How to relieve lower back pain with simple exercises?

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BACK PAIN (SPINE PAIN)

At home, to alleviate back pain (pain in the spine), we can advise you on a number of simple recommendations:

1. Taking into account contraindications, take a non-narcotic analgesic, for example, Ketanov or Movalis.
2. Taking into account contraindications, take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for example Arcoxia or Airtal.
3. Taking into account contraindications, take a diuretic drug, for example, Furasemide.
4. Anoint the sore spot with an anesthetic gel, for example, Fanigan-fast-gel, Diklak-gel, Fastum-gel, or stick an Olfen patch on the sore spot.
5. It is extremely important to be at rest in a comfortable and least painful position before visiting the doctor.
6. Completely eliminate (or at least minimize) physical activity.
7. Immobilize (immobilize) the affected part of the spine as much as possible:

• for pain in the cervical spine, it is advisable to wear a neck corset (bandage) or apply a cotton-cardboard splint to the neck, as in case of injury;
• if there is pain in the thoracic spine, bandage the chest tightly, as if you had broken ribs;
• for pain in the lumbar spine: it is advisable to wear a special medical fixing belt (corset) for the lumbar spine with fixing plates; spread a blanket on the floor and lie down on the floor.

If the above-mentioned belt (corset) is not available, you can put a small cushion under the lower back. Take the least painful position. Basic comfortable poses (see pictures): (1) lying on your back with a bolster under your knees from 1 - 2 folded blankets;

(2) lying on the affected side with the leg bent;

The measures described above do not eliminate the cause of back pain, but only alleviate the patient’s condition. The main cause of back pain is the presence of spinal disease in acute or subacute form (stage).

PREVENTION OF BACK PAIN (SPINE PAIN)

To prevent back pain (pain in the spine), we recommend that you read the articles How to sit correctly, How to stand correctly, How to lift and move weights correctly, and How to lie and sleep correctly. Also, it is equally important to know how the spine functions (see the article The structure of the human spine).

TREATMENT OF BACK PAIN (SPINE PAIN)

To quickly eliminate back pain (pain in the spine) and treat the disease that caused back pain, you can contact our medical center.

Since 2003, our medical center has been treating spinal diseases and back (spine) pain, which are the main manifestations of spinal diseases. To eliminate back (spine) pain and treat spinal diseases, chiropractors (manual therapy doctors) at our center use a non-traumatic method of non-surgical treatment.

A course of non-surgical treatment of back pain (pain in the spine)

in our center is 3 - 15 complex treatment sessions (depending on the cause of pain and the stage of the pathological process). The frequency of visits to our center during course treatment is daily or every other day. You can relieve acute pain and significantly improve your condition in 1 to 3 treatment sessions.

During treatment sessions, the following are used in a comprehensive manner: manual therapy, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy, drug therapy and other methods of non-surgical treatment.

During the treatment process, it is necessary to observe the most gentle regime for the spine, and to exclude as much physical activity as possible during the course of treatment and at least several days after the end of the course of treatment!

You need to pay very close attention to the recommendations of your chiropractor (manual therapy doctor). Sometimes the patient requires additional external fixation of the spine

. In this case, after a complex treatment session and manual therapy procedure (correction of the spine, realignment of the vertebrae), the patient is recommended to wear a special medical fixation belt (corset).

As you feel better, you should carefully follow the recommendations of your chiropractor (chiropractor). Do not think that after a session of manual therapy and relief of acute pain, you are immediately cured! This is just the beginning: the pain has gone, but impaired muscle tone and spinal instability remain. If you are treated according to the principle “once and done!” - this is the technique of charlatans. A serious doctor, after relieving the pain of the acute period, will definitely recommend further treatment.

Basic exercises to relieve lower back pain.

The simplest exercise is to pull your knees to your chest. Thanks to this exercise, you can quickly “turn off” the process of blocking the muscles of the entire spine.

