by Steven Resell

Lower back pain is a working man’s disease, unlike the popular adage that lower back pain constitutes aging. If you do suffer from back pain, do not worry because you are certainly not alone. The most common cause for back pain is using your back muscles in activities you are not used to, like lifting heavy furniture or doing yard work. Many things can cause lower back pain too, like muscle strain and muscle spasm after a heavy workout. Sprain of muscle ligaments attached from bone to bone from doing manual jobs that require heavy lifting can cause back pain and joint problems such as slipped disk from nasty falls or arthritis from, well, old age do contribute to back pain.

So with that said, take your mind off your lower back pain and your age for a moment, read this article and just slip these lower back pain exercises into your daily routine and after a week’s toil you will notice the benefits. Lower back pain are mostly a cause for poor muscle tone, poor health condition, all of which are perfectly reversible. So, do these lower back pain exercises now and rid yourself of that lower back pain.

Hamstring Exercises for Lower Back Pain

It seems that a poor hamstring muscle condition is a factor for lower back pain. When hamstrings are too rigid and inelastic, they make your lower back muscles do the most work. Bending over, stretching your legs out front, running in leaps, all these activities involve the hamstring.

The lower back pain exercises involving the hamstring are running and short sprints. While producing sweat, you also work on your hamstring muscles (not to mention other muscle groups of your body). Therefore it is really a good idea to go out running once in a while. Benefits you can get while doing a good 15 minute run are many.

Stretching and bending exercises is also a good way to work out your hamstring muscles. For maximum effect, apply pressure on lengthening the hamstring such as bending forward or stretching your legs in front of you. The exercise should take at least 30 to 45 seconds and should be done in two sets for each day. During the regimen, avoid stretching or bending too fast. Avoid bouncing as this can cause muscles tearing.

Lower Back Pain Exercises with a Medicine Ball

Procedure 1: Contract you abdominal muscles while lying on your back, knees bent and calves resting on ball. Now slowly raise your arm over head and lower arm, alternating the right and left arms. While you do this, straighten one knee and relax also alternating right and left sides. You should straighten one knee while raising the opposite arm over head.

Procedure 2: Sit on ball with back straight and knees bent 90 degrees. Then slowly raise arm over head, alternating the right and left. While doing this, also raise and lower heel, also alternating right and left. Lift the opposite limb alternately. Perform these exercises for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Do you notice the semblance of this lower back pain exercise? Yes, it resembles swimming. Swimming is by far the best exercise; notice how swimmers rarely have back muscle problems?

Some specific exercises can help your back. Others aim to gently stretch your back muscles. While some exercises are specifically designed as lower back pain exercises, living an active lifestyle (lots of exercise, good diet and plenty of rest) is the best way to overcome lower back pain. Swimming and walking are good overall exercises to improve your fitness.

A word of caution: Do not do these exercises if you are not currently participating in an exercise program. Also, please check with your physician before you start any exercise program .

Steven Resell is a successful Webmaster and Publisher of www.BackPaindotCom.com He provides more information on lower back pain, and Lower Back Pain Exercises, as well as more details on Upper Back Pain, Back Pain Relief and the causes of Back Pain on his website.

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Tags working man’s disease | aging | swimming | stretch | medicine ball

By Graeme Teague

There are 5 big questions you should ask about lower back pain. These questions will tell you what is wrong and what you should do to change it. Lower back pain and back pain in general affect over 80% of the adult population – yet most adults do not understand what you can do.

So what are the 5 big questions?

1. Where is your lower back pain? Important as this tells you this is the most likely area to target. Is your pain central to the spine, is it out from the spine, into the buttock or referred down the leg. The location of pain generally tells you how severe it is. The further your pain travels from your spine, the more likely you have a greater injury.

2. How did you lower back pain occur?

If you have had a fall or injury then it is best to seek help. Pain levels do not always indicate the severity. Many people wait for weeks before they consult a practitioner, only to find out they have fractured a joint, injured an area and it is potentially serious. So with all injuries seek help first, rule out the bigger problems and then address your lower back pain issues.

3. What makes it better? If you find the activity makes your lower back pain better, then it is more likely muscular and not too serious. If activity makes it worse, then it is either a joint problem or the injury is more severe – seek help.

