Exercises For Lower Back Pain Relief - Effective Techniques To Feel Results

When our day consists of getting the kids off to school, sitting at a desk for 8 to 10 hours, sitting in traffic for another hour, coming home and making dinner with the hopes of a little relaxation time; it's no surprise there are so many individuals dealing with lower back discomfort.

Low amounts of physical activity weaken our muscles... not to mention that stress and tension are often displayed in the body as pain. Throw in the cliche low back pain experienced during pregnancy and you soon see why it's estimated that over 80% of all people will suffer from bouts of back distress.

Stretches that will help keep our muscles flexible go a long way to improve not only our flexibility, but our endurance, injury recovery times, and a whole host of other backache symptoms. The good news is there are plenty of stretching and strengthening exercises for lower back pain relief. We can do them at home... no need for a formal yoga class.

Here are a few exercises for lower back pain relief that will not only help with your current severe back pain relief issues, but will act as a preventative therapy against future problems! At first the treatment program may be a hassle to work into your day, but once you start to feel how much better and more functional you back is... you'll never want to stop.

We highly recommend taking advantage of them even if you aren't experiencing any problems right now. They could help stave off osteoporosis in later years.

Caution: check with your doctor before undertaking any strenuous exercise program. Your back discomfort could be caused by a physical disorder that may be worsened by exercise.

Once you've determined you don't have a disease like arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, herniated discs or one of the other chronic disorders, these easy exercises should function to rapidly improve your fitness level, reduce your back dis-ease, help you recover and relieve your back pain fairly quickly.

Below you will find 4 exercises for lower back relief that anyone can do:

#1 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Stretching out the Piriformis
Each one of us deals with a different type of lower back pain. Some issues are more acute and painful than others, especially if the piriformis muscle is creating sciatic nerve pain. It seems that even the smallest motion is very painful.

Hopefully this isn't the case for you, but if it is then there is a simple exercise you can perform.

Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your right leg over your left. Take both your hands and make a cup around the lower leg. Now all you have to do is pull towards your chest with your hands. Once you feel the stretching take place you can hold the position for 25 to 30 seconds and then repeat alternating from side to side. Make sure your pulls are gentle. This is a stretch, a jerking motion can cause damage.

#2 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Problems sitting up straight?
A lot of people dealing with lower back ache have to constantly change their position when seated. If you can't sit up straight then it's possible your hamstrings are too tight. This is a simple fix, because there are several exercises for lower back pain relief when it comes to your hamstrings.

One of the most beneficial lower back pain relief exercises is to lie on the floor and put your hands behind the knee. Your hips need to be flexed at a 90 degree angle, but with the knees bent. Now try to straighten out your knee so the toes are facing you.

It will take some time to master, but you will definitely feel the stretching take place.

#3 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Stop with the Abs and work the TVA
TVA stands for Transversus Abdominis. Even though it's been debated over the years, it's believed the TVA is one of the core muscles for the entire body, When it comes to lower back pain, the TVA must be strengthened in order to support the back and spine properly. This will help with upper back and mid back pain as well. If you look at a chart it is the inner most layer of the abdominal walls.

There are a few different exercises for lower back pain relief when it comes to the TVA, but none is better than the vacuum exercise. You will find that a lot of bodybuilders do it, but it's still one for the average individual.

Start off by standing straight and placing your hands on the hips. Exhale as much air as you possibly can. Now bring your stomach in as far as possible. Just envision the front of your stomach sucking in so far it touches your back. This is a simple exercise, but it will take some practice. You need to hold it for at least 20 seconds and make sure your chest is sticking out.

You'll feel goofy doing this, but it won't be long before you start to feel the results... then you'll look forward to "looking goofy."

#4 Exercises for lower back pain relief: Leg lifts
Another old standby for strengthening the abs is to lie on your back with your feet together and slowly raise your legs off the ground about 6 inches. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds then repeat and lift your legs again. Do as many "reps" as you can. You will see rapid improvement in your abdominal muscles as well as a greatly improved posture.

These 4 exercises for lower back pain relief don't have to be for individuals struggling with each problem. They are also considered preventative measures so the body can support the back properly. Good luck.

