Exercises & Stretches for Back Pain

Exercises and stretches for the lower, middle and upper back can prevent back injuries or alleviate inflammation and pain from existing back problems (muscle strains, bulging discs, scoliosis). Back exercises can alleviate pain by stabilizing the spinal vertebrae. All types of exercises will help promote blood flow (with its healing properties) to the affected area.

Stretching Exercises

• Unless specified otherwise, hold each stretching movement for two to five seconds and do 10 total repetitions of every exercise. Stop any exercise if your pain worsens. Stretching exercises can be performed every day.

  Lie on a hard floor with your feet extended. Allow the vertebrae and muscles in your lower spine to adjust naturally for a few minutes. To stretch your upper back, raise your arms up and over your head and hold that position for another minute or two. This is a low-impact way to begin any exercise routine.

  Next, with your legs still extended, bring one knee up and pull it toward your chest with both hands. Hold the position, then lower your leg back down. Repeat with the other leg.

  This time, pull both knees toward the chest and hold it. This exercise and the previous one stretch muscles and ligaments in the hips as well as the lower back area. Building flexibility in adjacent muscles can also help alleviate back pain.

  The cat stretch is a yoga stretching technique. While standing, slowly bend forward and place your hands above both knees (fingers pointing inward). Keep your knees slightly bent. Hold this position for about a minute (see Reference 1).

Exercises for Building Back Strength

• It is best to perform basic stretching movements before doing strength-building exercises. Exercises that strengthen the back also increase blood flow to help alleviate pain. They can also build muscles around the spine to better support it. Hold each movement for two to five seconds and perform 10 repetitions of each exercise. Limit these exercises to three to four times weekly.

  Lie on a hard floor with both knees pointed up. Firmly press your lower back against the floor and hold it. Repeat as indicated above. This is an effective exercise for building lower back strength, which can help alleviate pain in this area.

  While still on your back with your knees propped up, brace both feet and slowly lift your buttocks and lower back off the floor. Hold this position a couple seconds, then relax. This exercise builds strength in the the lower and middle back, which can also help your back pain.

Upper Back Exercises

• Upper back pain can occur in various areas. If you have upper back pain near your neck, simply shrugging or rolling your shoulders can alleviate pain. Also, stretch your arm backward and forward (holding them like a football goal post) to stretch the trapezius and rhomboid muscles in the upper back.

  For pain in the upper back that is away from the spinal area, one-arm rows with a light dumbbell can help reduce pain. Simply place one knee on a bench, brace yourself and lift a dumbbell up and down (see Reference 2).