Simple Exercises for Back Injury Recovery

Please note: Our lawyers are not doctors. These exercise suggestions are the result researching many expert medical resources.

More often than not, those who incur back injuries are in for a long, hard road to recovery.  Chronic and temporary back pain affect around 100 million Americans, making it the second most common reason for doctors’ office visits. While medical treatment and medication certainly do their parts to help back injury victims on their journey to rehabilitation, proper, focused exercise has been proven to treat and even prevent back pain.

Although your injury may prompt you to stay in bed to avoid moving as much as possible, staying active is incredibly important to your recovery process as well as preventing your pain from worsening. The largest personal injury settlement in the world is nothing compared to living a pain-free life. The exercises below are simple and low-impact, so implementing them into your everyday routine should be relatively easy.

Low-Impact Cardio Aerobics

First and foremost, back injury victims should focus on becoming physically fit. Cardio exercises, such as walking or water aerobics, are a great way to get in shape and reduce pain. Additionally, those who are dedicated to making aerobic exercise a part of their daily routine are less likely to sink into an inactive state. As you can imagine, this is crucial to recovery.

Simply going for a walk everyday is an easy way to get in shape and stay active. It’s especially ideal for those with back injuries because walking with proper form keeps the spine in a straight, comfortable position. While walking, maintain a constant pace for 20 to 30 minutes as this is the recommended period to achieve proper aerobic conditioning. If you find that to be too difficult, try breaking it up throughout the day. Go on five 6 minute walks instead, or three 10 minute walks.

Stretching

Stiffness in the back, hips, and legs is one of the main culprits of back pain. Therefore, pushing your range of motion helps alleviate pain while simultaneously improving flexibility. The latter is particularly important in your legs and hips because, as they become more flexible, they reduce the amount of stress you put on your spine while performing everyday activities.

Depending on the severity of your injury, increasing your range of motion through stretching may take time and patience. Those with severe injuries may find it difficult at first, but the results will come with consistency. Stretching should never be painful; do it slowly and gently, holding the position for 20 to 30 seconds at a time.

• Hamstring stretches improve the flexibility of the muscles on the backs of the thighs. Place one foot on a step or block and lean your body forward, keeping your spine straight.
• Gluteals stretch the muscles of the buttocks. Lie on your back and cross on leg over the other, then pull both legs towards your chest. You should feel the stretch in the buttock of the leg that is crossed.
• Hip flexor stretches relieve tension in the front of the hip, which is usually due to prolonged sitting. To stretch this muscle, put one foot on a chair and lean your hips forward until you feel the pull in your standing leg.

Strengthening

Finally, strengthening your core muscles will help support your spine and reduce the intensity and frequency of a pain cycle. Particularly, focusing on strengthening your abdomen muscles will be beneficial to you. Tightening your lower abdomen is an easy exercise you can do anywhere, anytime. Just concentrate on pulling your bellybutton in towards your body, as if you were sucking in your stomach in order to zip up a pair of tight jeans. Keep breathing while you do this, holding it for as long as possible.

If there’s any chance of your personal injury case going to trial, you’ll need to be prepared mentally and physically. Recovering from a back injury will take time and much determination on your part. Staying active and, above all else, positive will help ensure that your road to rehabilitation is as smooth as possible.