If you ever suffered a back injury and sought out physical therapy or chiropractic care, there is a good chance that the therapist will prescribe core exercises for your back pain.
While back pain has a favorable outcome, with a recovery ranging from 4-6 weeks. Many of these cases suffer a recurrence within the first 12 months of recovery. This recurrence can cause people to doubt if corrective exercise for back pain is the answer. They become lost in the endless sea of social media opinions and google searches. Often leading them to a dead-end or right back to where they started.
With information at the tips of our fingers its hard to know who to trust or what approach is best for our condition. If you are one of the few that wish to fix their back pain without the need for pain killers or harmful injections, you have come to the right place.
Depending on the cause of a patient’s low back pain, one of my favorite exercises is a simple yet effective palloff press. It covers many of the necessary requirements to properly heal from a low back injury
- Strengthens the Ligaments that can become damaged during injury
- Strengthens the muscles that can become injured during a back injury
- It also begins the process of rebuilding the connection between the nervous system and the muscles/ligaments/tendons that stabilize the spine
This exercise can be performed in many different postures and positions (as seen below) depending on the patients’ pain tolerance. Each patient will have a slightly different source of pain this exercise provides the variety needed to begin the early stages of strengthening need to ensure a successful recovery.
Tips for the Palloff Press.
- Use a cable machine or resistance band (with a resistance of your tolerance)
- Position your body perpendicular to your point of resistance
- Interlock your hands in the center of your chest
- Before you begin the movement squeeze your core and glutes for spinal stability
- Now press your hands away from your chest till your elbows are fully extended
- Performed this exercise at 2-3 sets for 8-12 reps on each side
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