|
Date |
ArticleType |
|
12/10/2008 |
Headline |
|
Community Spine Center Offers Advice |
|
|
This time of year can be especially demanding on the lower back. Many of the following activities can cause undue stress: prolonged sitting while traveling to relatives’ homes, standing in long shopping lines, bending and lifting while decorating. We even have the added stress of shoveling snow!
There is a simple exercise that can provide needed relief of seasonal lower back pain.
1) Stand with your knees straight. 2) Place your palms and fingertips in the small of your lower back. 3) Slowly lean back, arching your lower back. When returning from the arched position, assume an upright posture (not bent forward). Start gradually and work a bit farther into the motion with each repetition. The exercise should feel a bit easier after performing several in a row. Ten to fifteen repetitions can give the structures in your back much needed pressure relief.
This movement (extension) is something that we seldom do, but it is important for maintaining the health of our spine. Performing this exercise frequently throughout the day is key. Here are some ideal times to fit in the exercise: after rising from sitting, following a bent or awkward position, during prolonged periods of travel or dreaded snow shoveling.
Maintaining good posture while sitting can also prevent a lower back injury and reduce back pain. Focus on sitting in a supportive chair with a solid back, placing your hips to the back of the chair. Use of a lumbar support can maintain the normal inward curve at the low back, also called the lumbar lordosis.
It is also important to limit prolonged sitting, even if you are in a good postural position. Take brief breaks from sitting every 30 minutes, even if just to stand or walk around the room momentarily.
Using a lumbar support during road trips can be helpful, since you may need more support than your car seat provides alone. Remember to get out of the car frequently. This break can be brief and is an ideal time to stretch backwards a few times.
These small changes can have a big impact on making your holidays happy and "painless"!
Gayle R. Simala, PT, Cert. MDT
Community Spine Center
317-621-9278
|
|
|
