Exercises for the lumbar spine – injuries, types of exercises

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Pain in the lumbar region is a common problem, which can be caused by a lack of physical activity, lifting heavy objects, but also by improper diet or obesity. You can improve your health not only through rehabilitation, but also by performing various types of exercises on your own.

Lumbar spine – biomechanics

It consists of 5 vertebrae, each of which has a massive shaft. The 5th vertebra connects to the sacrum and has a wedge-shaped shape – this is where the vertebrae are the strongest. The vertebrae are made of bone tissue and their mobility is ensured by the inter-process joints.

What are the most common causes of lumbar spine pain?

One of the most common causes of pain is discopathy. Many people begin to get sick with it in adolescence and progress with age – the pace of development depends on various factors. The lumbar spine is most vulnerable to micro-injuries and overloads. The fibers of the ring tend to break and thus cause the pulposus pulposus to move towards the trunk towards the spinal canal.

Back pain in the lumbar region is often caused by overloading, often causing ligaments or muscles to tear. The result is a sharp pain in the lumbar spine, which increases when you move. It is a condition that usually passes within a few days or weeks. To ease the pain, you need to find the right position to let your strained muscles or ligaments relax.

Often the cause of back pain is sciatica. Its symptoms are pain radiating from the lumbar spine to the leg. This is severe shooting pain accompanied by numbness and tingling. The cause of sciatica is sometimes chilling or chilling the body, or incorrect lifting of objects on straight legs with a twist of the torso. Before the attack of sciatica, severe pain in the lumbar spine appears.

Back pain in the lumbar region is also caused by enthesopathy. It’s degeneration and inflammation of the iliopsoas ligament attachment. The symptom of the disease is pain which radiates to the groin, hip or buttock. The method of treating the disease is an anti-inflammatory injection. The patient receives a puncture directly in the place from which the pain radiates. The cause of the disease may be incorrect warm-up before training, too short regeneration between workouts or incorrect weight lifting.

Back pain may be a reaction to a vertebral compression fracture. It mostly happens when a person has osteoporosis, which significantly weakens the bones. The first symptoms that we are dealing with a vertebral fracture are severe pain in the lumbar section during everyday activities such as bending forward. What’s more, a symptom of a vertebral compression fracture is also pain in the spine that occurs when sneezing. The pain radiates a little to the sides and downwards a little.

One of the less common causes of pain in the lumbar region is cancer of the lumbar spine. The most common symptoms are ailments caused by neoplastic growth of the spine and may be manifested by pain in the chest – sometimes spine cancer is confused with ischemic heart disease. Other symptoms of cancer are a lack of muscle strength in the upper limbs and dizziness.

Lumbar spine pain – when to see a doctor?

Pain in the lumbar spine is not always a reason to see a doctor. It usually takes 1 or 2 days to pass, so many people instinctively avoid painful positions first, hoping the pain will resolve itself soon. However, if it were the other way around, it is worth going to a specialist immediately, especially when the symptoms persist 3 days from the moment they appeared.

You should also see a doctor when back pain is accompanied by disturbed sensation on the skin of the leg, physical weakness in one of the sections of the lower limb – symptoms of this condition are problems with performing simple activities, e.g. straightening the foot. It is also worth consulting a specialist when the pain is so bad that the patient has a problem with urinating or defecating.

How to care for the spine?

One of the most effective exercises is… walking. As you move, the joints at the base of the spine are activated. When walking, deep stabilizing muscles are also stimulated. It is worth walking for 15-30 minutes every day or at least 3 times a week. In order for the walks to be even better, the distance should be gradually increased, but so as not to overload the body.

Regular physical activity is helpful. Even if you take a break, do not stop exercising and try to get back into activity when possible – in this case, be aware that you will have to start at a lower intensity level again. In order not to discourage you from exercising, choose the ones you enjoy.

1. Learn more about how to exercise at home

Just as important as exercise is taking care of the correct body posture. To protect the spine, you should walk upright. It is also harmful to stand on one leg and support it. It’s best to sit in high chairs rather than deep armchairs and try to keep the curve in your lower back – you can also use a pillow or a lumbar roller for this purpose. When sitting, your knees should be below the pelvis.

Stress is also harmful to the spine – the mind and body are inextricably linked. Sometimes certain tensions and pains cause severe stress. To alleviate it, you can use breathing exercises or religious practices such as prayer. Exercises to help with pain relief are also helpful. It is worth choosing activities that can be performed at least 3 times a week.

Exercises for the lumbar spine

Before you start training with the following exercises, you should know that they are not a prescription for back pain, but in some cases they may be helpful for prevention. Regular exercise also improves muscle function and increases overall fitness. Remember – exercise must not be painful! Repeat each of them 3 to 5 times.

