When your back is aching and putting you through agony, staying laid up in bed might seem like the best course of action to alleviate your pain. Rest can often lead to relief from acute back aches caused by lifting heavy items or simply wrenching your back, but it’s not always the wisest choice for people with chronic back pain. If you’ve been coping with intermittent or constant pain for a while, it might be time to focus on strengthening your back muscles rather than merely resting them. Even the thought of stretching and exercising your back muscles might be unpleasant to you, but with enough work, you might be able to build your muscles and better stabilize your spine. You should always check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise regimen, especially if it’s in response to pain, but here are a few suggested exercises that can help mitigate the problem.

Starting your exercise program with some stretches is an excellent way to prime your muscles and to achieve the greatest range of motion. You may want to start by performing a cat stretch, where you place your hands and knees on the floor and arch your back up toward the ceiling as far as you can. This stretch pairs nicely with back extensions, which flex the spine and surrounding muscles in the opposite direction. You can begin a back extension, also known to yoga enthusiasts as the cobra pose, by lying on flat on your stomach on the floor, and then lifting your upper body off the floor with your arms. The result resembles how you might do a pushup if your legs were glued to the floor. From here, use your arms to gently curve your spine upwards. You need to be careful not to bend your back too much as your perform this stretch, so keep your gaze leveled at the floor.

There are a myriad other stretches you can choose from to loosen your back up, but be careful to stay away from positions that might cause excess stress on the discs in your spine, such as toe touches. Be especially cautious about straining your back immediately after waking up because the discs in your back are filled with more fluid than usual, making it easier to damage them at that time of day. You may also want to focus on stretches that use the floor or the wall to help support your back.

Once you’ve limbered up, you can try exercising in a way that’s comfortable for you. Perhaps you’re healthy enough to start on a weightlifting program that involves the use of smaller weights. Check with your physician before you start lifting weights, and if you’re good to go, you have the chance to build those back muscles without overdoing it. Another, perhaps less strenuous, way of strengthening those muscles is to begin swimming on a regular basis. The water can help take the weight off your back and allow you to move more easily. Just watch your form as you enjoy your dip because using strokes that twist your back could do more harm than good.

No matter which stretches and exercises you think would work best for you, you must be mindful of the line between helpful exercises that can help keep your spine supported and make it less likely to be injured, and counterproductive actions that could strain your back and possibly make your situation even worse.

Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice on a variety of topics, including those pertaining to health.

Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice on a variety of topics, including those pertaining to health. http://www.laserspinewellness.com/

Author Bio: Peg Smith is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Ms. Smith is able to offer advice on a variety of topics, including those pertaining to health.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: health pack ache, back pain, back injury, spine exercises