Physiotherapy and lower back pain: 7 exercises to strengthen your core

Preventing injuries is easier than treating them

See a physiotherapist today! Physiotherapy is the part of rehabilitation based on therapeutic exercises, positional therapy, massage and other forms of manual therapy, and physical methods. Its aim is to restore the function of the musculoskeletal system or an organ system as close to ideal as possible, so that the patient can return to everyday life and work as quickly as possible.

The physiotherapy process consists of a physiotherapy assessment, planning and delivering the therapy, and evaluating whether the set goals have been met.

Functional abilities are improved mainly with:

• Therapeutic exercises
• Massage and other forms of manual therapy
• Various physical therapy methods

A physiotherapy assessment at the start of therapy helps evaluate the musculoskeletal system of a professional or recreational athlete. It lays the foundation for further therapy and for recommendations for more effective training. As a preventive measure, it is possible to assess muscle imbalances caused by the specifics of different sports and to prevent the sports injuries they lead to through preventive action.

Lower back pain

According to statistics, nearly 80% of people experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. The direct or contributing cause of the problem is often weakness of the deep core muscles. In addition to the large, visible muscles, it is important to pay attention to the deep muscles in your training as well, in order to stabilize the lower back and the whole body.

The main deep core muscles, which activate fifty milliseconds before the large trunk muscles, are the transversus abdominis, the multifidus and the pelvic floor muscles. With good tone, they ensure spinal stability and help prevent lower back problems.

Start strengthening your deep core muscles like this

1) Lie on your back with your knees bent. Keeping your back in a neutral position, tense your lower abdominal muscles and gently draw your navel in toward your spine. To activate the pelvic floor muscles, at the same time squeeze as if you were holding it in when you need to pee, making sure your glute muscles don’t tense up. Breathing freely, hold the position for 10 seconds, then relax. Do 10 repetitions.

2) Once you feel you can hold your lower abdomen and pelvic floor engaged at the same time, keep your navel drawn in and raise one knee at a time, holding for 10 seconds. Keep checking that, despite the movement of your legs, your lower abdomen and pelvic floor muscles stay activated. Do 10 repetitions.

A correctly performed therapeutic exercise is an effective way to prevent lower back complaints and to treat chronic pain. Some exercises that support the back are listed below.

3) Lie on your back in a neutral position with your knees bent and draw your navel in. Keeping your pelvis stable, extend at the hips and lift your glutes up. Hold for 5-10 seconds. Keeping your lower abdomen tense, return to the starting position. Do 10 repetitions.

4) Similar to the previous exercise. Keep your abdominal muscles tense and avoid any movement of your back and pelvis. Extend one leg out and hold for 5-10 seconds, then repeat with the other leg. Use your fingertips to check that your hip bone doesn’t drop during the leg extension. Do 10 repetitions.

5) Keep your back in a neutral position and your navel drawn in. Slowly lift your right arm and left leg off the support surface and extend them as far as you can without extending your back. Avoid curving your back or rotating your pelvis. Hold for 5-10 seconds, slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm and leg. Do 10 repetitions.

6) Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and your legs resting on your toes. Tense your core muscles, keep your navel drawn in and lift your hips up. Avoid excessive rounding or arching of your back. Hold the position for 5-20 sec and slowly return to the starting position. Depending on how you feel, you can hold the support for longer.

7) Lying on your side, tense your core muscles, draw your navel in and rise onto your forearm so that the contact points are your forearm and the outer edge of your lower foot. Make sure your body is straight. Hold for 5-20 sec. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

NB! In all of the exercises, keep your navel drawn in and your lower abdomen and pelvic floor activated! After a workout, it is always important to stretch the muscles that have taken the training load properly; an average stretch should last 20-30 seconds. Your physiotherapist can give you more detailed instructions.

It is important to know that even with the right exercises, the body is not always able to overcome the pain. That is when manual physiotherapy helps.

Author: Georg Laasik physiotherapist

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