Around 60-80% of adults endure back pain at some point during their lives. If you’re one among them tossing between the thought of having a chiropractic chair at your workplace, to working in bed, or lifting heavyweights in the gym every day, there are chances that your back might be feeling less than normal.
Suffering from shoulder pain and a creaking lower back — that’s the price we pay for lazing on soft furnishings and working with our laptops balancing on our chests. It isn’t just about where we work that can cause problems — it’s also how long we stay in one position. Our brains tend to switch off muscles such as our glutes and hip flexors which remain static for a long period. This is why many of us find ourselves stiff when we get up to move and exercise. Hunching over the screen pulls the body into abnormal positions. The less mobile you become, the more you are prone to muscular variation and weakness.
However, there are things you can do to ease back pain even if you won’t be returning to your 9-to-5 job in an office for a while. There are a lot of exercises and stretches which target the source of the pain and provide relief. Remember to always be on the go — whether you’re making a cup of coffee now and then, getting up to peek out of the window, or spending your lunch break doing a few exercises. Always make sure that you’re not spending the whole day stock-still. Consistent movement is going to help you against stiffening muscles.
The good news is, there are a lot of rehabilitation centres in Bangalore, and across India that offer strengthening exercises for relief from back pain. You can also try doing these at home to help increase blood flow to the area, reduce stiffness, and speed up the healing process. Let’s take a look:
- Floor Back Extensions
- Lie flat on your stomach facing the floor
- Keep your arms alongside the body (place a towel under your forehead, if needed)
- Breathe in
- As you breathe out, lift your bust and legs off the ground at the same time
- Get back to your starting position, take a deep breath and repeat 5 times
- Be sure to tuck in your stomach to tighten your ab muscles and protect your back throughout the exercise
- Arm/Opposite Leg Lifts
- Lie straight on your stomach with your face down
- Keep your arms extended in front of your head
- Take a deep breath
- Breathe out, lifting one arm and the opposite leg together at once; make sure to lift your entire leg off the floor, with your toe pointed to the ceiling
- Come back to your initial position. Repeat the process with your other leg and arm
- Remember not to lift your limbs too high. Smaller movements are enough to work out your back muscles
- Flat Back
- Stand straight, bend your legs a little
- Keep your arms above your head so that they stick out of your torso
- Always aim at making yourself taller as you do this exercise
- Bend your body at the waist until your bust is parallel to the floor
- Stay in the position for 10 seconds then get back to the initial upright position while keeping your back straight
- Breathe in from where you started, and breathe out as you lower your bust. Please make sure you don’t curve your back
- Remember to keep your stomach tucked in to tighten your ab muscles and thus protect your back while you exercise
- Plank
- Lie straight, facing down
- Lean on elbows and toes, raise your pelvis slightly so that your body is in a straight line
- Keep your elbows right below your shoulder joints at 90 degrees
- Remember to tuck in your stomach as much as you can without cutting off your breathing
- To do this exercise more effectively, rest on your knees instead of your toes, while keeping your pelvis forward
- Breathe through your nose, breathe out slowly through your mouth
- Always ensure that you do not lower your pelvis too far to avoid lower back pains
When to Consult a Doctor for Your Back Pain?
If you suffer from any of the below conditions, it indicates a more serious cause. Please get in touch with a doctor at a reputed rehabilitation centre if you experience any one of the following red flags:
- Prolonged back pain with no relief for more than six weeks
- Sudden, severe back pain that seems to get worse without improvement
- Pain if the spine is lightly tapped
- High fever
- Unexplained weight loss
- A history of autoimmune disease in the family
- Numbness or tingling of legs
If you are looking for an effective solution for your back pain, seek professional help at Plexus – your one-stop rehabilitation centre in Bangalore.
