There are many causes for lower back pain, some are significantly sinister and more complex than others. What is universal though, is the fundamental need for a regime of specific exercise to strengthen support of the spine. General exercise can never expect to achieve the support required.

Fortunately, restoration for most sufferers of the essential specific spinal support strength, generally speaking, is a relatively simple and not too-time-consuming task, provided it is done in a systematically incremental manner. Though it is important to know that in 72 hours in a healthy body muscles can begin to lose strength, and in so doing can reduce their ability to support and create movement to the spine. As importantly, the loss can begin in less time in a not-so-healthy body.

The restoration or acquisition of specific strength represents one half of the formula for essential elasticity within the soft tissue that supports the spine. As a general rule, most resistance exercise predominantly only achieve the shortening of muscle fibres. The lengthening of muscle fibres is achieved by performing appropriate stretching, and so by combining the two activities of specific exercises AND the corresponding appropriate stretches, all done in a proper, routine and regular manner, will result in the vital elasticity required for a healthy and efficiently functioning back.

The essential sequence is to gently warm up in a non-load-bearing, non-impacting manner, followed by the appropriate stretches. Next is by the targeted exercises, followed by a warm-down [if needed], and finally the sequence ends with a repeat of the stretching. This sequence of the activities is most critical.

The series of stretches must involve all the muscles that are directly or indirectly involved in the mechanical support of the spine. It is impossible to do only one stretch in order to involve all these muscles as there are three movement functions of the spine. It is essential therefore to do at least THREE effective stretches both before and after the specific exercise/s.

Stretching not only assists in the restoration of elasticity, but also helps to rid the muscle of waste products, and assists in the restoration of the body’s naturally occurring symmetry. During the specific exercise/s, dependent on the duration and severity of the exercise/s, a build-up of deposited waste product may remain within the muscles/s. Failure to stretch effectively invariably produces an asymmetrical [non-symmetrical] body pattern.

Clearly, specific spinal support strength exercises will help equip the human spine to cope better with various weight-bearing activities. The maintenance of specific spinal support strength will better enable the spine to be less susceptible to potentially degenerative compression. Having made that comment, it is also crucial to embrace the truth that even a healthy, non-painful spine still requires systematic and routine de-compression to remain pain-free.

The human spine usually possesses an impressive capacity to recover when combining the principles of restoration of elasticity, symmetry and de-compression, however failure to respect these principles, even with lower back pain exercises, will achieve nothing more than temporary pain relief, at best.