At Virginian Rehabilitation and Wellness we have a proud tradition of raising up the next generation of physical, occupational, and speech therapists and therapist assistants. This Spring we have been fortunate enough to have Student Physical Therapist Assistant, Eddie Barbeau serving and learning along side his clinical instructor Kelley Grant, LPTA and the rest of our team. As his parting gift he does a deep dive into low back pain and provides some great simple exercises. Thank you Eddie and best wishes as you head out on your new career.
By: Eddie Barbeau, SPTA
Spring is official here and with it, comes spring cleaning, longer daylight hours, blooming flowers, and the desire to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. Although many wish to partake in Spring activities, some suffer from low back pain that limits their ability to participate, or worse, affect their ability to perform the tasks required for daily living (also known as Activities of Daily Living). According to the CDC, low back pain is one of the most common types of pain with 25% of U.S. adults reporting signs/symptoms within the past 3 months.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Low Back Pain?
Low back pain can have many different causes with individuals experiencing many different symptoms. Most commonly, low back pain can be caused by mechanical issues and soft tissue injuries. These encapsulate all types of injuries including damage/herniation to the discs between your spinal vertebrae (aka intervertebral discs), compression of spinal nerves, arthritis, muscular spasms or strains, ligament sprains, fractures, mental health conditions (ex: anxiety, depression), etc. Although many conditions can cause low back pain, many present with certain signs and symptoms that can be recognized by health care professionals such as physical therapists. Some of the signs and symptoms to look for include:
Dull, aching pain on one side of your back
Sharp, shooting pain that moves down towards your bottom or throughout your legs/feet
Numbness/tingling sensation within the bottom, legs, and/or feet
Muscular weakness
Pain that worsens after maintaining a position for a prolonged period of time
Pain that may be alleviated as you move your body into different positions
Difficulty maintaining correct upright posture
Lack of ability to move your body due to pain
Low back pain can be a debilitating condition that affects every aspect of one’s life. For that reason, many individuals seek treatments to help remedy this pain. One option includes medications obtained either over the counter or as prescribed by a doctor. Although these medications may provide relief, they are often a temporary fix as they don’t address the root cause of the pain. Another option is to see a physical therapist who can prescribe exercises specific to the cause of your symptoms. These exercises will strengthen or lengthen the musculature of the trunk and pelvis to improve the mobility of the spine and address your low back pain at the root of the cause.
In this blog we have included some simple exercises used to address low back pain. As always, if you are experiencing any signs or symptoms of low back pain, you should seek help from a physical therapist or contact your primary care doctor before partaking in exercise to determine the safest option for you!
Exercises for Low Back Pain
For all of these exercises, it’s important to always listen to how your body is responding. If you notice that while performing these exercises you experience pain or discomfort, try reducing the range of movement in which you are performing the exercises. If pain or discomfort persists, then stop the exercise. No pain, no gain is NOT the goal. We’re looking for PAIN FREE movement!
Posterior Pelvic Tilt – While laying on your back, bend both of your knees so you’re your feet are flat on the table/bed. Next, place one of your hands in the small space between your low back and the table/bed. Now tilt your pelvis downwards to press your low back down into your hand. Hold for a few seconds and relax back to your previous resting position. This is a KEY exercise, and one that you should master before moving on to the next exercises!
Supine Marching – While laying on your back, perform a posterior pelvic tilt. While holding this position, slowly alternate lifting one foot off of the table/bed and slowly bringing your foot back down to the beginning position. Try going nice and slow with this exercise, the slower the better!
Supine Clamshells – While laying on your back, start with your knees bent and feet flat on the table/floor. Tie a light-moderate strength resistance band around your legs above your knees. Slowly separate both legs by moving your knees apart and hold for 1-2 seconds. Then, slowly move your knees back to the beginning position.
Supine Bridging – While laying on your back with both knees bent and feet flat on the table/bed, perform a posterior pelvic tilt. Next, push through your heels and slowly raise your hips as high as you can without causing pain and hold for 1-2 seconds. Then, slowly move your hips back down to the table/bed.
Lateral Trunk Rotations – Continuing on your back with your knees bent so your feet are flat on the table/bed, move your feet together so that your knees are touching. Now, slowly let your knees drop to one side only as far as you feel comfortable. Hold this position for a few seconds, move your knees back to the center, and slowly repeat by moving your knees to the opposite side. While performing this movement, you may feel a stretch in your back.
These 5 exercises are a great option for individuals with low back pain and can be performed throughout the week to help strengthen or lengthen the musculature of the trunk and pelvis and improve mobility of the spine. If you or someone that you know is currently experiencing low back pain, contact us at Virginian Rehabilitation and Wellness to schedule an appointment. Following an evaluation by one of our physical therapists, we will develop a personalize plan along with prescribing a home exercise program to help reduce your low back pain and get you back to enjoying the many fun activities that spring has to offer!