How to soothe your back pain? 6 simple exercises to do!
In osteopathy, we work on all parts of the body in order to give it a better mechanism. It is a wonderful therapy but it is not everything. In order for a person to stay in shape for the long term, here are 6 very easy exercises to do on a daily basis to fight against pain, especially spinal pain. Don't worry, these are small exercises to do every day, but it will only take a few minutes.
1- Hip and pelvis movements
The hips work when we do exercises such as walking or running, or going up and down stairs.
But spreading the hips or bringing them inward (abduction, adduction) are movements that we do too rarely. Unfortunately, these are the movements that mobilize the sacroiliac joints, that is, the sacrum and the iliac bone (see diagram). It is therefore necessary to mobilize these joints to allow good mobility of the pelvis...
Like the pyramid, the pelvis is the base of our body. If it is not solid, the building collapses.
In order to have a well-functioning pelvis and thus allow your body to keep its balance, it is necessary to do exercises that will challenge it.
I'm going to tell you about a very easy first exercise, which I recommend regularly and which one of my patients nicknamed doing the "dancer". It's a hip exercise that consists of standing on one foot, and with the leg suspended, bending the knee and making small circles with the hip: 3 turns inward, 3 turns outward. Do this exercise every day, 3 times in each direction and with both legs
The benefits are prevention of osteoarthritis of the hips and a reduction in pelvic and lower back pain.
2- Lumbar exercises
The 3 curves of the spine are the lumbar and/or cervical lordosis and the dorsal kyphosis.
When someone is over-arched, they are said to have hyperlordosis. When the individual has a hunched back, he or she has hypercyphosis.
Hyperlordosis is common in women during pregnancy. Indeed, this happens because of the weight of the baby, which tends to tilt the mother's center of gravity forward. To avoid falling, she arches her back to rebalance herself. The same goes for men who have a small belly, over time, the back ends up arching and the pain sets in.
That's why it's essential to stretch the back and strengthen the back muscles. The goal of stretching is to reverse the lumbar lordosis and the dorsal kyphosis.
To do this, here is an easy and practical exercise.
It involves lying on your back with your knees bent so you can catch them. Then take a breath in, and exhale as you bring your knees to your chest. Stay like this, then inhale again, and exhale. Repeat again for 3 to 5 breaths, increasing the movement by bringing your knees as close as possible to your chest. You can also vary as you wish: left knee bent and right leg extended, then change sides and so on.
I recommend that you do this exercise twice a day, once when you wake up and once before you go to bed.
In the morning, it is ideal for a good muscular awakening and to free the spine, in order to make your back more flexible once you get up and stand straight.
In the evening, this exercise is designed to stretch and relax the lumbar and back muscles, and to relieve fatigue.
3 - The exercises of gainage
Sheathing is a very good exercise. It allows to strengthen the muscles and to help the stability of the joints. This is the effect it has on the back because it will strengthen the muscles, passing through the abdominal part to optimize the balance of the spine.
As you know, physical exercise increases the secretion of endorphins and brings pleasure. We can say that the gainage is a good way to de-stress but also, it allows to stay in shape thanks to its numerous advantages: a more toned belly with less fat, strengthened muscles from which a better posture of the body, more strength, more stability.
I recommend that you do two minutes a day without interruption, in a well aligned position from head to toe. The beginnings are difficult but don't lose courage, make it a routine and you will notice the results very quickly.
Yoga is a sport that is based on stretching and sheathing. To work on your posture, yoga is a sport that I highly recommend.
4- Breathe with the diaphragm
Normally, when you breathe in, your belly should expand, but many of us do it wrong, probably because our society has taught us that we should stand up straight, pull in our belly and bend our torso. So, we push out the rib cage and pull in the belly, and instead of breathing through the belly, we do it through the chest.
Belly breathing allows the diaphragm to lower itself and to pump the viscera. This also has a good influence on the digestion process and limits digestive tensions. The lungs have room to expand and do not need to overload the ribs.
The disadvantage of breathing with the thorax is that the diaphragm is located between the first three lumbar vertebrae and instead of descending, it will pull on them. As a result, with an average of 15 breaths per minute, the lumbar vertebrae will be poorly stressed.
A deep inspiration through the thorax is also harmful for the accessory inspiratory muscles, which include certain muscles of the neck. It is a too important work that can be the cause of neck pain.
As you can see, the simple fact of breathing too often is very bad for the body. It has repercussions on the process of digestion which can be at the origin of lumbar pains, on the thorax and the neck.
To remedy this, I suggest the following exercise, to be done while lying down or standing. You can also do it while sitting but it is a little more complex.
To start, place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Watch your inspiration, make sure that the one on your chest stays still while the one on your abdomen moves. The principle should be the same as when you inflate a balloon, when you inhale, the air goes in and inflates the balloon (the belly), and when you exhale, the air comes out.
In order to change the parameters of your body and bring it into harmony, a series of 5 breaths daily is recommended, in the morning or evening, at your convenience.
If you want to go further in this exercise, I advise you to download the free application Respi relax or any other application on cardiac coherence. You will find different types of breathing exercises, depending on the effect you are looking for, for example, to relax or for more energy.
5- Cervical strain
Many people suffer from neck pain because of poor posture at work.
The important thing to remember is that when a joint is mobilized regularly and with respect for its physiology, the surrounding muscles are strengthened and the body releases substances that will protect the cartilage and thus reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
In the past, to treat a patient suffering from cervical osteoarthritis, we used to immobilize him by putting him in a neck brace for fear of damaging his cartilage. Today, science is evolving and it has been proven that we must move!
Thus, I advise you to do exercises or movements with the head, and this every day.
To mobilize the cervicals, you must move your head in all possible directions: up and down, i.e. flexion and extension, looking to the sides (rotations) but also by putting your ear on your shoulder (tilt).
Here is a simple and easy exercise that will allow you to regularly mobilize your cervical spine: Write from 0 to 9 with your nose as a pen on an imaginary board in the air.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6- Work the shoulders
Like all the parts of the body mentioned above, the shoulders must also be mobilized. Our society does not make us work the shoulders anymore, and it is important to work the amplitudes of the shoulders not to lose mobility. When we practice a splits every day, at 80 years old we can do it easily... It is the same for the shoulders, the more we mobilize them, the more we can mobilize them.
Small rotations towards the back allow you to free your rib cage. In our daily lives, when we drive, or work in front of a computer, and all the mundane habits, we tend to close our shoulders forward without even realizing it. This is why we tend to arch our backs. To allow them to straighten out, start with small rotations towards the back, and as you go along, continue with larger movements
This way, your shoulders will be less tense. These exercises also strengthen your back muscles and mobilize your thoracic vertebrae and ribs.
Marie Messager
Osteopath in Versailles
78 - Yvelines
