[help] Back pain/training ?

[TzuChan]

Yeah I have this really really really annoying habbit of having back pain at least an hour or two a day =/ I've been working on my abs cause I heared that helps, and I'm walking as straight as I can so to minimise the spine efforts stuff. (sorry for my weird english ;)) Does anyone here have some really good excercises that help the pain to go away, and help me walk more straight ?

Must be a silly and weird question, but I can really use some major help =/

[abobo]

You mentioned working on your abs. Hopefully you don't mean crunches or situps, which won't help stabilize the spine. Your best bet would be static holds (http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=80&pageid=2), any number of compound lifts, back extensions, and exercises for the transverse abdominal. I know there's one where you get on all fours and pull your navel toward your spine as you hold your breath.

If you've been there, done that, you might want to check out these other core exercises (http://exercise.about.com/library/Core/bl_core.htm).

Hopefully the above exercises will not cause further pain.

There are some useful stretches (http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html) on the right side of this page.

If this is an ongoing problem, I would see a doctor. With that in mind, make sure you keep track of when it occurs and what you are doing.

[rubthebuddha]

best thing you can do for a bum back is stretch and work your whole darn lower torso. do exercises that work all the general abs, lower back musckes, butt, and upper quads to everything in the area is strong, but make sure it's all relaxed and flexible.

if you're over-strong in one area -- say, your abs -- that will tug your back over the course of the day. stretch your tummy and your back and work them, and stretch them some more.

[Former castleva]

Good old stretching...as before,if no special medical background.
Back pain is very usual and probably growing problem,have had it too...as far as I know though,it is rarely chronic/or otherwise dangerous.

If you are doing sit-ups (good for abs of of course) remember to curl yourself enough and apply pressure on your abs,do them in a comfortable way so that you can do them for THEM,not so that you´ll have to use "excessive" muscles.
Remember,doing sit-ups the wrong way in a stiff manner puts plenty of pressure right on your BACK,and that is pretty hard for it.
When/if you train,don´t forget about other muscle groups (imbalanced muscles I believe,may not help)

[SaMantis]

I suffer from chronic back pain (thank you, Uncle Sam) so I have to concentrate efforts on strengthening the muscles around the spine as well as those that support the lower back.

Situps aren't good, but if you must do them, make sure your feet are anchored (have someone hold them). If you feel any pain doing situps, STOP. Static holds and flexibility exercises work much better.

Walking has been the best therapy for me, so far. When I'm in too much pain to do anything else I'll go walking and my condition improves. It's low-impact and works all the right muscles. When I feel better I go back to training.

Tai Chi has been good because it focuses on proper posture and flexibility at the waist.

[Aramus]

Using your insurance (assuming you have it) to get you some visits to a physical therapist? Have you tried seeing a chiropractor to increase your healing time or strength or correct your alignement. Sometimes the issue is very small and easy to correct, other times, not so much. Have you tried an accupuncturist? May or may not help. Core strength is important, remeber there is a balance that should be reached for the body (quads can only be slightly stronger than hamstrings, I think it is a 100/90-80% to help prevent tears; bics and tris should be same strength, back and front etc.). Good advice from some folks. Good luck.

"Plan for the worst, hope for the best, expect something in between." -RTW

[Mr. Bao]

Go check out or look at Paul Chek and get his corrective and
functional back exercise tapes. I highly recommend it as a personal trainer and as a martial artist.

You need to understand the cause of your ignorance and Paul Chek will explain in detail while educating you how to develop a stronger core and spine and back using various tools.

[Brian_CA]

do yoga

[abobo]

Originally posted by Mr. Bao You need to understand the cause of your ignorance and Paul Chek will explain in detail while educating you how to develop a stronger core and spine and back using various tools. [/B]

I thought his problem was back pain. You mean he's ignant too?

[TzuChan]

Originally posted by abobo
You mentioned working on your abs. Hopefully you don't mean crunches or situps, which won't help stabilize the spine. Your best bet would be static holds (http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=80&pageid=2), any number of compound lifts, back extensions, and exercises for the transverse abdominal. I know there's one where you get on all fours and pull your navel toward your spine as you hold your breath.

If you've been there, done that, you might want to check out these other core exercises (http://exercise.about.com/library/Core/bl_core.htm).

Hopefully the above exercises will not cause further pain.

There are some useful stretches (http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html) on the right side of this page.

If this is an ongoing problem, I would see a doctor. With that in mind, make sure you keep track of when it occurs and what you are doing.

This really helped me out dude, those stretches do the job ! Thanks a thousand times for this, feels good to walk around without a constant pain =)

[TzuChan]

Originally posted by abobo
I know there's one where you get on all fours and pull your navel toward your spine as you hold your breath.


Hey that thing you say here, that's all I do right ? I do it for about 5 times .. and wonder by wonder .. pain is gone ?! Holy spaghetti >-< Thanks alot again, thanks so much !

[ElPietro]

You should first find out what is causing your back pain. If it is a slipped disc or something like that you may need help from a specialist.

Otherwise, you might as well strengthen everything around it. First if it's the regular dull ache that most chronic back pain sufferers get, you'll need to warm up quite a bit first. This will get blood flowing locally, and this will temporarily reduce or get rid of the pain. This can be done either using very light weight, or very light stretching for a duration of time.

Then start working on the problem, do exercises that target the posterior chain, such as deadlifts, good mornings, back hypers, squats, etc. Also, working your abs IS a good thing despite what others may say. Strong abdominals are also required to maintain good posture.

Also, maybe you should look into things you do regularly that may cause you to have back pain. If at work you are always standing, maybe regular short breaks off your feet will help release some tension off your lumbar, or a regular stretch every hour or two. Maybe there is a better way you can stand on your feet that will lower back tension. I know if you stand with a slight bend in your knee this should remove quite a bit of tension on the lower back. A specialist will be better able to advise though. Maybe at work your chair is not ergonomically suited to you, there are many inserts you can get for your chair, and your work should be more than happy to pay for it.

Or sometimes you just need to take a break from all the activity you do and give your body a chance to heal. I would not recommend buying tapes to get a diagnoses of your problem though. I'm not sure how the doctor can see what's wrong with you through the tiny window of the tape player. ;)