There are some exercises that patients with a lumbar spine syndrome can do during therapy or at home. An individual exercise plan should be adapted and coordinated by the trainer or physiotherapist for the patient. In general, it can be said that with a lumbar spine syndrome often the abdominal muscles are too weak and the muscles of the lower back are tense.
This finding often occurs in conjunction with a hollow back. If this is the case, exercises that strengthen the lower abdominal muscles can help. In a supine position on a mat or the floor, many of these exercises can be performed very well at home.
Exercises for at home
It is a good opportunity: The choice of exercises is large. In any case, it is important that the tension when doing the exercises is only felt in the stomach, the back remains relaxed. The lower back should always be pressed firmly into the support, the hollow back is thereby lifted.
This is already the most demanding part of many exercises. If the lower back comes up again and cannot be kept on the floor, the exercise should be simplified, because otherwise the already strained structures of the lumbar spine syndrome become even more stressed.
- Crunches
- Cycling
- Reverse Crunches
- Lifting legs etc.
Further exercises for at home with a lumbar spine syndrome, which train the abdominal muscles, are the forearm support in many variations as well as exercises from the starting position of the quadruped stand.
Both strengthening and mobilizing exercises can be performed in the four-footed position. Besides strengthening, mobilization is often a helpful aspect in lumbar spine syndrome. Our back loses its mobility through long one-sided postures.
Through conscious, wide movements and stretching, the mobility can be improved again and our tissue is physiologically stressed again. This can lead to a relief of the symptoms of lumbar spine syndrome. Mobilization exercises can also be taken from certain yoga or Pilates programs.
Further exercises can be found in the articles: Physiotherapy for a lumbar spine syndrome Back pain – not with a strong back Further exercises can be found in the articles:
- In the four-footed position, the interplay of tension and relaxation in the back and abdomen can be trained very well by lifting one leg and one arm diagonally and stretching them forward or backward and bringing them together again.
- Even the simple lifting of supporting pillars (arm or leg) is already a good workout.
- Physiotherapy for a LWS syndrome
- Back pain – not with a strong back
It is important to note that the name of a lumbar spine syndrome is only a description of symptoms and not a diagnosis or cause of the complaints. It does not describe a clinical picture but a complex of symptoms. The cause of the complaints must be clarified medically and therapeutically to enable causal treatment.
In the case of lumbar spine syndrome itself, symptomatic therapy can be carried out to improve function and reduce pain. If complaints occur more frequently during exercises, the exercises should be reconsidered and should be individually adapted to the patient’s findings! It is also important not to overstrain yourself.
Often patients only perform their exercises when acute problems exist. They are then very diligent and want to do something about their complaints quickly. Muscles that are not otherwise stressed are strengthened and trained.
The consequences are often sore muscles, exhaustion or tension. Patients with a lumbar spine syndrome should do the exercises that are good for them regularly to achieve long-term success. If acute problems occur, gentle exercises should be started and the intensity should be increased slowly in order not to overload the stressed tissue.
The quality of the exercise performance always takes precedence over the intensity and quantity! In the beginning, the exercises should be practiced in front of a mirror and at best with a physiotherapist. Once you have mastered them, you can do them on your own and only then increase the number of repetitions.
At the very end, aids or even weights are added. The execution of the exercise should be controlled again and again, it has priority. If pain occurs during the exercises, the execution of the exercise should first be urgently checked.
If you do not find a mistake, you should pause the exercise until you can show it to the physiotherapist or trainer. The exercise may be too demanding, in which case a simpler version may eliminate the pain.If it is neither due to overloading nor incorrect performance, the exercise is not suitable for the patient and should not be continued. There are often certain directions of movement which can worsen the symptoms of some patients.
In such cases, an individual clarification with the therapist is urgently needed, to what extent the patient should tolerate the pain, or better avoid it. If pain occurs independently of the exercises, this is often the case either after a long period of immobilization, i.e. lack of movement, or after overloading. A back school with special stretching, mobilization and strengthening exercises is suitable for this.
If you have remained in a certain posture for a long time and the symptoms occur, mobilizing exercises can alleviate the symptoms. Rotations, slight lateral inclinations, pelvic movements can loosen tense muscles, increase blood circulation and promote the production of synovial fluid in the joints. Even when taking a walk or swimming, the lower back is mobilized.
However, it is urgently important to avoid relieving postures! If pain occurs after overloading, the step position is comfortable for many (not for all!) patients.
The lower legs are elevated, e.g. on a cushion, so that a 90° angle is formed in the hip. This results in a slight flexion of the lumbar spine, which often has a relaxing and pain-relieving effect. You can also put your legs on a gym ball and then roll them slightly from right to left.
This also loosens the muscles. Also the package seat, also called the child position in yoga, can be pleasant. In this position, you sit on your heels (a cushion can be placed on the lower legs if you have knee problems) and place your upper body on your thighs. The head can be laid on the hands or on the floor. Breathing is calm and even and one tries to direct it to the back.
