Patients who go to Rehab Centres for Physiotherapy seek treatment that aids their recovery in the short term for immediate relief, and in the long-term for sustainable relief. Physiotherapy treats a variety of injuries, immune diseases, post-surgical recoveries, pediatric conditions, neurological disorders, and even respiratory diseases. When patients book in for Physiotherapy Treatment at LiveWell Health and Physiotherapy, they not only receive physiotherapy treatment at our rehab centre, but they are also given home exercises to accompany the treatments.
Today, we’re sharing some home exercise tips for lower back pain that can help physiotherapy patients in the recovery process.
How We Start Physiotherapy Treatments for Lower Back Pain and General Back Pain
Each patient that comes into LiveWell Health and Physiotherapy, has a unique set of problems that affects how their body moves and their muscles work. Our Physiotherapists will ask about a patient’s history, the reason for their visit and the outcome they are hoping for. This allows for a Physiotherapist to create a complete picture of the situation and decide on the best method of Physiotherapy treatments or other rehabilitation treatments at the centre. But the treatments received only take a patient so far.
Like any other medical problem, there is always the initial treatment that is then often followed by additional treatments or supplementary resolutions to the problem. For example, with a sinus infection, one may be treated with antibiotics as an initial form of treatment, but a doctor may also recommend taking extra vitamins, nasal sprays or extra rest until the body has time to recover. Physiotherapy treatments work in a similar way.
Your Physiotherapist will be able to treat your problem while at our rehab centre, but they will give home exercise treatments that strengthen the effect of their work. Home exercise treatments allow patients to aid in their own recovery and allow them to take control of their wellbeing in the days between their appointments.
Physiotherapy: Home Exercises for Lower Back Pain and General Back Pain
Depending on your body and what you are being treated for, it will determine the types of home exercises you can do to help your Physiotherapy progress. Here are some of the common home exercise treatments our Physiotherapists give to patients for targeted treatment of lower back pain and general back pain. Only perform these exercises if you are generally well and fit to do so, or if your Physiotherapist has recommended them.
- The most basic exercise for back pain that can be done almost anywhere, is the standing stretch. To perform this exercise, stand up straight with arms down by your sides, allowing the palms of each hand to touch the outer thigh. Very slowly, bend to the right side and let your arm and hand slide down the side of the leg until a comfortable stretch is reached. To get out of this stretch, slowly unbend and allow your arm and hand to return to the initial resting position. Make sure you even out the stretch by repeating the same exercise on the other side!
- This exercise is similar to our back stretching and warm-ups for Raking Leaves but without trunk rotations. To stretch out your back muscles on both the right and left side, we recommend by lying flat on your back, allowing your legs to stretch out. From here, bend your right knee and bring it up towards your chest, holding it in place. Keep this position for 10-20 seconds and then slowly release your leg to its stretched-out position. And, you may have guessed, make sure to repeat the stretch on the left side!
- To get a deep stretch in all areas of your back, your physiotherapist may recommend trying a common yoga position—Child’s Pose! To achieve this stretch, start by kneeling on all fours (your knees and your hands) with your arms aligned under each shoulder holding up the front of your body. Allow your body to gently shift back. This will cause your bottom to move closer to your heels and strengthens your back’s natural curve. As your body shifts backwards, your arms will naturally move into a straight line, over your head.
- If you thought Child’s Pose was playful, then you’ll love the Cat Stretch too. This stretching position starts out the same as the previous—you’ll need to kneel on all fours. Then, much like a cat, you’ll need to arch your back up to the ceiling, then curve it down towards the ground. To do this, concentrate your energy on your abdominal muscles. To arch your back upwards to the ceiling, pretend there’s a string pulling your back up and hold the pose for 10 seconds. This will create a natural curve in the spine, which stretches out the muscles. Slowly, let your back out of this position and curve it inwards, letting your abdomen drop towards the floor, but pushing your bottom slightly upwards. This creates a curve in your spine to also stretch out your muscles. To get the most out of this stretching exercise, do 10 to 20 repetitions.
- Another very basic exercise that most patients can do at home is the Seated Rotational Stretch. To do this, you’ll need a chair or stool without arms. Start with your legs bent, knees at a 90-degree angle to the floor, feet planted flat. Then, you’ll need to cross your right leg over your left leg. Place your right arm over your crossed leg, allowing your elbow to rest against your right knee. This twist will gently stretch out your lower back muscles. And as you may have guessed, you’ll need to do the same on the other side. If you hear a small cracking noise when you do this stretch—don’t worry! It’s completely normal and is the same type of adjusting your body does when you go for Chiropractic treatments.
Book an Appointment at One of Our Clinics
Although we’ve only listed 5 home exercises for Physiotherapy specific to back pain, there are plenty more exercises that target specific areas of the body. If you have neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, or leg pain, our Physiotherapists can provide you with suitable exercises for your body. If you need Physiotherapy in Waterloo, please contact LiveWell Health and Physiotherapy for more information and to book an initial assessment. We are proud to provide the best Physiotherapy Treatments in Waterloo and Kitchener and are always looking to help out our patients in any way possible. If you have any questions about your Physiotherapy treatments or home exercises, we would be happy to assist.