when the posture is changed from standing to sitting. The lower back has a natural curve called a lordotic curve. It’s essential to maintain natural lordosis. In this position, the structures supporting the spine—the muscles, ligaments and discs- can work harmoniously.
If the back is not supported, the muscles will tire very quickly. When this happens, the body slumps to give those muscles a rest. The problem is that sitting in a slouched posture reduces the natural lumbar curve. That’s one of the main reasons why so many people’s discs bulge and herniate.
The back will be supported correctly by sitting properly in an ergonomically designed chair. But this may not be enough, as backs are not built to sit in the same position for long periods, even when the posture is perfect. Hence it is essential to practise techniques for good posture while sitting, standing or sleeping.
WHEN SITTING
• Sit in a firm chair with armrests to relieve pressure in the back and shoulders.
• Keep the upper back straight and shoulders relaxed. Keep stomach muscles pulled in and maintain the proper curve in the lower back. Tightening the stomach and buttocks can do this. Some people are more comfortable sitting with the back of the chair at a 15 to 20-degree angle. A small cushion behind the lower back to maintain the natural curve of the back also can be pretty helpful.
• Keep the knees slightly higher than the hips. Use a footstool under the feet if necessary.
• Keep the feet flat on the floor or other surfaces.
• Don’t sit for an extended period. Stand up now and then to stretch tight muscles and give them a chance to relax.
WHEN STANDING
• Stand with weight equal on both feet.
• Avoid locking the knees.
• Ease tension in the back by placing one foot on a footstool.
• Those who stand for long periods should wear flat or low-heeled shoes.
• Keep the back straight by tightening the stomach muscles and buttocks.
WHEN SLEEPING
• Lie on the side with the knees bent.
• If you feel more comfortable, place a pillow between the knees while sleeping on the side.
• If one sleeps on the back, ask the doctor or physical therapist if placing pillows under the knees would help the lower back pain or make it worse.
• Use a hard mattress.
BODY MECHANICS
Good body mechanics mean keeping good posture while in motion. For example, the object is to be held close to the body while lifting, and lifting should be done with the weight on the legs. Thus the standard back curves are maintained as the legs lift the load. Avoiding twisting, particularly when carrying a load, is also essential for good body mechanics.
• When bending down to lift an object, bend with the knees instead of the back.
• Hold the object close to you.
• Straighten the legs to lift the object.
• Get help with an object that is too heavy.
The type of shoes also affects the posture. High heels may put more stress on the lower back by changing the posture. It is more comfortable to wear low or flat heels. Cushion-soled shoes also provide ‘shock absorbency’ for the spine.
WEIGHT LOSS
One way to reduce back pain and improve general health is to lose weight, preferably with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Fad diets or fast weight-loss programmes are to be avoided. These can be harmful and may cause new problems.