Latest news with #lowerbackpain
Health Line
08-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
What's the Difference Between Flexion and Extension?
Flexion or extension of a certain body part typically refers to joints. Flexing a joint usually means closing it, and decreasing the angle between the body parts, while extending a joint means opening it, or increasing the angle. Flexion and extension are two important motions that allow us to coordinate our body movements. We all perform them in our day-to-day life without thinking about them too much. We might extend our elbow to grab a glass from the cupboard, then flex it or bend it back to bring the water glass to our lips for a sip. These are typical activities that require our body to bend or stretch the joints. Read on to learn more about flexion and extension, and how flexion or extension exercises could be beneficial for health and lower back pain. What's the difference between flexion and extension? When we flex or bend our joints, we reduce the angle between the body parts, which brings them closer together. Extension is the opposite movement, when we increase the distance between two body parts by stretching or straightening the joint. Flexing brings the body parts closer, while extending moves them further away from each other. Body parts that flex and extend include: elbow arm fingers hips toes neck spine When do we perform flexion or extension? Some examples of flexion include bending or flexing: the elbow to bring a glass to your lips your fingers to grab a pen or pencil your neck to look down at something at our feet the spine to slouch in your seat your knees when you sit down Extension is the opposite action. Examples of extension include extending or straightening: the elbow to place something on the top shelf your palm and fingers forward to feel drops of rain the neck to look up at the sky your back when sitting at your desk so that you won't slouch your knees when you stand up Can flexion and extension exercises have health benefits? Performing exercises that include flexion or extension could have certain health benefits. A 2023 study concluded that trunk flexion and extension exercises that required control of the spine improved spinal mobility and reduced muscle tension in the participants. Another 2024 study compared the effectiveness of flexion and extension lumbar exercises in people diagnosed with chronic lower back pain. The researchers followed up with the participants after 1 year and concluded that the group who performed extension back exercises experienced less pain than the group who performed flexion exercises. Here are a few examples of exercises that include flexion of your joints: What are extension-type exercises? These are some examples of exercises that involve extending your joints: upward neck extensions bed hangs glute bridges hip thrusts stepups quadruped kickbacks standing kickbacks upright hip thrusts Takeaway Flexion and extension are motions that everyone performs in their day-to-day lives. Flexing or bending your joints means bringing your body parts close together, while extending or straightening them means putting more distance between them. Flexion and extension exercises can help relieve pain and muscle tension, so it can be worthwhile to include them in your routine.
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
The 4 bodyweight exercises that will ‘CURE' lower back pain – and they only take 3 minutes
IF you're struggling with lower back pain, you're not alone. According to the World Health Organization, it affects 619 million people, and by 2050, that number is expected to rise to 843 million. 6 6 Lower back pain is also the leading cause of disability globally. It can make day-to-day life uncomfortable and get in the way of exercise, productivity and sex. But for some people, it is debilitating, forcing them to stop work, socialising and sometimes moving altogether. Kacey Russell, a personal trainer at The Fitness Group, says that lower back pain can be caused by a number of things. 1. POOR POSTURE ' POOR posture is a big contributor,' she tells Sun Health. 'So many of us sit for hours at a desk, slumped over keyboards. Or, some people work from sofas and even beds! 'While it's important to keep your back straight, sitting in any position for too long will do your back zero favours, so make a point of moving every hour. Stretch regularly or go for a walk.' Research by The Royal Society For Public Health found that nearly half (48 per cent) of people who work from a sofa or bedroom said they had developed musculoskeletal problems. 2. EXERCISE 'IF you exercise a lot, particularly endurance exercise such as running, or even lifting weights at the gym, then this can lead to tightness in the lower back too,' Kacey says. 'It's one of the reasons that warming up and cooling down is so important, to help avoid tightness and pain.' 3. INJURY LOWER back pain could also be caused by injuries, stress or even nerve damage, Kacey adds. This might be a pulled muscle or sciatica - a trapped nerve - for example. 'You should see your GP if your back pain doesn't improve after treating it at home for a few weeks, if the pain is stopping you from living your life as normal or if the pain is getting worse,' she says. EXERCISES TO IMPROVE LOWER BACK PAIN IF lower back pain is getting in your way, Kacey has four exercises to help relive it. 'These are great done in the morning to help relieve overnight stiffness, or you could break up periods of sitting with a quick stretch too,' she says. 1. Glute bridge 6 Lie back on a yoga mat with your back flat on the floor. Keep your knees bent and your feet on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands down on the mat with your arms straight. Drive your hips up as high as you can, squeezing your glutes at the top while keeping your feet on the ground. Pause for 10 to 15 seconds then slowly lower back down before repeating the move. 2. Bird dog 6 Get onto all-fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your core tight and avoid arching your back. Straighten out your left leg directly behind you while also straightening out your right arm in front of you. Your leg and arm should be level with your body. Hold your leg and arm straight for 10 to 15 seconds before slowly returning to the start. Repeat on the other side. 3. Cat cow 6 Start on all-fours again with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Take a big inhale and as you do so, think about pushing your tailbone and hips towards the ceiling, arching your spine and taking your gaze upwards. Then, as you exhale, think about tucking your belly button up toward the ceiling, taking your gaze down to the floor between your knees and rounding your back. Inhale and repeat the move. Do this for 15 seconds. 