Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
This article is going to be short and simple to make a
direct point about exercises that are bad for many people with back pain.
I would estimate that close to 80% of low back disc pain
patients, either with or without sciatica or buttock pain, have a flexion
intolerant back. This means they have a disc injury which is exacerbated by
bending the low back forward.
I’ve learned people often create or reinforce pain in their
bodies performing incorrect or unsuitable daily movements. For those with
flexion intolerant lower backs, they must avoid forward bending exercises in
the early stages of healing. This includes toe touching, crunches, pulling the
knees to the chest, laying on the back and twisting a knee to the side, sitting
and toe touching. The absolute worst thing we do is sit too much. Sitting IS lumbar flexion which can create
the exact pain you are trying to rid yourself of!
If you have back pain of this nature and you do these
exercises they actually feel good when you do them. These forward stretches
quiet the sensors within the lumbar extensor muscles. The confusing conundrum
begins about 20 minutes to an hour later when the pain starts to worsen. Most
people do not correlate the action to the later, distant, reaction.
People must be taught how to correctly enter/exit a vehicle,
how to get up/down from a chair, or tie their shoes properly. You must also
learn how to bend at the waist properly, contracting the correct muscles so you
prevent getting hurt by picking up a piece of paper from the floor.
Chiropractic, in my office, is more than adjusting the
spine, it’s knowing how, when, and where to instruct patients to get themselves
well and keep themselves well. Proper exercises and daily movements are a huge
part of relieving pain conditions. Most people hurt themselves throughout the
day and don’t even realize it.