If you have severe or persistent back pain, consult a back expert or surgeon for proper assessment and diagnosis, as some conditions may require medical intervention like surgery, epidurals, or painkillers.
Determine if you have a ’thick spine’ (thicker joints, barrel-chested, stable vertically) or ’thin spine’ (smaller joints, more bendy) to understand your body’s natural predispositions and emphasize appropriate strengthening protocols.
Lie down with one knee bent, hands under your lower back to maintain its arch, tongue on roof of mouth, and gently raise your upper chest (not chin) for 8-10 seconds, exhaling to contract abdominals strongly; this strengthens the abdominal wall without exacerbating disc herniation.
Start on your side with bent knees (or progress to straight legs), supported by a fisted hand, and push your hips off the ground to form a straight plank, actively pushing the floor away from you for 8-10 seconds to build spine stability.
On all fours, extend one arm forward (fist) and the opposite leg backward, keeping your torso parallel to the floor without arching your lower back, while actively pushing the ground away with your planted hand and knee for 8-10 seconds to strengthen spinal stabilizers.
If experiencing back pain from a posterior disc bulge, perform ‘Cobra’ or ‘Up Dog’ pushups by lying on your stomach and pushing up with your hands while keeping hips on the floor, which helps push the disc back into alignment and relieve nerve impingement.
Lie on your side, keep the bottom leg on the floor, and with your top toe pointed down, bring your top leg forward, then extend it back with the heel towards the ceiling, holding the final extension for 10-20 seconds to activate and de-spasm the medial glute, which can relieve low back pain.
Gently hang from a bar with your toes, feet, or heels lightly touching the floor for 10-30 seconds, creating length along the spine to relieve disc compression and nerve impingement, being cautious not to twist.
If you have a posterior disc bulge and sit or drive frequently, place a rolled-up towel in the arch of your lower back to prevent rounding and maintain a beneficial spinal alignment.
Perform a lunge with the arm on the same side as the extended back leg reaching overhead, palm parallel to the ceiling and pinky pointing towards your head, to stretch the psoas muscle and relieve hip/spinal tension.
Place fists under your jaw and push your chin down against their resistance for 10-second static contractions, with your tongue on the roof of your mouth, to strengthen the front of your neck, improve posture, and support nasal breathing.
Practice spreading your toes independently and lifting each toe separately to strengthen the feet, improve overall body stability, and support the entire kinetic chain up to the spine.
When not exercising, consciously relax your abdominals and practice nasal breathing where your belly expands on inhalation and contracts on exhalation, promoting relaxation and optimal respiratory patterns.
During resistance exercises like dumbbell curls or overhead triceps extensions, adopt a staggered stance with one foot forward and insist on keeping your belly button facing directly forward to train anti-rotational core strength.
Consciously observe your daily posture, breathing habits, and movement patterns (e.g., leaning, foot placement) to identify and correct imbalances or habits that contribute to back pain or limit mobility.