©2007
www.DrMehan.com
1
WARNING – DISCLAIMER
• This report is for information purposes only.
• This report is not intended to diagnose the cause of back pain and you should consult
with your doctor when you are suffering from any painful condition.
• If you are currently experiencing back pain, especially if the pain extends into your leg or
buttock or if the pain is increasing, immediately see a Chiropractor or your Primary Care
Physician.
• You should always be examined by a doctor to determine what is causing your pain.
• Before beginning any exercise program you should be examined by a doctor to ensure
that it is safe for you to participate in an exercise program.
Congratulations on taking the first step to beating back pain – reading this report. The next step
is the hardest for most people: following thru with the exercise recommendations, but I am
confident that you can do it.
Back pain is the leading cause of missed work and disability in the U.S. Current estimates are
that 4 out of 5 people will suffer from back pain during their lifetime and if you’re reading this
then you’re probably either one of those four or else you’re trying to avoid being one of them.
If you would like to pinpoint what is causing your back pain and target those causes please
contact me.
Research on back pain and exercise therapy continues to find newer and better approaches to
treating back pain – just 20 years ago bed rest was the most frequent recommendation and now
we know that staying in bed for to long with a bad back only makes you feel worse and prolongs
your recovery.
The exercises in this report are broken down into 3 main areas:
1) Stretching
-Flexibility, especially muscles of the low back and hip areas (exercises #1 & 2)
Inflexible or tight muscles will limit your movement and other areas will have to
make up for it putting that area under higher stress.
Tight muscles will inhibit other muscles, when your hip flexors are overly tight then
they can inhibit your hamstrings putting greater demand on your lower back muscles.
3) Balance
-Balance (exercises #9 &10)
Balance is a key factor in preventing back pain as well as recovering from a bout of
back pain. If you have poor balance then you are much more likely to injure your
back in the future.
Balance also represents the coordination necessary to use your core muscles to
stabilize your back (yes you can have great abs and low back muscles and still have
poor stability if can’t coordinate these muscles).
Most of the exercises begin with a test so you can determine if you need to do it, these tests also
allow you to re-test yourself after you have been performing the exercises so you can see your
progress.
Low back
Transverse Spinal Erectors
Abdominus
Psoas
Glutes
Lower Abs
Hamstrings
This is a general diagram to give you an idea of where the muscles that I refer to in this report
are located.
Of special note – the Psoas muscle attaches to the inside of the thigh and runs deep in the
abdomen (the reason I outlined it with a dotted line) to attach along the spine.
b. Why - When the psoas muscle is short and tight it pulls the low back forward
c. How it’s done -
Psoas Stretch
Starting position:
Lunge position – stride one leg out and bring the knee of your rear leg down to
the ground.
Execution:
Maintain a tall position, don’t lean your upper body forward and keep your hips
tucked in. Rock your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your rear
leg (the area in the oval in picture below). Hold for 10 secs. Repeat 3 times each
side performing an extra set on the side that shows the greatest hamstring
tightness.
The goal of this exercise is to help you be more aware of the position of your low
back and to find a neutral position for your spine. As you move your hips
forward and back notice how far back your hips go as well as how far forward –
the spot between these two is your “neutral position” which is also the most
comfortable.
b. Why – Frequently people with low back pain have either weak lower abdominals
or poor coordination of the abdominals with the surrounding muscles both of
which lead to poor stability in the low back.
c. How it’s done -
Leg Raises
Starting position:
Begin by lying on your back in the same position as the Pelvic Tilt exercise
above. Adjust your hips so that you are in your “neutral position” (I told you
you’d need the Pelvic Tilt exercise for other exercises), and pull your belly in (use
a ball, like in the Pelvic Tilt exercise, if you want).
Execution:
Keeping the back in neutral and your belly pulled in bring your knees up to just
past your hips and then lower your feet back to the ground. The straighter your
knee the more difficult this exercise.
b. Why – Every step we take requires us to balance on one foot (even if it’s only or
an instant. If we have poor balance any misstep can lead to an injury, sometimes
just a sprained ankle or at the extreme you could even break a bone if you go so
far as to fall.
c. How its done -
Single Leg Balance
Starting position:
Stand facing a wall or chair (so you can steady yourself if you need to). Your
belly should be pulled in and your butt tight while performing the exercise (yes
the “Posterior Pelvic Tilt” exercise again).
Execution:
Lift one foot a few inches from the ground and hold it there while maintaining
your balance.
Use the following summary sheet that you can use to grade yourself and place an “x” in the
“Work on” section of the table for any tests that you are unable to pass.
Congratulations now that you have read this report and graded yourself on the exercises you now
know what you need to do and you’re ready for the final step - following through and doing the
exercises that will help you beat your back pain.
If you wish a comprehensive evaluation of your back pain call (815-267-3707) or email me
(meehantp@netzero.net).
Your Workout
Insert worksheet with weekly workout
MEEHAN CHIROPRACTIC AND SPORTS REHAB
©2007
www.DrMehan.com
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Strength and balance exercises should be performed 3 times per week while flexibility exercises
should be performed up to 3 times per day. Your stretching exercises should be performed
before strength and balance exercises since tight muscles can inhibit the weak muscles that you
are working on.
Cautions
• You should never feel pain while performing any of these exercises – if you experience
pain while performing any of these exercises you should see your Chiropractor or
Primary Care Physician.
• You should not have more than general muscle soreness the day or two following
exercise – if your pain increases the days following exercises you should see your
Chiropractor or Primary Care Physician.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding the information in this report or if
you would want to have