1. Lying position on your back. It is necessary to strongly retract the abdomen to strengthen the lumbar region and keep it retracted throughout the exercise. The shoulders and head are fixed; during the exercise they should not come off the surface on which you are lying at all.

2. Grasp your knees with your hand and lightly pull one leg toward your chest. Then lift your other leg to your chest and cross your ankles. And - attention - never start an exercise with sudden movements, otherwise you risk damaging your back even more!

Raising your knees to your chest can be very difficult at first. Acute pain may occur - in this case, it is recommended to spread your knees wide above your stomach.

Don’t try to immediately reach your head with your knees; the exercise should be comfortable. And remember that the head, neck and thoracic spine should lie motionless on the floor.

3. Grasping your knees with your hands, slowly pull both legs towards you to the limit of comfort and away from you. Maintain a 90 degree angle between the shin and thigh. We perform the exercise as relaxed as possible. You can judge how you managed to relax by paying attention to your face. The facial muscles usually immediately tense up when trying too hard. It is important to perform this exercise effortlessly, and at the same time get into the rhythm of gentle rocking.

This exercise should be performed for 5 to 10 minutes. The criteria for its completion are still the same: back pain becomes less or disappears completely, the feeling of relaxation and liberation increases.

4. If the pain in the lower back radiates to the leg, then we continue this exercise in the following form: lying on your back, head, neck and shoulders do not come off the floor, arms are located along the body, resting on the floor. The legs are raised as shown in the photo (there is a 90 degree angle between the thigh and the body). Try to move the entire load from the pelvis to the hands - this will help relieve pressure from the inflamed segment.

The exercise is performed lying on your back, swing your knees back and forth, raising your pelvis as high as possible on the floor. In this case, the entire load should fall on the arms and abdominal muscles. When you return your legs to their original position, make sure that they do not fall below 90 degrees, otherwise the spine may bend. Repeat this exercise 15 times.

5. It is best to complete a cycle of exercises to relieve pain in the lumbar spine by rolling on your back. It is strictly forbidden to perform rolls on a soft bed. The surface must be hard, so the exercise should be performed on the floor, or on a mat. Raise your hips. The angle between the thighs and shins should be 90 degrees. Clasp your hands behind your hips. Raise your head and neck so that your back is arched into a rocking chair shape. Try not to bring your legs too close to your body, then the lumbar spine will be worked specifically.

Rock back gently.

Then forward.

Perform rolls for 15 – 30 seconds. To rest, lower one leg first, then the other. The knees remain bent.

Diagnostics

The diagnostic algorithm for acute and chronic dorsalgia is somewhat different.

Acute pain5

In order to decide on treatment tactics, the doctor must, if possible, determine the cause of the pain syndrome: pinched nerves or their roots, trauma, tumors, inflammation, infections, osteoporosis, diseases of internal organs, etc. As a rule, these types of pain have quite clear and specific clinical manifestations. After examination and palpation, patients are referred to appropriate specialists or for further examination, for example:

• X-ray examination;
• MRI and CT of the spine;
• scintigraphy is a visualization method using a contrast agent;
• densitometry – determination of bone tissue density;
• laboratory tests to determine tumor markers, rheumatic tests, biochemical blood tests, etc.

Patients with nonspecific acute pain usually do not require additional testing3.

Chronic pain

Since the mechanisms of its development have not yet been sufficiently studied, identifying the source can be problematic, especially if it is a dysfunctional type that reflects the pathology of other organs. It may be a manifestation of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic cystitis, chronic pyelonephritis and others5. In any case, a thorough interview and examination of the patient is carried out to decide on further treatment tactics.

For pain syndrome that occurs against the background of degenerative changes in the joints, after any mechanical stress or under the influence of other factors, it is possible to use magnetic resonance imaging to monitor the dynamics of the condition of the spine.

