Exercises for Back Pain - Online Resources

It's an established fact that exercises can help prevent further recurrences of debilitating back pain.

So, where can you find out more about these exercises and what you can do?

Here's a review of the top four websites that offer online, free help:-

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

This site offers regular exercises to restore strength and helps you work towards a gradual return to everyday activities.

Simple exercise of up to 10 to 30 minutes a day, one to three times a day, can help.

If you find words hard to follow, this site has pictures which are easy to understand, follow or even to print out.

Best point - easy to understand illustrations ! 

http://www.orthoinfo.org/booklet/view_exercise.cfm?Thread_ID=18&topcategory=Spine

Back.com

If you need further help, this website has online videos that you can watch.

If you're not sure what an ankle slide or a heel pump is, watching these short (around 15-20 seconds), informative videos will help clarify it for you.

Best point - short videos to watch online !

http://www.back.com/articles-exercises.html

Sports Injury Bulletin

These co-ordination exercises are designed to get athletes up on their feet following an injury.

In particular, the work in Copenhagen has helped clarify useful treatment for lower back pain.

Whilst most systems rely on muscle-strengthening routines, the Danish researchers reasoned that healthy functioning in the low back does not depend on muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility alone - but also on the coordination of movements involving the lower back.

A small study of forty volunteers suffering from serious problems such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and disc degeneration tried this new system and results showed that they experienced less lower back pain, better mobility of the lower back, and less trouble carrying out their daily activities.

They also reduced their intake of over the counter medicines and prescription drugs.

This means that adding this co-ordination system to your existing exercises, will mean that you are likely to get the full benefit.

Best point - latest research to help you !

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/0033-lower-back-pain.htm
 

University of Michigan Health System

This is a 3-page document with cartoon images of the exercises themselves together with helpful information about promoting your own health, including:-

• exercises to avoid - particularly helpful!
• other helpful exercise such as walking or swimming
• sports to avoid that may cause or exacerbate your injury

As these are quite strenuous, these are probably more suitable to people who have recovered from their initial injury or strain and are ready to move on from the gentle initial stretches.

Best point - do's and don'ts !

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/guides/Adult%20LBP%20Exercises.pdf

Further Resources

Exercise for Back Pain - traditional mckenzie system from New Zealand & more

Sciatica Exercises - can exercise help sciatic nerve problems?