4. Deadbug 6 Lie back on your mat with your arms up straight in front of your face and your legs in tabletop position. This means they should be bent at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Take your left arm straight behind you so it hovers above the floor and at the same time, extend your right leg out straight so it hovers above the floor. Then, return to the start and repeat. Aim for 15 seconds on each side. SHOULD YOU EXERCISE WITH LOWER BACK PAIN? WHEN you're struggling with lower back pain, it's easy to assume that resting and sitting still is the best thing to do. However, Kacey says that this can often make it worse as being sedentary can cause your muscles to seize up. 'If you're feeling tight, then make sure you stretch out your lower back before exercising,' she says. 'Movement, such as walking and swimming, can help to relax muscles - but lifting heavy weights or going on a long run which involves pounding the floor, may not help. 'If you must do any intense movement, spend longer warming up beforehand.' Kacey warns that if your back pain is intense or sharp, or you're struggling to actually move at all, you must see your GP before embarking on exercise. And when you do any physical activity, regardless of whether you're in pain or not, be sure to warm up and cool down. 'The best thing you can do before exercise is warm up with some dynamic stretches, which involve movement, such as leg swings and the stretches above,' she adds. 'Then after exercise, spend at least five minutes cooling down with static stretches - these are still stretches such as a hamstring stretch.'
The Independent
22-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
A chartered physiotherapist shares three exercises that can ‘help reduce lower back pain'
Such is the prevalence of lower back pain that, in 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released guidelines for 'non-surgical management' of the condition. An accompanying report states that lower back pain affected 619 million people globally in 2020, with that figure only expected to grow due to 'population expansion and ageing '. About 90 per cent of cases are non-specific – 'it isn't possible to identify a specific disease or structural reason to explain the pain'. According to the report, the major risk factors for non-specific lower back pain are low physical activity levels, obesity, smoking and high physical stress at work. As a result, 'physical therapies to improve muscle strength and ability to move', as well as 'lifestyle changes including more physical activity, healthy diet and good sleep habits', are front and centre among WHO's suggested treatments. How to use movement to manage lower back pain For many people, varied movement can be beneficial for easing lower back pain if approached in an appropriate, gradual and progressive way. After all, the body adheres to the SAID (specific adaptation to imposed demands) principle, so if pain-free movement of the spine is the goal, slowly reintroducing movement in this area is the obvious way to achieve it. Likewise, strengthening the surrounding muscles can help you build a strong base of support and stability for your spine. But what sort of movements can we use to achieve this? Below, chartered physiotherapist and Physique ambassador Tash Gale shares three exercises which 'can be helpful to reduce lower back pain'. Between them, they aim to mobilise the spine, reduce stiffness in the lower back and hips, and build core stability. However, she adds: 'Exercises chosen for back pain should be specifically chosen for an individual for their needs and the exercise should be tailored to the individual.' A physiotherapist's three exercises for reducing lower back pain Exercise one: Cat/cow stretch Sets: 3 Repetitions: 5-10 Start in a tabletop position, on your hands and knees with your arms straight, knees at a right angle, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale and lift your head and tailbone to arch your back. This is the 'cow' portion of the exercise. Exhale and tuck your chin and pelvis to round your spine. This is the 'cat' portion of the exercise. Benefits 'This move helps improve mobility and flexibility in the spine, gently mobilising the back and abdominal muscles to reduce tension and encourage natural spine mobilisation,' Gale explains. Exercise two: Knee rolls Sets: 3 Repetitions: 5-10 each side Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms out to your sides in a T-shape for support. Keep your shoulders flat on the ground throughout. Slowly drop both knees to one side, rotating through your spine and hips. Hold this position for five to 10 seconds, lift your knees back up to return to the starting position, then drop them to the other side. Benefits 'Knee rolls can help reduce stiffness in the lower back and hips,' says Gale. 'Engage the core muscles gently to support spinal control and improve spinal rotation and flexibility. It also promotes relaxation and stress relief through rhythmic movement.' Lie on your back on a yoga mat with your arms extended towards the ceiling. Engage your core by gently tightening your belly button down towards your spine, flatten your back against the floor and find engagement through your pelvic floor. Keeping your core engaged, lift your legs so your thighs are vertical and your knees are bent at a right angle. Slowly lower your right arm and extend your left leg towards the floor, keeping your back flat. Return to the starting position, then repeat with the opposite arm and leg. 'If your lower back lifts off the floor, reduce the range of motion [how far you lower your arms and legs] until your core is stronger,' Gale advises. Benefits 'This exercise helps to build core stability without stressing the spine,' Gale says. 'It encourages the correct movement patterns between the limbs and core, strengthens the deep abdominal muscles that support your lower back, and also helps improve coordination and neuromuscular control, reducing your risk of injury.'
