HELP! - exercise/stretches for lower back pain/stiffness?

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HELP! - exercise/stretches for lower back pain/stiffness?

17 posts & 12 voices | Started 2 years ago by MrK mkII | Latest reply from uponthedowns

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MrK mkII - Member

so the other day i was working at the kitchen, and my lower back went. i wasn't lifting, just leaning over a sink to wash my hands. so i went to the docs and she said i probably haven't slipped a disc and sent me off with some anti-inflammatories. well, it got better but it's still a wee bit sore, and i'm aware that it's pretty stiff (never been able to touch my toes!).

so given i have little money for physio or a personal trainer, can anyone recommend some exercises or stretches that'll help? thinking i'm gonna start swimming and seeing if that helps. i'm paranoid that i'll pull my back when i'm miles out on a ride!

thanks, kieron

Posted 2 years ago #
ginsterdrz - Member

Lloyds Pharmacy - TENS machine - £19.....bargain, effective and strangely funny!

Posted 2 years ago #
bialled_dikes - Member

hmmmm....I would recommend a physio to ensure you don't aggravate it.

You say you were working at the kitchen. Is this your employment or did you just mean at home? If it's your job then you may either have medical cover of you should discuss them covering your physio bills if you hurt yourself in the course of work (assuming you weren't messing around).

Posted 2 years ago #
brant - Member

Do you do a desk job/sit down a lot?

If so - you need a better chair.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

Tell me a bit more about what happened and where exactly it hurts.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrK mkII - Member

thanks for all the responses. i'll definitely bear that stuff in mind. i work in a kitchen and i was leaning forward over a sink when i felt a sudden pain in the lowest part of my back, in the middle, but slightly left of the spine. this made it really difficult to straighten up. that part of my back feels pretty stiff and sore every day when i wake up. any thoughts on how to loosen it up?

cheers, kieron

Posted 2 years ago #
DaddyPig - Member

there's some good pilates exercises on videojug for the lower back. helped my back pain. check it out

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

I have an idea to loosen it up - stretch it. IF that doesn't work go and get a decent massage. See if there is anything you can do to change your position when you're working at the sink. Sit down or bend your knees or something...

It's a repetitive strain type thing, so you'll just keep hurting it until you change the way you do it.

Posted 2 years ago #
starseven - Member

Based on nothing other than it worked for me, try stretching your hamstrings after a ride or just throughout the day.

Read your post properly now, perhaps core stuff would help more a good physio is the way to go.

Posted 2 years ago #
nick1c - Member

Stretch your gluteal muscles & hamstrings.........lots. Make sure you ride with your spine in neutral (slight forward arch) & your pelvis doesn't rock when you pedal. If it's not improving within a week or so go & see someone who is qualified to diagnose & treat the problem.

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

nick1c - what is this neutral spine position that you speak of?

Its a shoddy working position that is screwing it up...

Posted 2 years ago #
jond - Member

>neutral spine position

Pretty much what he said, the natural curve that your lower spine should have.

I'd be inclined to see a physio at least once to get a diagnosis, at least then you'll know what the problem is.

I've a recurring problem in my neck which sounds a little similar, from riding a roadbike. One day I was too tense, the muscles in the back of the neck went into spasm and pretty much stayed like that for a month. Result - month long, hangover-like tension headache.
Now it's occured once, it now recurs very easily if I'm not careful (so the road bike got sold). Recently had another bout - took a month before I worked out which area to massage (seems to be a different one to before) - so spent a month on ibuprofen which sometimes helped, sometimes didn't.

Some early expert opinion could save you some long term grief - and they'll give you some appropriate stretches to do, too.

(FWIW, long term my vote would be learn pilates - I've been doing it for about 8 yrs and it's a good complement to other exercise and will help core strength/flexibility a lot)

BTW - some local heat might help relax the area and loosen it up (rereading it sounds like the muscles are still in too much tension)

Posted 2 years ago #
Smee - Blocked

I know what shape the spine should have, but they just described the exact opposite.

Fellas - stop wrecking your backs. Look at the way you are positioned when you are doing things and if it hurts change something so that it doesn't hurt any more. That's how simple looking after your back is. Trust me, my back used to be ****, now it isn't - physio wife sorted it out by stopping me doing stupid stuff.

Posted 2 years ago #
MrK mkII - Member

Look at the way you are positioned when you are doing things and if it hurts change something so that it doesn't hurt any more.

yep i'm not a complete cretin. thanks. the point of this thread was to find out what stretches. not be just to be told to stretch. i'm mindful that doing the wrong stretches will may make things worse, so i guess that's what i was asking for. i happened to pull my back the day before seeing a podiatrist about some custom insoles i got a couple of months before - he suggested that it was pilates and not physio i should go for (he also said it's very unlikely that the innersoles are responsible given that i've had the pain before).

so yeah, if anyone has any anecdotal advice to save me money and that won't end up causing me more harm i'd love to hear it! checked some pilates vids online but still unsure as to the their efficacy.

Posted 2 years ago #
teagirl - Member

Seek advice from physio. Do pilates long term and don't do swimming until recovered. Swimming doesn't help a bad back in the acute phase.

Posted 2 years ago #
biker66 - Member

Hi. I'm a Yoga instructor and massage therapist. Firstly, lower back is a very sensitive area. I still have some problems with it myself, and if anything makes it go, it's usually bending over the sink for some reason. That's quite common actually.
You can see a physio on the N.H.S. I did , for my tennis elbow, ( caused by bike)and she was abslouetly great. I was given exercises, massage and acupuncture. You need to get referred by your G.P. Just lay it on a bit, say it's affecting your work. Which it sounds like it is anyway.
As for exercises. I've found that for lower back, backward bends like the cobra, really help. Be sure to find a good Yoga teacher to get you started. If you do want to try it at home , be very , very careful. Backward bends do help with slip disc but can aggravate it if not done properly.
Forward bends are even more risky, but not being able to touch your toes is not good. So, they should be included. But even greater care should be taken with them.
Finally, in the long term it's very important to build up your core abdominal strength, and this is where Pilates is really good. By keeping those core muscles engaged you really add protection to the lower back. It's like wearing one of those weight lifter belts. Plus you get a flat belly too, which is nice.
Hope this helps. See a Physio. Find a good Yoga teacher. Build core abdominal strength.

Posted 2 years ago #
uponthedowns - Member

OK sounds like your back problem is pretty close to the one I've just recovered from.

First a disclaimer. I am not a physio so if you do the following and knacker yourself its not my fault.

I've found a few yoga positions and stretches that help which have been recommended to me by my GP and one of the trainers in the gym I go to.
Look up "Pose of a cat" and "Pose of a cow" and combine these two yoga stretches. Its basically on your hands and knees then arching your back upwards then arching it bach the other way towards the floor.

Next look up "Cobra pose" and "Pose of a child". Then start in the cobra pose and slowly move into pose of a child. I found pose of a child was really good for gently stretching out the affected muscles in my lower back.

Next lie on your back and grasping your knees pull each leg into your body. First one at a time then both together. This is good for releasing your glutes and lower back.

Next work on your hamstrings. Sitting on the floor with legs apart and toes facing the ceiling try to touch the toes on one foot then the other.

Then standing up stretch upwards to the ceiling as far as you can then slowly bend down to touch your toes or as for towards them as you can. Then stretch up to the ceiling again and arch you back backwards as much as you can then stand stright and relax.

I'm also working more on core strength now I'm back in the gym as I don't want this develop into a weakness that's going to give me recurring back problems.

Posted 2 years ago #

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