4. What makes your lower back pain worse? This is the big question. Does straining, coughing or deep breathing make your pan worse? If so seek immediate attention. If straining of any type makes pain worse then you may have a disc injury or a severe spinal condition, such as a fracture. Straining will aggravate the area and increase the lower back pain – seek help!!

5. What other symptoms occur? This is also as important as question 4. If you lose bowel or bladder control then you may have spinal cord problems or a severe injury. If you start to get headaches, referred pain, fever or any other changes in your general health then seek immediate medical help. Bypass your Chiropractor, Physiotherapist etc and go directly to medical help or your local hospital. Rule out the serious first and then aim to remove your lower back pain.

Although over 90% of all lower back pain issues are usually minor and easily correctable. There are times when your lower back pain is more serious. This is when you need to be aware of the issues that make your lower back pain more serious.

The world is full of people who have said “if only I had sorted this out sooner”. Don’t become one of them. If your lower back pain is indicating a serious problem, seek help. If it doesn’t fit the warning signs then use the many self help techniques to help yourself remove your lower back pain. Lower back pain can be easily solved if you know what and where to target.

Dr Graeme Teague is an expert in the structural field, and has been in practice since 1991. His newly launched web site The Back Pain Advisor - strives to give you valuable and expert advice, tips and information on your back pain isues.

For more information on lower back pain issues just visit Lower Back Pain

Subscribe to your free e-course on solutions to your back pain, just click here - Back Solutions

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Tags location | severity | injury | correctable | medical help

By Ken Trueman

Causes of Back Pain (Lifting) There are many causes of back pain, in this article I will explain what can cause your back pain in simple terms which are easy to understand.

Almost 80% of all back pain is attributable to two things:
1. Bad Posture
2. Lifting

In complete contrast to bad posture, which brings about a steady, almost undetectable (until it arrives) back pain, lifting is mostly a cause of instant back pain. I say mostly because there can be some delay but the back pain is usually apparent overnight.

So, what do I mean by lifting?

Well, lifting something heavy, that could be a better description, but it does not cover all the problems associated with lifting as a cause of back pain. For example, a lot of back pain is caused by lifting items that are, relatively light, but very awkward, or so large that you struggle to encompass them with your arms. Of course, our bodies were designed to lift and carry things, this is part of our everyday life. The trouble is that most of us abuse this function in one way or another, and this could be the cause of much of our back pain. We should look at this objectively and try to observe ourselves in a critical manner. Every time we are going to attempt to lift something, which comes into any of the two categories, heavy or awkward, we need to think of the consequences and observe the following simple rules:

1. Face the item you are going to attempt to lift with your feet about two feet apart.
2. Squat down on your knees with your back straight.
3. Grasp the item firmly and if it has lifting handles or lifting holes at either side, use them.
4. Straighten your knees, keeping your back straight and test the weight of the item.
5. If you are sure that you can lift the item (and carry it), lift in a smooth, unhurried way.
6. If you feel that you will struggle to lift the item, get someone to help you.

Consider your back at all times.

It is relatively easy to injure your back, but much more difficult to restore your back to full strength. Once the back has been damaged or strained you are much more likely to suffer from a repetitive injury.

For awkward items the lifting options are fairly straight forward. The lifting procedure is the same as for lifting heavy items but other limitations are brought into play.

These include:
1. You cannot see over the top of the item or span with your arms.
These limitations apply even if the item is light and weight is not a problem.
2. Remember that weight is relative, the further apart your arms are, the less weight
you are able to lift.
3. Balance is a critical factor in that, if the item is heavier at one side than the other you will find it difficult to balance it and even more difficult to carry it. You should always lift the item with the heavy side closest to you.

Remember these simple ground rules and you will be much less likely to suffer from back pain through lifting. Always remember that there could be mechanical assistance around to help you. Mechanical assistance could be anything from a shopping trolley to one of the kids skate boards. Don’t get a forklift truck if you don’t need one.

Always remember this too. People in general are very responsive and forthcoming with a genuine need to respond to a request for help. After all if some one asked you for assistance for a few minutes, how would you respond. “Go to Hell”. I don’t think so.

Ken Trueman is the author of many articles on back pain which you can view at http://www.backagonyonline.com

c.2007 Ken Trueman. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article if you do not the content or links within it.

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Tags back pain | lifting | repetitive injury | balance | awkward