Discussion Board

Steve, almost all low back pain comes from excessive lumbar flexion (forward bending). When you bend forward the intervertebral discs are pushed backward. Do this often enough and you end up with bulging or herniated discs. Bulging and herniated discs can cause the kind of pain you have experienced.

While it is true that strengthening your "core" can help with low back pain, doing sit-ups is the very last core exercise anyone with back issues should do. Sit-ups are just more forward flexion.

If I were you I would discontinue the sit-ups and the toe touchers and any other forward flexing exercise until you have gone through a proper core stabilization training program like the one here: http://www.vibrantvegan.com/core.html

You need to focus on stabilization and extension(back bending) exercises.

Hope this helps!

Vibrant Vegan,

Thanks for the good advice. I am avoiding sit ups now. It has been a long time since this thread started. Here is my update. The Core Evolution trainer is extremely helpful. I seldom have lower back pain. It uses a process called "reverse hyper extension".

I was doing great for a long while. Then I got out my old "Total Gym". Unfortunately the total gym collapsed on me and I hurt my neck. The model I had started slipping some time ago but there was a pin that was a backup system to keep the machine from collapsing. Unfortunately I began to rely on the back up system and it eventually failed. The ball bearing on the pin became jammed and the pin eventually ejected when the machine collapsed.

I never had significant neck pain before and found this to be a real challenge. Visits to the chiroptrator helped me stabalize my neck. She mentioned problems with the Atlas and Jupiter or something. After the worst of it was over, the Chiropractor gave me some stretches that helped and I am very much on the mend. I called the total gym people and they sent me a new gym. The new one seems to be much better constructed and I feel safe, although I have not started using it yet.

What I found safe to use is the exercise ball called "Melt it off" with Mitch Gaylord and the G-Ball. It is an exercise system being sold by infomercial. If you order this you might want to buy the additional two heavier balls and quickly refuse refills of the vitamins that are part of the program. Anyway I never used a program like this before but I find the use of lunges, squats and the exercise ball are great, that I get my heart rate up and there is plenty of variety so I am hoping to avoid overuse injuries from being too repetitive. There is even some running in place, jumping jacks and pushups involved. There are various levels of exercises offered so that it can be tailored to your abilities. I found I cannot do the situps/crunches at all without neck pain. I just do something else when these come around.

I continue to use the core evolution trainer. I have not had problem with sciatica and my lower back is much stronger.

Vibrant Vegan gave good advice about avoiding some exercises with back pain.

Steve

beatherica:

Sorry about your back pain. If it were me I would see a good chiropractor pronto. Sounds like you need medical help.

Steve

oops, double post.

Can you describe the stretches/exercises that are helping with your neck pain? I'm having some too after being whiplashed in a car accident where someone hit me from behind while I was stopped. Thanks, Joe.

Sure,

I will share what I am doing under a doctor's care. I am not recommending that anyone do these unless their doctor agrees that this type of thing would be helpful or at least not hurtful.

Others on this board, including Burgess, use a book called Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain, by Pete Egoscue to great effect. I have the book and it provides relief from all sorts of pain. You might read Mr. Egoscue's book which is a self help thing. He also has some clinics around the country if you are not up to doing things on your own. There is real wisdom and great ideas in the book. But I use a chiropractor for now.

The chiropractor was able to realign somethings called the Atlas, Axis and or Ajax, sorry for not remembering exactly. Then she wanted me to do some gentle stretches to strengthen my neck muscles. I think the idea is that the whiplash stretched some ligaments or something which used to keep my head in the correct position.

So I recommend that you see a chiropractor before starting these stretches. And make sure these stretches are appropriate and not hurtful. I was told not to do this if in anyway I feel pain or resistance. It should be a gentle stretch. I am not trying to adjust anything. if my neck is "out" the stretches hurt and I need to stop the stretches for a while until I get adjusted. The problem is that I forget to be regular about doing the stretches. I think if I was consistent I could go much longer without the need for visiting the Chiropartor.

That said. If everything is working correctly, I stand up straight, feet about shoulder width apart. I reach over my head with my right hand, elbow in line with my my shoulder and place the tips of my finders of my right hand near the top of my head on left side. I gently pull my head slightly and to the right ten times. I let the head recover to up right each time I press by removing pressure on my fingers, although I leave the fingers in place. I then reverse things and use my left hand to pull my head to the left side ten times.

Next I place the finder tips of both hands on the top of my forehead and push lightly press my head backwards 10 times. I let the head recover to up right each time I press by removing pressure on my fingers, although I leave the fingers in place. Finally, I put the fingertips behind my head near the top and gently push my head forward ten times. I let the head recover to up right each time I press by removing pressure on my fingers, although I leave the fingers in place.

I repeat the sequence 3 times. The exercise takes a minute or two. I do this several times a day. Thanks for the reminder I will do these again as I have no neck pain now and I do not want it to return.

Steve

OK thanks. Yes, I've read Egoscue; thought he had a clinic only in California but I'll look online for more.