An aching lower back is a common complaint among adults, especially those who sit at a desk all day. If you have an aching back here are 5 things you can try and hopefully one of them will relieve your symptoms:
- Lie down on the floor with pillows under your knees. If that doesn't help, bring your knees up even higher with more pillows or you can even use a chair. If you have a bolster, that'll work too. Getting your knees above your chest can relieve the pressure in your lower back.
You can even sleep like this. - A heating pad does wonders to relax muscle spasms. Use it for 20-30 minutes. However, sometimes ice is what you need especially if the area feels inflamed.
- I'm giving you permission to get a massage! Any massage will feel amazing to help bring blood to your muscles and release tension, but Thai Massage (also called Lazy Man's Yoga) might be especially helpful. The practitioner moves and stretches your limbs for you, creating space and relieving pressure in tight areas of your body.
- If your lower back pain is chronic, you'll want to incorporate stretching exercises into your daily routine. Physical therapy, some gentle yoga or a Pilates mat class will help out tremendously. Some examples of exercises that help stretch your lower back include Child's pose, Half Happy Baby, Standing Forward Bend, and Double Pigeon. Strengthening your core (abs and low back muscles) is also a great idea since these muscle groups help support the spine. Yoga poses like Wheel, Camel, Upward Facing Dog will strengthen your back, and here's a video to show you how to work your abs.
- Stay fit - extra weight can put strain on your spine, causing pain, so commit to regular exercise that keeps you at a healthy weight and uses all your muscles. This will also help to prevent future injury.
Celestina
Great Plains
Givenchy
Thanks! These are great! My husband is plagued by lower back pain.
1This is fantastic--I was having some back pain during my workout this morning, and was needing some tips!
2to add to suggestion #4, here's an exercise i've done with success: kneel on a flat, weight-bearing surface (preferably the floor
) with back straight, palms flat on floor and arms running perpendicular from shoulder
(elbows slightly bent). keeping your back straight, raise and extend right arm (in front) and left leg (behind) at the same time. make sure that you extend far enough so that you really feel
the extensions. also make sure that your arm extends straight out from the shoulder joint and that your leg extends straight out from the hip joint -- they shouldn't stray to either side of
shoulder/hip joint. hold position (sorry, can't remember for how long; i do it until i can't any longer). bring right arm and left leg back into position. switch to left arm and right leg.
repeat a few times. (not real specific, i know.) regular repetitions helped reduce my lower back pain over time.
3good to know! I always get lower back pain during my period and if I've been walking/standing for extended amounts of time. My boyfriend gives great massages, though, and those are free!
I also enjoy lying on my back and bringing my right leg up, bending at the knee and pulling it to my chest. then I push that leg over my body while turning my upper body in the opposite direction. Repeat with other leg. it sort of pops my back. This probably made no sense, but if you understand what I'm saying, then good. It was a stretching move I did in my modern dance class and I loved it!
4this is JUST what i needed today. thanks!
5Thanks Fit!
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