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Lumbar Stabilization is Key for Reducing Back Pain
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Have you ever experienced this scenario? You bend or lift or twist, feel a "tweak," then suddenly pain and muscle spasm followed by trouble bending, sitting... even moving! It's a dreaded experience and unfortunately for many individuals, an experience that seems to happen again and again. But what can help? Rest, ice and medication are great for immediate relief. But when it comes to helping prevent injury, exercise is the key. Many doctors are now prescribing a specific type of exercise for their patients —lumbar stabilization. This type of exercise has proven very effective in helping individuals who suffer from low back pain.
Why Is Stabilization Important?
Kim Bradshaw, senior physical therapist at John Muir Physical Rehabilitation in Walnut Creek, says that stabilizing the spine is important when preventing injury. "To stabilize anything means to make it stronger and secure— better able to withstand various stresses and strains," says Bradshaw. A tall pole can be stabilized with steel wires coming down from the top and secured into the ground. This will make it better able to withstand gusty winds. Our spines can be thought of like that tall pole. As we go through our day, our spine needs to be able to absorb the stresses and strains of lifting, bending, rotating, and a variety of other forces. "If our stabliizing muscles are weak, the spine is forced to take more of that load and may become injured as a result," adds Bradshaw.
What Are The Stabilizing Muscles?
The stabilizing muscles include the abdominals, back muscles and hip muscles. According to Bradshaw, strengthening these muscle groups takes more than just sit-ups and crunches. "Most everyone has heard something of the connection between strong abdominal muscles and a strong back. Many people assume that doing a certain number of sit-ups every day will strengthen their abdominals and help their back pain. This is true to a point. The abdominal muscles are crucial to good back stabilization. But it's the transverse abdominals— muscles that run horizontally right to left across your lower abdomen that are the key. If those muscles are not working correctly, you may be doing lots of sit-ups, and strengthening certain abdominal muscles, but not working your transverse muscles much at all. And what that means is that your exercise program isn't doing the good for you that you think it is. You need to learn how to kick in those transverse abdominals."
Are Stabilization Exercises Appropriate For You?
When a physical therapist evaluates an individual with back pain for the first time, one of the things they're assessing is the quality of lumbar stabilization. Once the weak areas are known, exercises can be prescribed to target those muscle groups. "One of the most rewarding aspects of working with an individual in physical therapy is seeing true joy return to someone's face as their pain improves over time," Bradshaw says. "People who don't exercise are often amazed at the big payback they get from doing as little as ten minutes of stabilization exercises a day. And people who do regular exercise are sometimes shocked to find out their exercise technique is all wrong, and that it may actually be contributing to their back pain. Some increased awareness and a couple changes in technique can do amazing things!"
If you have back pain that flares up periodically, ask your doctor if stabilization exercises are appropriate for you. Physical therapists at any of the six outpatient clinics within John Muir Health are available to help evaluate core strength and develop appropriate and customized stabilization exercises. They can answer questions and develop a home program to help reduce back pain. Physical therapy is also available and can be initiated with a doctor's prescription.
Good lumbar stabilization has many benefits. "It's not just about having a stronger body for strength's sake alone," Bradshaw says. "It's all about doing something for yourself that may lead you to a more active and comfortable lifestyle. It's certainly worth checking out."
For more information on spinal health, click here.
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