1. Exercises relaxing the elastic structures of the spine and limbs

1. The starting position is a propped kneeling position, i.e. a position in which the weight of the body rests on both knees, forearms or elbows. Stand like this, put your spine in a neutral position and pull your stomach in. Then raise your head and inhale. Then lower your head and let the center of your spine push out – this is also known as “cat back”.
2. The starting position is a propped kneeling position. Pinch your shoulder blades together, straighten your back, and breathe out. Then sit on your heels and stretch your arms as far forward as possible. In this case, you will perform a pose called “Japanese bow”. The exercise will result in stretching the back muscles. This exercise will be helpful, among other things office workers and people staying in a sitting position for a long time.
3. The starting position is a propped kneeling position. Extend your right arm forward and at the same time also extend your left leg backward and inhale. Then bend your left leg at the knee and your right arm at the elbow and pull it towards you. When you touch your right elbow on your left knee, go back to your knees and do the exercise again, this time to the other side.
4. The starting position is to kneel on your left knee. Place both hands on your right knee and move your hips forward and down. When you reach the end position, keep it for about 25-30 seconds. Do the exercise on the other side as well, but change your starting position so that you get down on your right knee.
5. The starting position is to lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows and rest your arms on the mattress so that they are at the same level as your chest. Movement consists of straightening the elbows and slowly leaning back. Hold the final position for about 25-30 seconds. As you exercise, remember to breathe regularly.
6. The starting position is lying on your back with your arms alongside your torso. Bend your left leg at the knee and rest your foot on the mattress. Straighten your right leg. The movement consists in lifting the right leg up, with the knee straightened and the foot dorsally bent. Maintain the final position for about 25-30 seconds and repeat the exercise for the other leg.

1. Muscle exercises to stabilize the lumbar spine

1. The starting position is lying on your back. Bend your knees and rest your feet. Place your hands so that they are hidden under your spine. The exercise involves pressing your back against your hands and lifting your head and contracting your abdominal muscles. This position should be held for 6 to 8 seconds. An important rule to keep in mind while exercising is not to hold your breath and breathe regularly.
2. The starting position is lying on your back and bending your knees. Place your heels on the mattress and place your hands along the length of your body. The movement of the exercise consists of pressing your back against the mattress, lifting your head up and lifting your hands above the ground. The abdominal muscles should be tense. The position should be held for approx. 8 seconds. It is important not to hold the air in and to breathe regularly.
3. The starting position is lying on your back. Bend your left leg off the ground and keep your right leg straight. Place your hands along the length of your body and your feet in the dorsiflexion. The movement of the exercise involves pressing your back against the mattress and lifting your head up, lifting your arms off the ground and contracting your abdominal muscles. As with the above three exercises, also hold the final position for about 8 seconds. Breathe regularly as you exercise, and don’t keep it in your lungs.
4. The starting position is lying on your back. Bend your knees and place your heels on the mattress. Extend your arms and arrange them so that they are in front of you. Remember not to pull your chin towards your breastbone. The movement of the exercise consists in pressing the back against the mattress, lifting the head and tensioning the abdominal muscles. You should extend your right and left hands alternately. Remember to breathe regularly and not hold the air in.
5. The starting position is lying on your back, bending your knees and resting your heels on the mattress. Place your hands alongside your body. The movement of the exercise consists of pressing the back against the mattress, tensing the buttocks and lifting the hips up. This position should be held for about 8 seconds without trapping air in the lungs. Also, while doing this exercise, you should breathe regularly.

How to breathe properly while exercising?

Incorrect breathing during exercise makes it more difficult. When the body does not receive a sufficiently large dose of oxygen, it will also burn fat more slowly. Moreover, improper breathing destabilizes the posture and may cause damage to the locomotor organs. In order to breathe properly during exercise, you must learn to use the diaphragm skillfully, one of the most important muscles in the human body.

Lower the ribs as you exercise. Otherwise it is impossible to breathe properly and this will cause the body to become tense and destabilize the body. When lowering the ribs, it is also a good idea to direct the air downwards to tighten the muscles on the sides of the body. This movement will tighten the abdominal muscles and protect the vertebrae.

When the ribs are lowered, perform a lower abdominal pulling movement. As a result, the muscles of the pelvic floor will tense and it will be in the correct position. Proper breathing is important not only during exercises for the lumbar spine, but also during strength exercises. A properly taut diaphragm generates more muscle strength and stabilizes the body position.

What breathing mistakes should be avoided during physical activity?

Contrary to appearances, breathing is not as simple an activity as it might seem. One of the more common mistakes is upper chest breathing. The cause is often stress, which makes the diaphragm stop moving. In this case, it is advisable to normalize your breathing. Otherwise, the result will be a stiffening of the thoracic spine and shoulders.

Other breathing mistakes are abdominal breathing and breathing from top to bottom. The first one involves pushing the abdomen out too much, which causes less tension in the deep abdominal muscles – then the diaphragm fills up with air, not the abdominal cavity. The second of the above-mentioned errors causes the tension of the pelvic floor muscles to increase and is a frequent cause of neuralgia in the lumbar region.

Many practitioners also make the mistake of correcting the figure by positioning the thoracic spine. As a result, the spine becomes destabilized. To perform the exercise correctly, you must always start with the pelvis and then position the other parts of the body. It is worth knowing that the pelvis should be above the chest.