Comments on: Conquering Low Back Pain While Getting Fit…Part III

By: jim vanloozen

jim vanloozen — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 02:08:38 +0000

reverse back extensions have saved my back by strengthening the muscles in my lower back. i swear by them but the superman, plank and bird dogs are worthwhile also.

By: sciatica treatment

sciatica treatment — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 09:00:11 +0000

Doing exercise everyday can not only keep a good health but also strengthen muscles .Thanks for sharing these main tips.

By: sciatica cure

sciatica cure — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:22:06 +0000

Exercise is a good way to keep muscles relaxed rather than tense. It improves movement and flexibility. Exercise improves blood circulation and therefore nourishment of tissues in the body. Eating healthy food to nourish your body is always a good idea. For your body to function well, it should have the necessary daily dietary requirements such as proteins, vitamins and minerals among others.

By: Zach

Zach — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 06:42:38 +0000

How many sets of each exercise should be performed? Or do you just run through the circuit once?

By: Sciatics.net

Sciatics.net — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:04:44 +0000

Sciatics.net…

I love your website. Keep up the good work!…

By: Procerin Reviews

Procerin Reviews — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:39:52 +0000

I have gone through the other two posts on conquering back pain and found them very useful. Thanks for sharing.

-Mini

By: Brad

Brad — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:13:48 +0000

Will these exercises work for a sacro-illiac joint that's been bothering me for 2-3 years now? I'm 40, like to workout, play basketball, but can't do any squats (pressure on that joint just kills me), or anything that extends my upper body out away from my body because it seems to cause the joint to go out of whack, as does basketball if I make too sudden of movements with my back. My spine is fine, but the pain in this joint when it goes out is extremely painful, and usually sidelines me for about 3-4 weeks.

Brad

By: dx

dx — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:23:04 +0000

Hey rusty,
awesome site! dude Im a avid gymer. I love the gym cant live with out it. but sadly i have 3 prolapse disc at L3, L4, L5. i took a break for a period of 2-3 months. Then i went back to hitting the gym hard like always. and the pain is back. im afraid that im makin my back worst.Im jwondering is it ok 4 me 2 continue gyming? if yes what exercises can i do? cause i still have a competition comin up and i really gotta train 4 tat. Thanks man!!!

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:45:35 +0000

I found your site by chance and am glad I did. You are very informative. Your three exercises are very similar to what I have been doing, and done, with a few others. I have sciatica. An extrusion of either the L4 or L5 disc is pressuring my sciatic nerve. I just cannot remember which one it is from the MRI results. Recovery has been great until recently. After a few months of physio I had an appointment with the doctor. The go ahead to 'push' me a lil harder was given, which was exactly what I wanted to hear. Towards the end of the second week of 'stepping it up' the Gabapentin I have been taking for pain, three times daily, doesn't seem to be working anymore or like it use to help. I also take one Naproxen daily. I am starting off very slow and don't think I am pushing myself too hard yet. Any comments on sciatica or the use of prescription drugs during recovery would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Dave

By: rw

rw — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:48:21 +0000

Rusty,
This is the first time I have seen this page, even though I've been reading your site off and on for a while. I have the same back injury as you, from loading up with a leg press machine in high school, but compounded by skateboarding, snowboarding, and I used to do the jumping events in track and field. Bulging and slipped L3/L4/L5 discs. It comes back to haunt me every so often. Sometimes skateboarding, other times just by putting a dish in the dishwasher wrong…

Anyway, just wondered what you think about Yoga. I had a free trial this past week and it seemed to be helpful. As you probably know, a crappy side effect of a back injury is that it makes your hams super tight. Yoga definitely seems to help out here. However, I'm worried that some of the moves involve rounding the back. I can't really remember because I was kinda lost and just trying to keep up with the class! Do you do any yoga yourself? Thumbs up, thumbs down?

By: admin

admin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:23:42 +0000

Usman,

Thanks for the compliment. You will be fine arching your back inwards while benching. This is actually the best way to perform this lift. Almost zero chance of injury doing this.

Rusty

By: Usman

Usman — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:45:45 +0000

Hi Rusty, amazing website. I love every part of it. I have a quick question? How about arching your back inwards? I usually arch my back in while pulling my shoulder blades together and keeping my butt on the bench. Would you consider that bad?

By: Morgenster

Morgenster — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:19:54 +0000

Forgot to mention that if you do the exercises and there's something that's blocking you with pain while attempting them: GO SEE a DOCTOR.
These exercises can be done anywhere anytime but are useless if you don't do the stabilisation exercises as well.