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Back muscles along the spine hurt

Well-developed back muscles are a sign of a healthy spine, since the muscle corset relieves some of the stress and further stabilizes the spine. With chronic diseases of the spine, excessive loads are placed on the muscles, which weak and atrophied muscles are not able to withstand. As a result, muscle spasm occurs, and due to metabolic disorders in the muscles, pain occurs. This condition is called myofascial syndrome, which is characteristic of spinal osteochondrosis, hernias and protrusions of intervertebral discs.

Postoperative pain

Spinal surgeries are usually accompanied by extensive trauma - to stabilize and restore the integrity of the vertebrae, doctors may resort to installing metal structures, screwing screws into the vertebrae and removing non-viable tissue. The pain in this case is caused not only by the disease itself, but also by the surgery undergone. With proper rehabilitation and postoperative care, the pain will gradually go away. However, if in the postoperative period you neglect the instructions of doctors and ignore mandatory exercises, the pain can become chronic.

Symptoms

Symptoms of dorsalgia depend on the cause, mechanism of development and the presence of concomitant diseases.

Nonspecific pain is characterized by the following symptoms:

• aching or nagging pain, sometimes tightening,
• increases with load or movements of the spine, as well as in certain poses,
• may decrease with kneading or rubbing the muscles, as well as after resting in a comfortable position;
• possible pain in the sides of the back or pain in the back,
• upon palpation, compaction, changes in contours, and tension are determined, but there are no disturbances in sensitivity in the painful area, a decrease in muscle strength, and reflexes do not change.

When a nerve root is compressed (radiculopathy), the pain varies in intensity, can be shooting, and often radiates to the leg, and in the limb it can be stronger than in the back. Upon examination, symptoms of damage to a specific nerve root are observed - muscle weakness, loss of sensitivity in a certain area.

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Acute back pain: causes

Acute pain is defined as pain that lasts less than 6 weeks. For most it goes away within 2 weeks. Although it is impossible to predict initially how long it will last. However, in almost half of the cases, similar or more severe attacks are repeated in the future and become chronic pain.

Acute pain can have varying intensity, be dull, burning, etc. Sometimes it radiates to the arms, legs, buttocks. So-called lumbago in the back often occurs after hypothermia, excessive physical exertion and as a result of sprains. Several days may pass between the impact of the traumatic factor and the immediate manifestation of the pain syndrome, and it will manifest itself under the influence of minor physical effort, for example, bending over.

They can also be a consequence of a back injury or be the first manifestations of spinal diseases, including:

• osteochondrosis;
• intervertebral hernia;
• spondyloarthrosis;
• spinal canal stenosis, etc.

Increase the likelihood of back problems:

• frequent stress;
• regular increased physical activity;
• excess weight;
• frequent and prolonged standing.

In addition to severe discomfort in the back, headaches, a burning sensation in the legs, and dizziness may be present. All these symptoms must be reported to your doctor at your appointment.

Regardless of which anatomical structure was damaged first, this entails a whole chain of sequential changes that increase discomfort. Initially, inflammatory factors are formed in the lesion, causing swelling and irritating nerve fibers. In response to this, muscle spasm often occurs, which further aggravates the situation and provokes poor circulation in the affected area. This leads to a decrease in the amount of nutrients and oxygen supplied to the lesion, as well as retention of metabolic products in it.

Disease prevention

To avoid the recurrence of pain in the lumbar region, we recommend that you strictly follow three main rules:

• Exercise regularly.

Exercises should be of a general strengthening nature. They evenly affect all muscle groups, including those in the back and abdomen. It is recommended to practice them daily for at least twenty to thirty minutes. Morning exercises, jogging, swimming in the pool or walking briskly are suitable.

• Maintain water-salt balance.

A person is recommended to drink up to three liters of fluid per day. Pure mineral water is suitable for this. Carbonated drinks, coffee and tea are bad for the kidneys and do not saturate the body.

You should drink more water in the first half of the day. After 20.00 it is better to reduce the amount of water consumed, because this is fraught with swelling and pain in the kidneys.

• Eat right and visit a doctor.

