Lower Back Issues

The biggest problem that comes up often is lower back issues.  About 31 million people experience lower back injuries. People who lifted something wrong, fell during sports activities, used bad form during an exercise, overdid it in training, sat too long.  Most of the time they feel it the moment it happens and often, instead of stopping, they continue with what they are doing paying the price, heavily, afterwards. First if you feel it twinge STOP what you are doing and ice immediately.  This will reduce the inflammation and possibly prevent the issue from worsening. Second if you have lower back issues, and most of us do, take prevention steps.  Prevention is stretching before and after activities, core strengthening and knowing specific stretches to better manage your issues.

Prevention: First thing in the morning stretch out your lower back.  Hug your knees to your chest relaxing the lower back. Try to drop your tailbone down, press your thighs into the chest to press your back into the floor.

Breath into the stretch to relax the muscles.

Maintain core strength:

Plank-be sure to engage your abdominals to prevent lower back strain.

Lengthen opposite arm to leg-repeat each side 2-3 times.  Be sure to engage abdominals.

Use proper form when exercising:   

Proper lunge: Chest stays tall, shoulders and hips in line-not leaning forward. 90 degree angle on front knee-not over front toes.  Back knee 90 degree angle and close to the floor.  Abs are pulled in.

Back Issues Maintenance:

1)Piriformis stretch-release sciatic issues              2)QL stretch                                          3)Hamstring stretch