Exercise and Posture: October 2012

Spinal Loading Exercises Can Hurt You and Cause More Back Pain

Back pain is estimated to affect somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of the population at any one time. Back pain is mostly due disc problems. Your discs are least likely to experience injury when your spine is held in a neutral posture. Neutral posture spreads out the forces imposed upon each disc. Because of disc-related injuries it’s necessary to maintain spinal stability and avoid pressure-modulating movements that add pressure to your spine and exercises that increase your risks for injury.

Unfortunately, injured athletes commonly attempt to strengthen their midsections by performing exercises that hurt their disc health. There are certain exercises you should not perform to have good disc health.

Crunches

Crunches are commonly prescribed to those experiencing back pain because they strengthen the abdominal wall and thus the ability of the abs to stabilize the spine and prevent pressure increase in the lower back. While this principle is sound, using a crunch to strengthen the abdominals is not.

Crunches can cause problems for some who experience back pain depending upon which of their discs are affected. The problem with crunches stems from the exercise requiring a rounded spine for proper performance. This type of movement unevenly places pressure upon discs in the lumbar and thoracic spine and can worsen the injuries. Crunches can increase pressure loads on your discs compared to other abdominal exercises. As a result, individuals can experience back pain from using crunches in their exercise program.

Lower Back Extensions

The lower back extension exercise is commonly prescribed by trainers to prevent back pain; however its performance can easily worsen lower back injuries. Performing supermen exercises, hyperextension exercises or any other variety of rounding to extending spine exercises places uneven forces on the lumbar spine. This force can cause disc injuries to worsen by placing pressure on the nerves exiting the spine

Using large amounts of weight during these types of exercises can cause new disc injuries.

Leg and Hip Lifts

As explained above, crunches have the ability to worsen disc injury because of the increase in pressure that the exercise imposes upon your spine from rounding your lower back. Similarly, many other exercises you may see throughout your gym carry the same potential for injury. As a result, you should avoid rounding the spine during abdominal exercise; doing so lengthens the lever imposed upon the lower back. One example of an exercise that does this is a leg and hip lift where both the hips and legs are lifted into the air when you are lying on your back. This exercise can increase pressure on any discs in your lower back that may be herniated, slipping, or deteriorating.

Spinal Loading Exercises

Exercises that load your spine also should be avoided by some who experience back pain. However, if your discs are not inflamed and you are not in the acute recovery phase from your injury, you may be able to safely perform exercises that load the spine. Some examples of spinal loading exercises are squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts, where a barbell is held at or above shoulder level.

Fitworks Corrective Therapy has developed a unique system for safe and effective exercises. At Fitworks Corrective Therapy you will never load your spine or do exercises that will damage your discs. In fact Fitworks Corrective Therapy can help eliminate you pain.

Call today or see my website for more details.