Suffering with chronic back pains - or any other sore muscles - can completely take over your life! But... what if you just can't seem to shake it?

To learn more about Chiropractic Care, there are a ton of interesting articles at: [http://chiropractic-care.org]

Another great site to check out is "[http://lumbago1.com]". Either of these sites can give you the information you need to FINALLY get some back pain relief! Check them out right now while you are thinking about it! What have you got to lose? (Other than some pain!)

If you know a few tried and true strategies - there is no need to suffer.

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Upper Back Pain Relief - 2 Simple Exercises and a Massage For Instant Relief

Upper back pain most often occurs due to injuries in the broad triangular trapezius muscle. It is located at the back of the neck between the shoulders. It covers the upper shoulder, the upper back and the mid back.

The trapezius muscle has the tender and hypersensitive knots or trigger points. They are so called because they trigger shooting pains when compressed. The pain is often very severe and limits the movement of the upper body.

How to get relief from upper back pain

The best way to get relief is to exercise the trapezius muscle. Exercises strengthen, relax and keep it in good shape. They speed up the blood circulation which brings in added supply of oxygen.

Here are three simple exercises to do that:

Exercise No.1

Shrug your shoulders

Stand in your natural posture and move your shoulders up and down 10 times.

Exercise No.2

Stretch the thoracic area

A. Sit on a stool and clasp your head from behind with both your arms. Now gently bend your body backward 10 times while looking upwards as you do so.

B. Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out. Bend your neck and head towards your navel. Stay in this position for 15 seconds. Repeat this exercise 5 times.

Massage

How to locate the trapezius muscle for massage?

The Trapezius is, in fact, a large muscle. It starts from the base of the neck, extends to the shoulders and goes all the way to the middle of the back. You should choose the upper part of the trapezius for the purpose of massage.

Gently press the muscle area for about 10-15 seconds and release it. Do not press very hard or long to avoid hurting it.

Press only so much that you get "the good hurt".

Knead the trapezius

Lying position relaxes the trapezius muscle because it does not have to bear the weight of the arms. So lie down and knead the sore spots in rhythmic motion. Move incrementally towards the arms.

You can massage the trapezius yourself. But sometimes it is difficult to reach the area with your own hands. It is better to ask someone to do it for you.

Get the relief you so much need and enjoy.

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Upper Back Pain Relief - Simple Exercises That Work Reducing Upper Back Pain!

Upper back pain can be just as painful and difficult to tolerate and live with as lower back pain. It is essential that there are exercises available for people with upper back discomfort. Following a simple and easy to understand exercise regimen for upper back pain can be a productive way to reduce your discomfort.

Proper exercises can be obtained from books, video, medical professionals, and online sources. However, when starting out with an exercise program to help reduce the pain it could be helpful to have a professional like a physical therapist or trainer to go through the exercises with you first.

The professional may be able to offer some simple and easy tips for exercises that are specific to your condition or illness. Then once the exercises are learned you can continue the process at home and not necessarily always have to return to the medical professional's office.

Some upper back pain relief exercises that are quite easy to follow involve some very simple stretching motions. The exercises can become more intense and offer more of a stretch when they include the arms and shoulders.

The first exercise is pulling your shoulder blades back, moving them towards each other, and then stretching your arms out to the side to open the ribcage. The upper back should be pushed forward when this is done and that will alleviate some of the tension which could be causing pain. The muscles in the front and the back of the spine are stretched and then this does a few things. It increases circulation, strengthens muscles, and relaxes the muscles.

The second set of exercises are following the same as the first exercise but stretching the arms above the head. This allows a deeper stretch and therefore may provide more relief. The more the upper back is flatted, the more intense the stretch, and then the more relief that can be obtained.

The upper back is typically where people carry their stress. This stress caused pain can be alleviated often by following upper back pain relief exercises. It is always a positive thing when medications and intense expensive therapies are not needed. Many people who get upper back pain will practice yoga in order to not only relieve the pain, but it's also productive in preventing upper back pain from happening again.

This is especially true when the pain is caused by stress. The meditative elements of yoga make for a peaceful and calm atmosphere. Yoga gyms and places of practice can be found in your local directory. The professionals there can offer advice on back pain reduction as well.