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Back pain can be eased with walking – but there's a specific number of minutes to reach per day
Hitting 10,000 steps a day is a goal for millions of us. But the number of minutes we walk for may be a more important target to focus on. Scientists believe being on your feet for over an hour-and-a-half every day could slash the risk of chronic lower back pain. Norwegian and Danish researchers found people who walk for over 100 minutes a day cut this risk by almost a quarter compared to those who clocked 78 minutes per day or less. They also discovered faster walkers were less likely to have chronic back pain—but the effect was less pronounced than walking for longer. Experts, who labelled the findings important, urged policy makers to push walking as a 'public health strategy' to reduce the risk of the agonising condition. In many cases, lower back pain starts suddenly and improves within a few days or weeks. But if it sticks around for more than three months, it's classed as chronic, according to the NHS. In some cases, it can be considered a disability. In the study, 11,194 Norwegians, with an average age of 55, were quizzed on their health and how much exercise they did per week. Almost a sixth (14.8 per cent) reported suffering from lower back pain, answering 'yes' to the following questions, 'During the last year, have you had pain and/or stiffness in your muscles or joints that lasted for at least three consecutive months? and 'Where have you had this pain or stiffness?' Participants were considered to have the condition if they answered yes to the first question and reported pain in the lower back to the second. Both men and women were involved in the study, and 100 minutes was found to be the optimum length of time for both sexes, and all ages. Writing in the journal JAMA Network Open, the researchers concluded: 'Compared with walking less than 78 minutes per day, those who walked more than 100 minutes per day had a 23 per cent reduced risk of chronic lower back pain. 'The reduction in risk of chronic lower back pain leveled off beyond a walking volume of about 100 minutes per day. 'Our findings suggest that daily walking volume is more important than mean walking intensity in reducing the risk of chronic lower back pain. 'These findings suggest that policies and public health strategies promoting walking could help to reduce the occurrence of chronic lower back pain.' The researchers also noted that their results are 'likely generalisable beyond the Norwegian adult population, as physical inactivity prevalence in Norway is comparable to that observed in other high-income countries'. They did note some limitations of the study, including that participants with higher walking volume tended to exercise more often and reported higher physical work demands, which might give them a physical advantage over other members of the group. In the UK, musculoskeletal conditions (MSK)—including back pain—are the second biggest reason for people being 'economically inactive'—where someone is out of work and not looking for work. Figures released by the Government in December 2024 revealed that MSK conditions affect approximately 646,000 Britons, 1-in-4 of the 2.8m who are claiming long-term sickness benefits. MSK comes second only to mental health issues for reasons why people are unable to work. It was estimated that 23.4 million working days in the UK were lost due to MSK conditions in 2022. NHS waiting lists for MSK community services are the highest of all community waits in England, with 348,799 people in September 2024 waiting to see a specialist. As part of their Get Britain Working White Paper, the Government pledged a £3.5million package to 17 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England to improve local MSK services.
New York Times
16-06-2025
- Health
- New York Times
A Gentle Yoga Routine for Low Back Pain
When your lower back hurts, your first instinct may be to take it easy or stay in bed. 'It's a very natural human reaction, but it's not a good thing,' said Dr. Robert Saper, chair of the Wellness and Preventative Medicine department at Cleveland Clinic. There's rarely one identifiable cause for low back pain, which can make it difficult to treat. Muscle tightness and imbalances, wear and tear of the spinal discs and vertebrae, conditions like scoliosis and stress can all contribute to back pain. But moving your body, in many cases, can help alleviate pain. A growing body of research suggests that yoga can be an effective way to reduce the intensity of chronic low back pain and make everyday movements more comfortable. Many yoga poses help stretch and strengthen the muscles in the legs, hips, core and along the spine, which support the back, Dr. Saper said. Some poses can also help counteract muscular imbalances by moving your body through opposite movement patterns. The supported bridge pose in the routine below, for example, opens up the front of your body, which can offset the effects of sitting at a desk all day. If you have lower back pain, props like blocks, a yoga strap or even a chair can help make poses more accessible, said Deborah Wolk, founder of Samamkaya Yoga Back Care and Scoliosis Collective in New York City, a studio that specializes in therapeutic yoga. If you've had a serious or acute injury, check with your doctor before starting yoga. Move slowly in and out of each pose in the sequence below. Stop if you feel sudden, sharp pain in any pose, Dr. Saper said. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
