Advice for Back Pain

njjswim

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Hi,
I don't take anything but some Mobic (long acting Motirn) when I get severe spasms in the back but need some stretching exercises. I wake up feeling like I can barely stand up and have pin point tendernness in L2. I saw a doc and he recommended some stuff. X-ray normal. I think it's arthritis. I still bike ride, swim, and do my situps but some mornings or days it gets pretty bad. Maybe I need yoga or something. Anybody else dealing with this?

Phoenix_Rising

Yoga is FANTASTIC for back pain.
My bestest does a special yoga specifically targeted to increase lower back strength, thus reducing pain. I don't know the name of the dvd, sorry :frown:

Phoenix_Rising

Also, maybe you can have a trainer / friend/ fitness person watch your form as you walk or run. Often, bad posture while walking or running causes back pain. Check your shoes too. Do you have proper support? Maybe it has to do with your arches?

zebras

I didn't have specific back pain, but my entire body was a mess at 275 lbs when I started my weight loss journey. After three days of doing the easiest yoga poses on the Wii Fit, I felt like I had a new body. I'm not advocating the Wii Fit for this, but if the simplest yoga poses did that well for me, I would imagine how well serious yoga could do for you.

njjswim

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Thanks. I will find out soon enough. I so have some yoga videos I can try and palates. My shoes are good with special inserts but I do have a torn minicus and ACL, from an MVA which changes how my left knee moves. I can't run my 5K a day anymore thats when I went to swimming. But your right I need to work on back strength again, and maybe get an MRI.:sad:

njjswim

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I have the WII fit and have not used it since last Christmas forgot I had Julians program from Biggest loser, and some other program for weight loss and just forgot about them.

zebras

Since you already have it, just do the simple yoga poses that don' involve getting down on the ground. Even use a chair to lean on for the ones on one leg, so you don't hurt yourself further. Try it for a week and see how you feel.

dbg1

For L2, stretch the hips, do exercises for glutes, abs.

SHBoss1673

Yep, this is exactly what my wife had. Although it's a good idea to get an MRI, you definitly should do some core building, you'd be shocked at how much our back and legs are influenced by our abdomninals and even our obliques! Crunches, planks, exercise ball routines, yoga, V-situps, leg lifts, scissor kicks... all of them are excellent for increasing core strength. It'll take a good month to get it back up to par, but once you're there, it'll feel great.

JDHINAZ

Regarding yoga, you need to be very careful with this if you have lower back pain. It can indeed strengthen your back, but it can just as easily injure it more IF you are not certain you are doing the poses correctly. I suggest finding a yoga studio with small classes and ask the instructor to give you some special attention to ensure you are doing the poses correctly.

I'm not advising you against doing yoga, just be extra careful in ensuring you are doing it correctly.

I have a herniated disc and degenerative discs, first time I tried yoga I really wrecked my back. Then I went to a studio and learned the tiny adjustments needed to do it correctly. It does help, just be cautious.

Also, you kind find some great stretching exercises on the internet, too. I highly recommend that.

Phoenix_Rising

JDHINAZ's advice is on the money.

I took my sister with me to a yoga class I hadn't been to before. I was ticked when the instructor didn't advise proper positioning, because my sister has knee problems. I went over multiple times to correct my sister's posturing, much to the irritation of the horrible instructor. (What could I do? I wasn't able to let my sister hyperextend her knee and end up in MORE pain!!)

My yoga instructors are great to come position and reposition me, advising verbally where to keep your knees and joints, how to align your body as to avoid injury. That is something you can't get from DVDs, but once learned, it's easily applied later during DVDs.

njjswim

Thanks my back and hamstrings are very tight I need to work on basic stretching too. I will definately seek help about this.

Thanks again