By: Morgenster

Morgenster — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:15:19 +0000

Slipped disks can occur higher up as well!
I used to have trouble with that around T3-5 and sometimes pains lower down or higher up in the neck.
I like how you describe stabilisation exercises that will strengthen the surrounding muscles to prevent these injuries.
I went to quite a few physical therapists in my short lifespan up until 8 years ago. The last one I went to did something completely different from the others: Instead of laying me down, massaging and cracking and all the other stuff this one put me to work and at the end pretty much told me that I'd best take up powertraining for the rest of my life considering that I have very flexible joints.
There is however, one slight remark I have here: the focus is solely on stabilisation (which is good) but that's not the whole picture. Usually there will also be a mobility problem as well and these exercises could make this post complete.
Mobilisation exercises will prevent your discs from getting stuck in the wrong spot and even alleviate pain when your back is hurting as long as you do them FAST enough when the pain sets in. These exercises are actually very easy and more akin to good stretching routines.
There's three basic ones that will do the trick nicely.
1) lie down on your back, keep your shoulders on the mat, rug or whatever and bend you knees so your heels touch your butt. While keeping your shoulders to the ground, rotate your knees to the ground slowly in both directions alternately. 2 or three times shoudl be enough. = good for lower back
2) in that same position stretch one leg, and roll onto the side of the stretched leg so that the knee of the other leg touches the ground. Then slowly rotate your upper body to the other side with one hand in your neck so that it looks as if your twisting yourself like a wet towel. Do both sides two or three times. = good for mid back.
3) Finally, get on hands and knees and keep your back straight. Put your hands below the center of your shoulders so that at any time you can balance on any hand. Then swing one arm out upwards (in a rotation)while following the swinging hand with your eyes and head. Do this faster than the other exercises but don't force yourself to go higher than you can and do it gently. 10 times each side. You can do this while in a pushup position as well but that one's more difficult. swinging straight up works the upper back, swinging up and forward out works the neck.
If you have back pains when you do these exercises you will actually feel more pain directly afterwards, but the pain will be way less an hour or so later.

By: admin

admin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:35:05 +0000

Bianca,

I would ask your doctor about back cracking. I don't know the answer. My guess is that it is fine as long as you are slowly rotating to one side. I know that chiropractors crack backs (in a targeted manner) to heal.

Erika,

I ride a bike at times, but I keep my back as flat as possible. Just consciously make sure you are hunching you lower back and you should be fine.

Rusty

By: Erika

Erika — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:02:53 +0000

Hi Rusty,

I have really been enjoying your site, and thank you for this article. I have had hip pain for a while which I am told may be due to my lower back, and I can feel direct twinges in my lower back as well- so I am going to start doing these exercises. One of the questions above mentioned this issue, but it seems to be a big deal to me and I would like to hear more of your take on it: bike riding. In a few months I am moving to a "bike town", and will be commuting every day for a few miles via bicycle. It seems to me that the biking position often does put a curve to the spine, including the lower back. So, do you think that this is a big issue? Should lower back pain sufferers avoid standard biking altogether? I hate to think that my method of transport and all of that great cardio will be confounded because of the position biking requires.
Thanks so much,
Erika

By: Bianca

Bianca — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:44:49 +0000

Hi Rusty!
I have been enjoying & loving your blogsite for months & every article is absolutely amazing! I am just finding this particular article now unfortunately because I have had back pains for years. I have a random question I was wondering if your knew the answer to….is it bad to crack your back??? I love twisting my shoulders around in my chair, holding on to the back of my chair & cracking my back. Also my neck cracks very often & very loud I'm not sure if it is bad for my spine but it feels so relieving.

Bianca

By: admin

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:07:46 +0000

I feel for you! Don't ever do any exercise that flexes your spine forward…ever again. Do the exercises that I recommend in these articles.

I didn't sit on an exercise bike for one year after injuring my back. Do the treadmill and stand in great posture. Try to every exercise in great posture. No matter what you do don't ever flex that spine forward again. I still consciously do this.

Feel free to join a gym…just be very careful. It is going to take you up to a year to be pain-free if you work really hard at it!

Rusty

By: kalpesh

kalpesh — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:24:53 +0000

Hi sir this is Kalpesh Mavlankar from India.I am 21 years old.
I am suffering from slipped disk between L5-S1 while i was doing workout in my gym since last 8 months.I was taken the physio-therepy treatment.Now i am feeling quite well.Now a days the pain is came on to the one spot of my lower back.So sir what should i do to recover completely from this injury??What type of diet should i take?& should i join the gym again in future?Should i drive the bike?Please reply me sir!!!!!!!
Regards
Kalpesh Mavlankar

By: admin

admin — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:36:27 +0000

Tomek,

Great comment. Yeah…my article has to do more with spinal rehabilitation for people with back injuries.

The article you recommended is perfect for anyone trying to prevent those injuries in the first place. It is a long read, but goes into detail why injuries occus in the lower body.

Thanks,

Rusty