Back Pain Exercises PDF – Overview
Back pain can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease. Examples include overuse such as working out or lifting too much, prolonged sitting and lying down, sleeping in an uncomfortable position or wearing a poorly fitting backpack.
Eighty percent of adults will experience significant low back pain sometime during their lifetime. Low back pain usually involves muscle spasm of the supportive muscles along the spine. Also, pain, numbness and tingling in the buttocks or lower extremity can be related to the back.
Back Pain Treatment
- Rest: Rest from aggravating activity. Avoid prolonged sitting, driving, bending, heavy lifting and twisting.
- ICE: Ice applied to the low back for 15 minutes every 1 – 2 hours is helpful in reducing pain and spasm.
Avoid using heat for the first 48 hours of an acute injury. - NSAIDs: Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin, advil, aleve, ibuprofen or
naproxen sodium. - Early Exercise: Gentle exercise for mobility and stretching (especially the muscles of the legs and back)
can help decrease the severity, duration and recurrence of low back pain. Try the suggested exercises on the
back of this sheet. Do not perform exercises that increase your pain. - Positioning: Modifying your sleeping position can help ease strain to your low back. Make sure your
bed is firm enough to give you adequate support, and use a small pillow for you head. If you sleep on your
back, try putting a pillow under your knees. Or if you prefer to sleep side lying, put a pillow between your
thighs and if you are side bent, a folded towel under your waistline.
Prevention:
- Once the severity of pain has decreased, a rehabilitation program to strengthen your hip, abdominal and back
muscles can help prevent recurrences. - Posture Posture Posture! The goal is neutral spine, not slumped or over-arched.
- Proper lifting and body mechanics.
Download Back Pain Exercises PDF from uhs.berkeley.edu using the direct download link given below.