A spinal canal stenosis of the lumbar spine is a narrowing of the spinal canal of the spinal column. The conservative treatment of this narrowing is purely symptomatic, i.e. the pain caused is treated, not the narrowing of the spinal canal. Almost all (>95%) spinal canal stenoses of the lumbar spine can be successfully treated by conservative therapy. In addition to drug treatment of the pain, physiotherapeutic measures are very helpful in getting the pain under control.
8 simple exercises to imitate
Take about 20 minutes for the following 8 exercises. The following eight exercises should be done 3 – 4 times per week. 1. exercise – “self-mobilization” 2. exercise – “step positioning” 3. exercise – “upper body bending” 4. exercise – “rolling up” 5. exercise – “knee extension” 6. exercise – “wall pressing” 7. exercise – “boxing” 8. exercise – “rotation” exercise with the Blackroll®.
Exercises for at home
Self-mobilization, such as rolling up and down the spine in a quadruped position, has a positive effect on spinal canal stenosis in the lumbar spine. 1st Exercise To create space and relief in the lower back for yourself, the patient can place his or her upper body on a table in a prone position, with the pelvic bones flush with the edge of the table. The legs hang down freely, thus acting as weight and creating space in the back by pulling.
The therapist can support the patient by pushing the vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine apart with a cross grip. 2nd Exercise Further simple, relieving exercises or positions which can be given to the patient at home are the step positioning. Here the patient lies in a supine position with the legs higher up, for example on a chair or the back of a sofa.
3. exercise Furthermore, the upper body protrusion in the seat brings relief. In the wide-legged seat on a chair, the upper body is laid without any tension over thighs and knees and left hanging for some time. During the subsequent straightening, vertebrae are rolled up slowly and in a controlled manner, vertebra by vertebra.
If there is insufficient flexibility, the forearms can be supported on the thighs – nevertheless, an attempt should be made to let as much tension as possible fall from the upper body. 4th Exercise A final relief exercise takes place on a soft mat in supine position. The thighs are gently pulled against the upper body, the knees are bent and all tension is released.
If you feel comfortable, you can swing slowly back and forth from this curled up position and thus cause a self-massage of the lower back muscles. More exercises can be found in the articles:
- Which exercises for spinal canal stenosis
- Fascial training.
- Physiotherapy Mobilization exercises
- Back school for spinal canal stenosis
In addition, the therapy should work on the entire posture to avoid a possible hollow back and to get the body stable for everyday life. In everyday life it is important to change the position regularly to avoid long lasting stress on a structure.
In addition, lifting and carrying heavy objects should be avoided and, if necessary, the own body weight should be reduced. All of this places a further heavy strain on the back and spine, which only worsens the symptoms. Particularly in the case of back problems, correct posture and appropriate behavior in everyday life is crucial, which is why education should not be disdained as an integral part of therapy.
Exercise You lie on a mat in a supine position and press the lumbar spine firmly into the floor by tensing the abdomen and tilting the pelvis forward. The legs are angled 90° in the knee joint in the air. One leg remains in this position while the other stretches and bends back towards the floor.
The foot never has contact with the floor. After 15 whl. change the leg.
The exercise becomes more difficult when both legs are stretched at the same time. It is important to always keep the abdominal tension so that the lower back is not pulled into the hollow back. Perform 3 x 15 rolls.
2nd Exercise Stand hip-wide and slightly bent in the knees with your heels against a wall. The buttocks as well as the shoulder blades are in contact with the wall. Press your lower back firmly against the wall by tensing your stomach and tilting your pelvis forward.
In your hands you hold a weight (1-2 kg) or the ends of a Theraband on which you stand. This increases the tension on the abdomen and the body is shifted forward.The fuselage has to work exactly against this pull. The arms are then slowly brought back down to the starting position.
Perform 3 x 15 whl. 3rd exercise Stand with your hips wide, knees slightly bent and back straight. Tilt your pelvis forward and tense your stomach.
In your hands you hold a weight (1-2 kg). The upper arms are pressed against the upper body. Now bend your elbow joint 90° so that your weight is in your hands in front of you.
For 15 seconds you make very fast small boxing movements. The abdominal tension prevents the torso from rotating too much. 4th exercise Take the same position as in exercise 3.
Instead of small boxing movements this time perform small fast rotations with the upper body for 15 seconds. However, the hips and shoulders must not move too much. It is important to intercept the movement of the arms through the abdominal tension and thus train the muscles between the vertebrae. All 4 exercises serve to achieve segmental stability in the lumbar spine. Further exercises for a stable and physiological posture can be found in the articles:
- Physiotherapy for spinal canal stenosis
- Exercises against a hollow back
- Spinal canal stenosis – exercises for at home
