Dealing with acute or chronic lower back pain can be a daunting task. If you have followed any of my other posts, you know that I am a firm believer in corrective exercise in addition to traditional chiropractic care. These 3 exercises below are superior (in my opinion) at correcting common imbalances that may be the cause of your back pain.

Circumferential activation of the core is necessary to stabilize the spine. Your “core” is composed of four separate muscles/groups: Abdominal wall (Mainly transverse abdominis, and internal/external oblique), pelvic floor inferior, and diaphragm superior. Activation of these is ideal for spinal stabilization.

In today’s society, due to many of our sedentary lifestyles, some of these muscles may become inactive, inhibited, or imbalanced. This leads to asymmetry; some muscles working too hard while others are not working at all. These exercises are aimed at targeting those muscles and turning them back on.  Read more about it here. There are of course others; these are just a few of my favorites.

1. Supine Pelvic Tilts

2. Cat-Cow

3. Opposite Hands And Knees Balance

4. Plank ( Including Side Planks!)

I recommend starting with 3 sets of 10 repetitions 3 times per week and adjusting accordingly from there.

It is important to remember that this is just one piece of the puzzle. We must address joint function as well to ensure that the “foundation” (spine) is moving appropriately before building and re-educating the surrounding muscles. As always, consult your chiropractic physician before beginning to manage any condition yourself. This will ensure that your “foundation” is in working order!