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Upper Back Pain Relief

Did you know that your upper back is the most complex area of your spine?

Most of us think that upper back pain is caused by injuries or trauma, but just by sitting for a long time on your chair or leaning over your desk for a few hours a day can put a lot of strain and cause chronic upper back pain. This gets even worse when the ribs that are attached to the spine in the upper back get involved - then you start experiencing pain that feels like you've been stabbed from your back to the front. The pain can also radiate to your arms or legs. When you start to have pain even when you just lean over, or lift something - that's when you start looking for upper back pain relief.

What Causes Your Upper Back Pain?

Back pain, or any other condition for that matter, always develops as a process. This process is called "Muscle Imbalance". You probably never heard of this from your doctor, who probably quickly gave you pain killers prescription to treat your symptoms. That's why most common treatments fail - they start with the symptoms and with the real causes fro your problem. Treating the symptoms alone will not solve this daily suffering!

Word of Caution

If you feel even minor back pain, you should take it very seriously. Your back it telling you (yes, it can talk...) that something is wrong. If you don't treat this problem - your pain will increase and you will have to take more extreme steps to return to what you used to be - A pain free and happy person

What is a Muscle Imbalance?

Believe it or not - Everyone has muscle imbalances to some degree.

A muscle imbalance happens when you have over-developed and tight muscles in one area of your body, while the opposing muscles are weaker and stretched out of their normal position. This can happen while you're doing your every day chores, playing sports (even athletes suffer from this!) or just leaning over your desk 6-8 hours a day. It's like driving a car with the wheels out of alignment...eventually you're going to have a blowout right? It's the same with your back. That's why medication, back massages and even exercise will NOT get you upper back pain relief! You have to return the balance to your back with muscle balance therapy.

What is Muscle Balance Therapy?

Muscle Balance Therapy™ is one of the most powerful tools you can use to achieve upper back pain relief - once and for all. If you search for it on the net, you'll probably find that the Greeks knew about this 2500 years ago. But like many natural therapies it was lost and replaced by conventional medical treatments that focus on symptom relief instead of the source of pain.

It starts with assessing the problem - finding out accurately where are the imbalances. Once that's done you will finally find the core to your problem - and learn to immediately correct it for good.

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Upper Back Pain Relief - Causes and Cures

There are many different causes of upper back pain, and while not as common as pain in the lower back, it can often times be a much more painful, often chronic condition. The good news is... There ARE medications and pain management treatments that can be very effective.

Some of the causes are myofascial pain (irritated muscles), dysfunction of or degenerative joints, and even an injury or herniation to one of the discs in the upper spine, called Thoracic Herniation. You may even have a genetic disease or disposition to having these problems. Other scary sounding problems could include osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatic nerve impingement, compressed vertebrae and others.

In other words... before you start on any course of self treatment, check with your doctor to be certain your pain relief effort doesn't require surgery.

Causes...
Though more common in lower back pain, pain in the upper back can also result - over time - from poor posture.

If you are sitting at a desk all day, hunched over doing work, this puts a strain on your upper back. The upper back vertebra are not designed to be constantly bent over like this. It is a more rigid part of the spine, designed to support the weight of the person, and protect the internal organs. If it is not held in an upright position, the muscles surrounding the spine itself can become strained.

Upper back pain can be extremely discomforting. Usually, in addition to having upper (cervical) back discomfort, you may also experience shoulder and neck pain, as well as pain in the lower back and spine. To find upper back pain relief, you will want to really dig in and find ALL the causes. It could be a combination of several acting together - not just one.

Luckily, if you happen to have upper back pain, there are a number of ways to alleviate it. Surgery, medication, back strengthening and stretching exercises, massage and even acupuncture to name a few. Prevention...
But, when discussing your health, it prevention should be your first - top - line of defense.

Since it is so important that you prevent the problem in the first place, here are a few things you can do:

1. The first is get enough sleep at night, with a bed that is supportive of the spine. Sleep is important, not just to rest the back muscles, but to repair nerve and muscle damage.

2. If you are someone who does sit in front of a desk for long periods of time, or in front of the television, that's all right, but it is important that you get up at least once every half an hour.

Move around, stand up straight as much as possible, and walk around a little bit. This way your back and spine don't strain by sitting in one position for so long a period of time.

