Back pain can be debilitating and overwhelming. It’s ever present in everything you do, from exercising to moving around to simply sitting down. But many don’t know there are a number of exercises you can do at home to alleviate or even heal back problems.
Upper Back:
Resistance training can be invaluable for fixing upper body issues. There are a number of different exercises that can be done with a $5 exercise elastic band that can help heal pain in the upper back:
- Hold both arms out straight in front of you, gripping the elastic band in each fist, knuckles pointing down. Keeping your elbows rigid, pull outward with both arms until they are parallel. Hold for one second, then repeat, 20-30 times a set. Make sure to adjust the amount of elastic between your fists if need be; there should be enough resistance that it is difficult, but not so much that you can’t entirely swing your arms out.
- Holding your elbows down at your sides and grip the elastic band as before. Again, pull the elastic outward from both ends, this time locking your elbows in at your sides to the best of your ability. Hold for one second, then repeat, 20-30 times a set, as before. Hold the elastic with a bit less slack than the previous exercise, as your arms do not need to be completely parallel to each other.
- Secure the middle of the band to an anchor; it can be a hook, a doorknob—anything that you can be completely sure will not slip loose; a doorknob on the other side of a shut door is one very secure option. Hold the two ends of the band in each of your hands, elbows at your side, forearms completely parallel to the ground, elbows at a right angle. From this position, pull the elastic backwards, forearms kept completely parallel to the ground the entire time. Hold for 2-3 seconds, repeat 30-50 times a set.
Lower Back
Because most of the body’s weight is positioned squarely on top of the lower back area, many spinal issues involve the lower back. The best way to deal with these kinds of issues are through stretches, and there are a number of effective stretches, such as:
- Lie on your back, with your feet on the ground and your knees up in the air. Roll your knees to one side, hold for 5-10 seconds, then back to the middle, then the other side for the same duration. Do this several times throughout the day, preferably spread out, morning and night.
- Lie on your back, feet grounded and knees elevated as before. Lift your body off the ground with your legs and hold you torso parallel to your thighs for five seconds.
- Sit on the ground, legs flat out in front of you, spine vertical. Lift one leg and fold it over the other one, so now your foot is flat and your knee is elevated. Take the arm opposite from the elevated knee and hold it straight out in front of you, braced against the far side of your knee. Using your arm as a lever, twist your torso so that you’re looking as far as you can in the direction of the elevated knee. Hold for five-ten seconds, then repeat for the other side.
Even though these various forms of exercise can be and should be done on your own, home remedies should never be seen as a replacement for proper medical care. A good physical therapist can tell you which exercises are most effective for your particular variety of pain, teach you how to properly do the exercises, let you know if you are doing anything wrong, and help you create healthy exercise habits going forward. If you suffer from back pain in Jacksonville, Florida, then the Coastal Spine and Pain Center is one such organization that can help you develop the habits and lifestyle to put you on a healthier road.
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