First off, Happy New Year to you.  I hope 2009 is a great year for you.  In today’s post I wanted to share some recent research on rehab exercises for low back pain with you.  I think most people have had or will have some form of back pain in their life.  With the introduction of computers, more people sit all day long and this alone has increased back pain due to prolonged static positioning in poor postures leading to daily “not so good” mechanical loading of the disc.

I suffer from sciatica myself at times, so I personally care a great deal about maintaining a healthy back.  A recent research article I read in The Journal of Orhopedic and Sports Physical Therapy looked at surface EMG readings of certain back muscles with different exercises.  These exercise included extensions, side bending, bridging, lifting opposite hands and legs in the air and many others.

The key points I want to share are:

  1. Exercises where the trunk was maximally extended to end range against gravity (picture a 45 degree back extension machine at the gym) with resistance produced the greatest muscle contraction
  2. The ideal prescription for muscle development was 15-18 reps with a 5 second isometric hold at the end of each contraction

So, the take home message here is to strengthen and create a healthy back, lower loads and higher reps with targeted extension exercises are best for maximal strength development.  One controversial point was the suggestion that despite high compressive loads with full hyperextension, some clinicians may need to choose that motion anyway to achieve desired results.  Personally, I am never a big fan of end range hyperextension on a repetitive basis, so I am not sure I would advocate that end range extension unless I were working with a gymnast or athlete who would be utilizing that motion in sport.

So, if you suffer from back pain you will want to add in some extension work at home.  You can do prone (laying on the stomach) opposite arm and leg lifts, superman lifts or even extensions on a stability ball.  I have included pictures of the prone superman and a weighted mediciane ball stability ball back extension exercise I recommend in my new golf conditioning book below. 

Prone Superman

Prone Superman

Prone Unstable Medcine Ball Back Extension

Prone Unstable Medcine Ball Back Extension