3. There are a number of back stretching and strengthening exercises you can find that can help... try taking a class in Yoga. Building up weakened muscle tissue in the back helps!

4. Changes in diet can also help to prevent upper back pain. Reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet, eating foods that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Sometimes, upper back pain is unavoidable. It may even happen from doing something you aren't even aware of, and all of a sudden you have these pains.

Frequently, when you get sudden pain from nothing more than twisting or turning at just the right angle, this is caused by a herniated or bulging disc. Since there is no pain unless it actually touches a nerve (we are talking millimeters), it is estimated that 60% of all of us have disc problems - but we aren't aware!

We are all going to have a certain amount of upper back pain occasionally, and here are just some of the many ways to get severe back pain relief.

Upper Back Pain Relief... Cures

One way to find upper back pain relief is to soak in a tub of water with Epsom salt. Adding a bag or two to water that is hot enough to just stand it can be a great relief, not just for you upper back, but other areas of the body as well. If you want, you can even add some essential oils for aromatherapy.

Upper back massage is another great way to relieve pain, and you can do this even if you are by yourself. Take a couple of tennis balls, lay them on the floor, and lay down on them.

Gently move your body back and forth, allowing the balls to massage the muscles. Every thirty seconds to a minute, change the positioning of the balls. If you find an area that is particularly painful, you don't have to stay there, move the balls in another location.

Getting upper back pain relief is something YOU can do... there is no need to suffer!

Suffering with chronic back pains - or any other sore muscles - can completely take over your life! But... what if you just can't seem to shake it?

To learn more about Chiropractic Care, there are a ton of interesting articles at: [http://chiropractic-care.org]

Another great site to check out is "http://lumbago1.com" [http://lumbago1.com]. Either of these sites can give you the information you need to FINALLY get some back pain relief! Check them out right now while you are thinking about it! What have you got to lose? (Other than some pain!)

If you know a few tried and true strategies - there is no need to suffer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Eitreim

Upper Back Pain Relief - How Exercises Enhance Postural Strength

Back pain especially in the upper back can be caused because of various reasons like injury, poor back strength, and bad posture. These are factors which contribute to the severe pain on your upper back can have a profound influence on your life. At most times people just tend to ignore back pain and go along doing their work without paying much attention to the pain. It is only when the pain becomes really unbearable that they start paying attention. There are also others who would take bed rest immediately when they feel the slightest pain on their backs hoping that resting would make their upper back pain disappear forever. Though resting helps relieve back pain it can cause the muscles to stiffen if over done. Regular exercising is the best way to get rid of pain forever.

People who are normally found suffering from upper back pain are computer operators, factory workers, and those people who do repetitive jobs who are known to do the same movements over a period of time. When certain exercises for your back pain is performed regularly it ensures that you good relief from any neck and back problems is got. When your spine stands upright and is naturally aligned it is referred to as optimal posture. This position helps to act like a huge absorber of any shocks that the back may encounter. When you have a bad posture it causes tension and is very demanding on the back and neck muscles which then leads to upper back pain. Doing regular upper back exercises helps you gain postural muscle strength which in turn helps prevent pain and spasms from occurring.

Stretching your upper back muscles is a good form of exercise for reducing back pain. A good example is a thoracic stretch where you get to stretch your muscles, tendons and ligaments along with increased movement. A thoracic stretch is done by either lying or sitting on a floor or mat and stretching your legs. Place your hands on your legs and slowly slide downwards to touch your thighs midway. Maintaining this position bend forward such that your head moves towards the belly button. Stop and hold this position till the count of fifteen. Repeat thrice. Kneeling exercise is another great upper back strengthening exercise. This particular exercise is done as a warm up and is often called child's pose. This is because you would normally find children kneeling and bending their head forward to touch the floor. This exercise is an excellent stress and pain reliever.

Remember that doing upper back exercises regularly will help correct your back problems and make sure that you select the ones which are appropriate for you.

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Upper Back Pain Relief - 4 Simple Steps to Relieve Your Back Pain

Are you seeking for upper back pain relief? Do you want it to happen now and wish that the pain will disappear in a second? Well, it can be. A relief from such pain is possible to achieve, provided that you are going to do your part in performing necessary treatment as advised. Most of all, make sure you are responsible enough to correct the causes of the upper back pain.

