Home Remedies for Easing Lower Back Pain and Boosting Mobility: Science-Backed Stretches You Can Perform at Home
Managing Lower Back Pain at Home with the McKenzie Method
The McKenzie Method, a globally recognized treatment for back, neck, and limb pain, offers significant benefits for managing lower back pain at home. Dr. Amir Mahajer, board certified osteopathic physician and president of the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has emphasized the value of this method in the treatment of low back pain.
The McKenzie Method focuses on a personalized assessment to identify specific pain patterns, learning and performing exercises that centralize pain, focusing on posture correction, and ongoing self-monitoring to adjust therapy based on individual response.
Key benefits of the McKenzie Method include centralization of pain, improved mobility and strength, empowerment and self-management, posture improvement, and prevention of recurrence.
Here are seven McKenzie Method exercises to help alleviate back pain, mobilize the spine, and support healthy spinal function:
- Flexion from standing: Stand with feet hip-width apart, fold down from the waist, and return to standing. This exercise should only be attempted if exercise five can be performed consistently for at least one week without discomfort.
- Flexion from seated: Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair, bend forward from the waist to reach ankles or the floor between feet, and return to sitting upright. The exercise requires 10 reps.
- Prone extension with straight arms: Move both hands to under your shoulders, press through the palms to lift your chest, straightening your arms, let your hips sink into the floor while keeping your lower-body relaxed, hold then lower and repeat.
- Extension from standing: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on your lower back, just above your buttocks, arch backwards at the waist, hold this position for one to two seconds, then return to standing, and complete the repetitions, aiming to gradually increase the stretch.
- Spinal relaxation: Lie on your front on the floor, arms by your sides and head turned to one side, releasing any tension from your lower back, hips, and legs.
- Once you progress to exercises five, six, and seven, it's recommended you return to repeat exercise three (prone extension with straight arms).
- At the end of the session, you can spend a few minutes lying on your back with a rolled up towel under your lower back to help maintain the spine's natural curvature.
These exercises should be performed in sequence and listeners should stop if they feel any sharp or worsening pain. It's essential to understand which exercises to do for different issues, as emphasized by Dr. Amir Mahajer.
The McKenzie Method, developed by New Zealand physiotherapist Robin McKenzie in 1981, is effective because it is patient-centered, promotes active participation, and provides practical self-care strategies that can be easily implemented at home under professional guidance or after thorough training.
Dr. Amir Mahajer notes that most benign spinal issues will improve with time and rehabilitation, and that understanding this can alleviate the fear of movement (kinesiophobia) which is common among patients with back pain. The exercises should always be adjusted based on the patient's response and their progress throughout the rehabilitation process.
These stretches can be performed several times per day, but allow plenty of time between each session to see how the body responds. It's crucial to maintain awareness of early signs of discomfort or poor posture to intervene promptly and avoid escalation.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685485/ [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685485/ [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685485/ [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685485/ [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3685485/
- The McKenzie Method, a patient-centered approach to managing lower back pain, incorporates fitness-and-exercise, such as the flexion from standing and prone extension with straight arms, as well as mental-health strategies like self-monitoring and self-management for long-term health-and-wellness.
- The science behind the McKenzie Method supports its effectiveness, with studies showing improvements in pain centralization, mobility, and strength (as referenced in sources [1] to [5]).
- Beyond physical health, therapies-and-treatments like the McKenzie Method can help alleviate back pain and promote mental health by addressing kinesiophobia (fear of movement), empowering individuals to take control of their rehabilitation and overall well-being.
