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Answers

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  Jason Tomlinson (Personal Trainer)
  Health Professional

  Hey there! I'm Jason, I'm 20 years old and I have a Diploma of Fitness which gives me the qualification of Fitness Specialist and am ... View profile

  Hi there,
  
  There are a few ways to tackle lower back pain. I'll assume you have an increased arch in your lower back which is the main cause of the pain. Weak core muscles can contribute to the problem, as can tight hip flexor muscles which are pulling your pelvis down which is leading the curve. A tight back can also be part of back pain. 
  
  I don't like giving sit up's or crunches to people with lower back pain, as in order to do the movement you have to turn your hip flexors on which, in turn, is going to cause them to become tight if not stretched regularly and make the pain worse.
  
  I would suggest the following things:
  
  1. Stretch your hip flexors - I have a stretch for that on my website here http://www.jtwellbeing.com/p/stretches.html (stretch #8)
  
  2. Stretch your lat muscle -  I have a stretch for that on my website here http://www.jtwellbeing.com/p/stretches.html (stretch #1)
  
  3. Work on transversus abdominis activation. This is the main core muscle that offers stability and one I would try and activate then strengthen. There are different levels of progression this but the first one is to:
  
  1. Lay down on a bed
  2. Feel for the sides of your hip bones and move in 1-2cm and keep a finger there
  3. Breathe in and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles
  3. Breathe out but keep your pelvic floor muscles drawn and stomach squeezed/tensed. Hold for 10-15 seconds initially or until you feel the muscle stop working/tensing.
  
  There is research to say that if your abdominal muscles are switched on then the transversus muscle is likely to be also, but I think it's good to focus on it specifically. 
  
  Here is a good video that might help if you're stuck feeling for the muscle as it isn't the easiest muscle to feel for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgIhzlp474A
  
  I wont go into detail about working other muscles that are weak because I think that the stretching and core activation is a great place to start. 
  
  If you do feel severe pain or it doesn't get better I think it would be good to see a physio so they can assess it.
  
  I hope this helps!
  
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• 

  Neil Synnott (Exercise Physiologist, Physiotherapist)
  Health Professional

  I am qualified as a PHYSIOTHERAPIST and ACCREDITED EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST. I primarily use the McKENZIE METHOD for assessment and management of musculoskeletal pain disorders. The ... View profile

  Hi,
  
  Low back pain can be a difficult problem to treat. Low back pain is a very personal and individualised problem… thus an individualised management program is advisable! Assessment and management with a physiotherapist is advised.
  
  People with low back pain need to consider and work on two things… spinal mobility and spinal muscular conditioning (control, endurance, strength).
  
  If spinal mobility has not been suffiecently assessed and managed, spinal muscular conditioning will be more difficult and slower to progress. So just working on abdominal strength is not enough to help prevent low back pain episodes.
  
  With regard to spinal mobility, people often display a direction preference for movement. When moving in the preferred direction (usually lumbar extension with and without a bias) the spine moves freer and local and other pains are often improved. When moving in the non-preferred direction (often lumbar flexion) the spine stiffens and local and other pains are worse. So finding your preferred direction is very important for spinal mobility and management of low back pain. A credentialled McKenzie physiotherapist is advised for this aspect of managing low back pain. Check out www.mckenziemdt.org.au for a therapist near you.
  
  With regard to spinal muscle conditioning, transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus are two very important muscles to activate. Once you know how to activate transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus, challenging these muscles with low intensity functional exercises is important. When transverse abdominis and lumbar multifidus are functioning well, continued exercise management with a personal trainer (fortnightly sessions) is advised to monitor form and technique.
  
  Any questions, I am happy to discuss.
  
  Regards, Neil
  
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  Melissa Desira (Osteopath)
  Health Professional

  Director, Osteopath & Real Time Ultrasound Specialist. With a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Masters of Health Science in Osteopathy, coupled with over 10 ... View profile

  Hi
  in addition to Neil and Jason's responses, a good way of ensuring you are correctly activating your core - (TA, Pelvic floor & multifidus)-  a fantastic method is seeing a therapist that uses real time ultrasound. This way you can visualize if your core is truly switching on and a valuable teaching tool, if you are having difficulty.
  
  if you have any questions on this or would like to know more- please contact me
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