If you have mild to moderate low back pain or sciatica, you can see adoctor of physical therapy, who will be able to assess your condition and prescribe exercises to help improve your mobility and decrease your pain.
Lower back pain affects nearly everyone at one time or another. Studies indicate that postural awareness and exercise are two of the most important things you can do to manage lower back pain. By keeping proper posture and good mobility and strength in your lower back, you can also help prevent lower back pain from occurring in the first place or returning after it has resolved.
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If you have lower back pain that’s severe, limits your movement, or lasts more than a few weeks, you need to visit a healthcare provider or physical therapist.
Easy Exercises
Here are a few simple exercises to try, but check in with your healthcare provider before you start to be sure that each type of exercise is safe for your specific condition. These exercises should be performed three to four times per day. Be sure to monitor your symptoms while exercising, and stop if you feel any increase in pain:
If lumbar flexion makes your symptoms worse, discontinue doing this activity. This activity could worsen those with herniated disc issues. It is best to see a PT who can assess if flexion- or extension-biased exercises are best for you.
If you have leg pain coming from your back, watch for thecentralization phenomenon. This means that pain in an arm, leg, or buttock suddenly shifts to a spot closer to the spine with spine movement. It is a good sign that you are doing the right exercise for your condition.
When your pain has subsided, perform the exercises once per day to help maintain a healthy spine and to help prevent future low back pain.
Sciatica Exercises to Avoid
Posture
The mostcommon causeof low back pain is poor sitting posture. It is very important to maintain proper sitting posture if you have low back pain. Use a small pillow or towel roll in the small of your back to help support your spine while sitting. Maintaining proper posture is also a great way to prevent low back pain in the future.
A Word From Verywell
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gordon R, Bloxham S.A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(2):22. Published 2016 Apr 25. doi:10.3390/healthcare4020022Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Mclean RM, Forciea MA.Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017;166(7):514. doi:10.7326/m16-2367Ojoawo AO, Hassan MA, Olaogun MOB, Johnson EO, Mbada CE.Comparative effectiveness of two stabilization exercise positions on pain and functional disability of patients with low back pain.J Exerc Rehabil. 2017;13(3):363–371. Published 2017 Jun 30. doi:10.12965//jer.1734932.466Surkitt LD, Ford JJ, Hahne AJ, Pizzari T, Mcmeeken JM.Efficacy of Directional Preference Management for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.Physical Therapy. 2012;92(5):652-665. doi:10.2522/ptj.20100251Paolucci T, Attanasi C, Cecchini W, Marazzi A, Capobianco SV, Santilli V.Chronic low back pain and postural rehabilitation exercise: a literature review.J Pain Res. 2018;12:95–107. Published 2018 Dec 20. doi:10.2147/JPR.S171729Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018;19(1):109. Published 2018 Apr 6. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9Additional ReadingMacedo, LG, etal. Effect of Motor Control Exercises Versus Graded Activity in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Physical Therapy.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gordon R, Bloxham S.A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(2):22. Published 2016 Apr 25. doi:10.3390/healthcare4020022Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Mclean RM, Forciea MA.Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017;166(7):514. doi:10.7326/m16-2367Ojoawo AO, Hassan MA, Olaogun MOB, Johnson EO, Mbada CE.Comparative effectiveness of two stabilization exercise positions on pain and functional disability of patients with low back pain.J Exerc Rehabil. 2017;13(3):363–371. Published 2017 Jun 30. doi:10.12965//jer.1734932.466Surkitt LD, Ford JJ, Hahne AJ, Pizzari T, Mcmeeken JM.Efficacy of Directional Preference Management for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.Physical Therapy. 2012;92(5):652-665. doi:10.2522/ptj.20100251Paolucci T, Attanasi C, Cecchini W, Marazzi A, Capobianco SV, Santilli V.Chronic low back pain and postural rehabilitation exercise: a literature review.J Pain Res. 2018;12:95–107. Published 2018 Dec 20. doi:10.2147/JPR.S171729Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018;19(1):109. Published 2018 Apr 6. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9Additional ReadingMacedo, LG, etal. Effect of Motor Control Exercises Versus Graded Activity in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Physical Therapy.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gordon R, Bloxham S.A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(2):22. Published 2016 Apr 25. doi:10.3390/healthcare4020022Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Mclean RM, Forciea MA.Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017;166(7):514. doi:10.7326/m16-2367Ojoawo AO, Hassan MA, Olaogun MOB, Johnson EO, Mbada CE.Comparative effectiveness of two stabilization exercise positions on pain and functional disability of patients with low back pain.J Exerc Rehabil. 2017;13(3):363–371. Published 2017 Jun 30. doi:10.12965//jer.1734932.466Surkitt LD, Ford JJ, Hahne AJ, Pizzari T, Mcmeeken JM.Efficacy of Directional Preference Management for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.Physical Therapy. 2012;92(5):652-665. doi:10.2522/ptj.20100251Paolucci T, Attanasi C, Cecchini W, Marazzi A, Capobianco SV, Santilli V.Chronic low back pain and postural rehabilitation exercise: a literature review.J Pain Res. 2018;12:95–107. Published 2018 Dec 20. doi:10.2147/JPR.S171729Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018;19(1):109. Published 2018 Apr 6. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9
Gordon R, Bloxham S.A Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain.Healthcare (Basel). 2016;4(2):22. Published 2016 Apr 25. doi:10.3390/healthcare4020022
Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Mclean RM, Forciea MA.Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2017;166(7):514. doi:10.7326/m16-2367
Ojoawo AO, Hassan MA, Olaogun MOB, Johnson EO, Mbada CE.Comparative effectiveness of two stabilization exercise positions on pain and functional disability of patients with low back pain.J Exerc Rehabil. 2017;13(3):363–371. Published 2017 Jun 30. doi:10.12965//jer.1734932.466
Surkitt LD, Ford JJ, Hahne AJ, Pizzari T, Mcmeeken JM.Efficacy of Directional Preference Management for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review.Physical Therapy. 2012;92(5):652-665. doi:10.2522/ptj.20100251
Paolucci T, Attanasi C, Cecchini W, Marazzi A, Capobianco SV, Santilli V.Chronic low back pain and postural rehabilitation exercise: a literature review.J Pain Res. 2018;12:95–107. Published 2018 Dec 20. doi:10.2147/JPR.S171729
Cramer H, Mehling WE, Saha FJ, Dobos G, Lauche R.Postural awareness and its relation to pain: validation of an innovative instrument measuring awareness of body posture in patients with chronic pain.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2018;19(1):109. Published 2018 Apr 6. doi:10.1186/s12891-018-2031-9
Macedo, LG, etal. Effect of Motor Control Exercises Versus Graded Activity in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Physical Therapy.
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