Do you hate that upper back pain that seems to control your life these days? Does the pain make yourself unproductive, leaving you sedentary and irritable? True, upper back pain can affect your day to day activities. Usually, when it happens to you, the pain is mostly felt in the bottom part of the neck up to the middle portion of the back, which is why the other term for upper back pain, is "middle back pain". The pain can make you miserable, such that you will not be able to perform household chores well, such as dish washing, laundry, mapping, gardening, etc. you see, even on simple things are affected with it. Your upper back pain could also be the reason of your missed workdays at the office.

Moreover, how people respond to upper back pain depends on how they perceived the pain and how they treat it. Mostly, the common mistake of people when dealing with the pain is that they consider it as the BEST indication for treatment. Pain is an unclear sign because it doesn't give you clear definition as where the pain originates, when it will last and how much is the pain. Remember, pain is but a subjective sign, it varies from person to person, so it is not a good basis for treatment. The best way to know how upper back pain is treated, is through knowing its causes. There are a lot of factors what causes upper back pain, and the main causes are

Imbalance of your muscles and joints brought about by improper posture and exhausting daily works and household chores.
Weak muscles due to aging and laborious work.
As one ages, the spine may undergo a wear and tear stage, thus causing the spine to degenerate and becomes weak.
Unused joints due to sedentary lifestyle.
The lower back can even caused upper back pain since the spine works as one system, so, when the lower back is twisted or damaged, the upper back is affected anyway.
Again, the biggest mistake a person can make in dealing with upper back pain is relying too much of the pain alone as the basis for treatment. It must be noted that the best way to approach a relief for upper back pain is by knowing the causes, and by knowing it, a long and effective relief is possible.

Upper back pain relief...

The different causes mentioned above can be approached with the following:

1) When you suddenly feel the pain on the upper back, give value to REST. When the pain happens when the time you are doing heavy works or sitting and standing for a long period, your body calls for a rest. When you at the home, you can lie down for a while to relax your back muscles. When you are at work, take some time to sit from long standing, and stand from long sitting. Do not overwork your back muscles, as this can cause strain and injury to the back. However, rest must not be done for more than 3 days, because our back may get weak when over rested. Our back needs to be active slightly, enough to strengthen the bone.

2) If the pain is less than 48 hours, hot and cold treatment can be done alternately:

Cold application always comes first than hot. This application can be in a form of ice pack which makes use crushed ice wrapped in a towel. This is then applied directly to the painful area for 15-20 minutes. This works by reducing pain and inflammation.

Hot treatment is done next. Then the pain already subsides, this is then applied to relax the area and increase the flow blood to the area, thus causing wound healing. With the use of hot bottle wrapped in a towel, apply to the injured area for 15-20 minutes.

Application should not exceed for more than 20 minutes as this may cause some bad effects to the body.
3) Anti-inflammatory drugs.

Ibuprofen is the most common anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve swelling and pain on the injured area, because of its lesser side effects.
The frequency, duration and dosage of the drug should be advised by your health care provider.
4) Upper back pain exercises

These exercises can correct all those causes mentioned above. When the spine is weak, we can strengthen it. When the spine is immobile because of sedentary lifestyle, we can work it out though exercises. When the spine is out of balance because of improper posture, we can align it and correct those bad postures. All those and more can be covered by upper back pain exercises.

Exercise One: Stand straight. Keep your lower back against the wall with your hands on your sides. Allow your palms to face outwards. Now, those arms on your side must take a slide up and down against the wall for about 15 to 20 counts. This will stretch both your back and arm muscles.

Exercise Two: Sit straight on the floor and stretch your legs in front of you. As you do this, hold your thighs with your hands and lower down your head going towards your chest. Hold in such position as long as you can, and go back to the starting position and repeat 5 times. By doing so, it can help relax the upper back muscles.

Exercise Three: Stand straight and feet apart. Slowly stretch your hands making it parallel to the ground. Slowly turn to your left gently moving your upper body and waist; go back to the starting position and do it again on the other side. You can do this exercise, 10 times. These are great stretches for upper back pain relief.

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