Unfortunately, most of us will deal with lower back pain at some point in our lives. And since our lower backs are crucial for everyday movements like sitting, walking, and standing up, it can be not only painful but also incredibly limiting. The good news is we're not stuck with pain or painkillers; there are movements we can do to get relief.
Most lower back pain is either generalized (aka lumbago) or nerve-related (like sciatica). Generalized lower back pain tends to be contained to the lower back, feels achy, is tender to the touch, and may throb. Nerve-related pain usually involves shooting electric-feeling pain that goes beyond the lower back, to the butt and legs, for example.
This program was designed to guide you through stretches and exercises that relieve generalized lower back pain, caused by pulled muscles, Degenerative Disc Disease and/or arthritis. If you’re experiencing shooting nerve-related pain, please stay tuned for our Nerve-Related Lower Back Pain Relief Program.
What is it?
Our Lower Back Pain Relief Program is a four-week program designed to improve your range of motion, flexibility, and strength, so you can have a strong, healthy lower back. Made up of seven videos from our resident physical therapist, Jenna Ellis, this program gives you ten-minute routines that can be done daily or every other day.
This program will help you:
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Improve spinal flexibility
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Strengthen weak muscles to keep your lower back strong
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Re-educate the muscles surrounding your lower back, hips and core muscles to engage properly
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Achieve a full range of motion in the spine with proper movement mechanics
Is this program for you?
This program was designed for anyone who...
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is currently dealing with generalized lower back pain.
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is looking to protect their lower back from future injuries.
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wants a short, daily routine to keep their lower back healthy.
What to expect:
Like our Foundations Program, this program is based on the ABCs of healthy movement; alignment, balance, and coordination. All three parts include an instructional video with in-depth, slow-paced explanations of each exercise as well as a follow-along video with music and a timer to guide your sessions.
Part one (week one) is all about practicing perfect alignment. That means doing holds. No quick movements, reps, or equipment changes – just getting comfortable in the positions. Since we are targeting generalized lower back pain, you’ll focus on flexion and neutral based exercises that strengthen and stretch the muscles that affect your lower back. That means movements where your back is straight (neutral) or bending forward (flexion of the lumbar spine). Part one will help lay the foundation for the strength and flexibility your lower back needs for everyday movements like sitting in a chair, standing up from a seated position, walking, bending, lifting, and twisting.
Part two (week two) focuses on maintaining proper alignment and balance as you move. Working with the same postures as part one, part two incorporates reps (repeated movements) and guides you as you move between start and end positions. The goal here is to learn how your body behaves and feels while moving with correct posture.
Part three makes up weeks three and four of the program. In this part, you’ll continue with reps, work on coordination, and ramp up the intensity. The goal of this last part is to challenge yourself, build endurance, and increase your power.
How much time will it take?
All of the routines in this program are meant to be completed in ten minutes or less. To make the corrections stick, we recommend you do these routines daily or every other day. (You need to convince your body to change by repeating the correct movement over and over until it becomes normal!)
The three parts of the program are mapped out to span four weeks but we encourage you to listen to your body and go at your own pace. Maybe that means spending an extra week or two in Part Two of the program – maybe that means continuing to do Part Three for years to come. Do what feels right for you.
How to get started:
Please consult your healthcare professional before you begin any new program.
For this program, all you’ll need is a Primal 7 system and the seven videos below.
Essentially, the instructional videos are all about learning and the follow-along videos are all about doing. Be sure to watch the instructional videos first, so you can complete the follow-along videos with perfect form.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: GET TO KNOW YOUR LOWER BACK
WEEK 1: ALIGNMENT
WEEK 2: BALANCE
WEEKS 3-4: COORDINATION
RECOMMENDED READING:
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Understanding & Relieving Lower Back Pain
Like the educational Get to Know Your Lower Back video, this blog post unpacks what causes lower back pain and what we can do to relieve it. Reading it will provide context for the movements in the videos and explain why they’re so effective at addressing lower back pain.
About the Instructor:
Jenna Ellis is a Physical Therapist. Throughout her ten-year career, she has specialized in orthopedics, post-op surgical patients and young athletes. Jenna has also worked in the homecare setting and loves getting people of all ages back to the game of life. Prior to becoming a Physical Therapist, she was an Athletic Trainer working with high school and college-level athletes.
Jenna obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine Athletic Training from the University of South Florida in 2007 and then went on to graduate from the University of Central Florida with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2010.
You can learn more about Jenna here.
We’re listening.
We hope that our Lower Back Pain Relief Program helps you not only relieve your generalized lower back pain but also improve your everyday movements and Conquer Your Can’t. We’d love to hear about your progress and are always open to suggestions as to what we can do to make our programs better. Whether you want to share an update, request a new program, or give us feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can comment below, email us at info@primal7.com, or call us at 512-899-2054.