Benefits Of Exercise For Back Pain

Reap The Benefits Of Exercise And Live With Your Pain

By Jarrett Kruse

The benefits of exercise in relief of back pain are well established. Strengthening exercise and back pain stretches relive back pain, but back pain exercises go beyond pain relief to build up muscles and flexibility for critical back pain prevention. Any comprehensive program of back pain management and back pain therapy should include a complete set of exercises including stretching for back pain, as well as strengthening and flexibly exercises. There are also therapeutic benefits to a program of good nutrition for back pain and activities which increase stamina and range of motion.

Exercise is extremely beneficial for overcoming and avoiding back pain and underlying conditions that cause it. Activities such as swimming or low impact aerobics can aid in circulation, build muscle tone and strength, and contribute to general fitness, all of which help you in resisting back pain and back injury. In addition, specific back exercises work on strengthening core muscles to help support the back. They also increase flexibility and range of motion, which make you far less vulnerable to the kind of back injury that can come with sudden or unusual motion. Both upper and lower back exercises focus on strengthening, flexibility, and range of motion. Some of the most popular strengthening exercises are:

  • Controlled leg lifts—These strengthen the abdominal muscles and are part of core training
  • Crunches—These also strengthen muscles around the body’s core, which support the spine
  • Rows—Variations of this exercise strengthen the Latissimus Dorsi, the muscles that stretch down the side to the mid-back
  • Shrugs—These exercise the Trapezius, and Levator Scapulae, the muscles that go along the upper back and neck

A healthcare provider, physical therapist, or several websites can illustrate exactly how to do these and many other exercises, so you can reap the fiull benefits of using exercise to treat back ailments.