Review your daily diet. You should reduce the amount of fatty, fried and smoked foods or eliminate them altogether - it is better to add healthy dishes and products. The healthiest one is the one that is steamed or boiled. The daily diet should contain as many foods as possible that are rich in the vitamins, microelements and minerals necessary for the body.

It is recommended to undergo annual medical examinations, which include a complete examination of the body. Women should regularly visit a gynecologist, men - a urologist. The health of children should be monitored at the level of educational institutions - well-established medical examination will help to identify the disease in time and begin treatment as early as possible.

The main condition for maintaining a healthy spine is the right lifestyle!

Prevention will prevent lower back pain from getting the best of you again.

In addition to these three rules, there are several more that are also recommended to be followed:

• Watch your posture.
• Avoid uncomfortable postures when working while sitting. The knees should be higher than the level of the pelvis. You need to sit on a low chair or put a stand under your feet. It is better if a small pillow is placed between the lower back and the back of the chair (chair).
• When working in an office environment, you should move regularly. Once an hour, take breaks for a short five-minute exercise.
• You need to sleep on a hard orthopedic mattress.
• Lift weights correctly. This is done by bending the knee joints. You need to sit down to the object, bending your knees, while keeping your back straight.
• When carrying a load, it is worth distributing the load between both hands.

Back pillow

Non-drug relief methods

Wearing a fixing belt or collar and bed rest is necessary for pain in the back muscles after injury or surgery. Transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation, using electrical impulses, “intercepts” the pain signal from the receptors of diseased organs to the brain. For muscle pain in the back, rehabilitation clinic specialists perform acupuncture at biological points on the skin. Electroacupuncture involves the application of intermittent electrical impulses through acupuncture needles.

Physiotherapists prescribe procedures to relieve pain and relieve spasm of the back muscles. Medicinal electrophoresis is based on the introduction of medicinal substances into the body using small electrical impulses. This treatment helps relieve back pain for a long time, since painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamins absorbed through electric current have a longer lasting effect on the body. Phonophoresis is one of the alternative methods of administering drugs by exposure to ultrasound. The anesthetic drug is absorbed into the capillaries, making it more effective and targeted.

Laser therapy (using light beams of infrared, red and ultraviolet spectra) brings relief from pain, relieves swelling and inflammation. Laser therapy helps relieve muscle spasm and pain in many spinal diseases that cause back pain:

• osteochondrosis;
• arthrosis;
• scoliosis;
• intervertebral hernia.

Magnetic therapy is useful for many diseases of the body. The low-frequency magnetic field has an effect at the cellular level, as a result of which pain and inflammation are relieved, mobility is restored, and muscle swelling is reduced.

Diagnosis of muscle pain in the back

To determine the cause of pain in the back muscles and prescribe effective treatment, the patient is prescribed laboratory tests and hardware examination procedures. The diagnostic complex includes:

• microscopy and blood biochemistry.
• X-ray diagnostic methods (X-ray, CT) to determine pathologies of bone structures.
• Electroneuromyography (ENMG) - evaluates the quality of nerve impulse conduction, the ability of muscle fibers to respond to a signal, and the speed of this reaction.
• MRI is effective for identifying traumatic injuries, protrusions, hernias, spinal cord lesions, vertebral deformities, inflammatory and degenerative processes in vertebral structures, oncopathologies, etc.

MRI of the spine

A magnetic resonance imaging scan is considered the most informative. At the SmartMed medical center, diagnostics are carried out using a modern German expert-class device.

Shpidonov Gennady Stanislavovich

Neurologist

Rostov State Medical University (neurology)

10 years of experience

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

If you have any sign from the list below, you should immediately make an appointment with a therapist.

• severe pain in the lumbar region does not go away after three days or more;
• the cause of the pain is a spinal injury that you know about (for example, a couple of days before there was an accident or a fall on your back);
• your lower back, hips, legs and feet hurt at the same time;
• Due to pain, sensitivity is lost in the buttocks, thighs, legs, feet and groin area.