Exercises to Relieve Spinal Back Pain From Arthritis

Arthritis usually affects adults as they get older. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and tendinitis (especially in the lumbar or lower back area). A series of stretching and strength-building exercises can help a person maintain flexibility in the back and promote blood flow and its healing properties to the affected area.

About Exercising The Lower Back

• It is best if you start performing back exercises for your arthritis once the initial pain and inflammation have subsided a bit. Also, continue to ice your back and even intersperse ice and heat treatments while on an exercise routine. Both stretching and strength-building exercises can help alleviate back pain from arthritis. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "exercise may be the most effective way to speed recovery from low back pain and help strengthen back and abdominal muscles," including back pain from different types of arthritis. Mild discomfort may disappear during exercise but it is best to stop exercising if your pain lasts more than 15 minutes while exercising.

Stretching Exercises

• Stretching exercises should be performed first to help warm up surrounding muscles and ligaments in the lower back. These exercises can be performed daily. Unless otherwise specified, try to do 10 repetitions of each exercise. Also, hold each individual movement for about two to five seconds.

  To start out, lie down on a hard floor and extend your legs. You may want to just lie there a few minutes and let your spine align naturally. After that, bring your right knee up, grab it with both hands and pull it toward your chest. Lower it back down and repeat the same movement with your left leg.

  Next, bend both knees and pull them toward your chest. Both of these exercises stretch the lower back as well as hip muscles and ligaments. This helps foster blood flow to the joints, since muscles are attached to the vertebrae via tendons.

  While still on your back, brace your elbows at at each side, bend your knees toward your chest and slowly twist yourself to the left. Get a good stretch in your gluteus maximus and lower back, then repeat the movement on the other side. Stretching adjacent muscles can help loosen up adjacent muscles which help support the vertebrae in your lower back.

Strength-Building Exercises

• Building strength in your lower back can alleviate arthritis pain by better stabilizing the spine. This takes pressure off the individual lumbar vertebrae, according to Activemotionphysio.ca.

  Lie down on the floor with your knees pointing upward and firmly press your lower back to the floor. Hold that position for two to five seconds and repeat the exercise for 10 repetitions.

  While still lying on your back, brace your feet and slowly lift your buttocks and lower back off the floor.

  Kneel on a carpet or towel. Brace your hands and slowly lift your right leg off the floor and extend it backward as far as possible. Hold for several seconds, bring your leg back down then repeat the same movement with your left leg.