Low Back Pain Exercises - Jaspal Ricky Singh MD

Jaspal R Singh, M.D.
www.rickysinghmd.com

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center
525 East 68th Street, Baker 16
New York, NY 10065
TEL: 212.746.1500
FAX: 212.746.8303





Jaspal R Singh, M.D.
www.rickysinghmd.com

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Cornell Medical Center
525 East 68th Street, Baker 16
New York, NY 10065
TEL: 212.746.1500
FAX: 212.746.8303
Low Back Pain Exercises
Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your injured leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep
your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back
of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing
this or you will stretch your lower back instead of your leg. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30
seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Cat and camel: Get down on your hands and knees. Let your stomach sag, allowing your back to
curve downward. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Then arch your back and hold for 5
seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
Quadruped arm/leg raise: Get down on your hands and knees. Tighten your abdominal muscles to
stiffen your spine. While keeping your abdominals tight, raise one arm and the opposite leg
away from you. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Lower your arm and leg slowly and
alternate sides. Do this 10 times on each side.
Pelvic tilt: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal
muscles and push your lower back into the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax.
Do 3 sets of 10.
Partial curl: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your stomach
muscles. Tuck your chin to your chest. With your hands stretched out in front of you, curl
your upper body forward until your shoulders clear the floor. Hold this position for 3 seconds.
Don't hold your breath. It helps to breathe out as you lift your shoulders up. Relax. Repeat
10 times. Build to 3 sets of 10. To challenge yourself, clasp your hands behind your head
and keep your elbows out to the side.
Gluteal stretch: Lying on your back with both knees bent, rest the ankle of one leg over the knee of
your other leg. Grasp the thigh of the bottom leg and pull that knee toward your chest. You
will feel a stretch along the buttocks and possibly along the outside of your hip on the top
leg. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Extension exercise: Lie face down on the floor for 5 minutes. If this hurts too much, lie face down with
a pillow under your stomach. This should relieve your leg or back pain. When you can lie on
your stomach for 5 minutes without a pillow, then you can continue with the rest of this
exercise.
After lying on your stomach for 5 minutes, prop yourself up on your elbows for another 5 minutes. Lie flat
again for 1 minute, then press down on your hands and extend your elbows while keeping
your hips flat on the floor. Hold for 1 second and lower yourself to the floor. Repeat 10 times.
Do 4 sets. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. You should have no pain in your legs when you
do this, but it is normal to feel pain in your lower back. Do this several times a day.
Side Plank: Lie on your side with your legs, hips, and shoulders in a straight line. Prop yourself up onto
your forearm so your elbow is directly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the floor and
balance on your forearm and the outside of your foot. Try to hold this position for 15
seconds, then slowly lower your hip to the ground. Switch sides and repeat. Work up to
holding for 1 minute or longer. This exercise can be made easier by starting with your knees
and hips flexed to 45 degree angles