Why do back muscles hurt and how to treat it? How to correct muscle imbalance. Exercise to strengthen back muscles

There is hardly a single person in the world who has never complained of pain in the back muscles. Such problems can bother both older people and very young athletes. However, the causes of such pain can be completely different, and therapeutic and preventive measures will also differ.

How it hurts

– the concept is quite vague. It can be weak, aching, or it can be very strong, as if a knife was inserted into the back. As a rule, back pain is divided into 3 main types:

• periodic;
• permanent;
• one-time

Medical science subdivides painful sensations according to their origin into two groups:

• pain, the root cause of which is diseases of the spine;
• pain caused by other reasons.

The mechanism of back pain is directly related with the release of lactic acid in the muscles. This, in turn, causes swelling and pain of varying intensity.

Many people stop paying attention to weak, aching, periodic back pain, as if getting used to them. Meanwhile, the disease continues to progress. Sometimes the diagnosis is made during a random examination, and treatment in this case can take many months or even years.

Palette of reasons

The root causes of pain are varied. The thing is that the entire human back is covered with various muscles, which can either decrease or increase in size, causing pain of varying degrees of intensity.

Muscle strain is one of the common causes of pain. At risk are office workers, as well as those who spend most of their working day sitting in an uncomfortable position. Very often, such people also experience muscle pain after sleep. This is a signal that the bed is not hard enough, and the pillow is uncomfortable or too soft.

Athletes, as well as those people who lead an active lifestyle, for example, go rafting or regularly go on hiking trips with backpacks, are in a different risk group. During vigorous activity, the back muscles can become injured and these mechanical injuries provoke various muscle pains. Athletes often complain of such pain, because they regularly experience muscle strain.

However, mechanical injuries happen in children too. They are very mobile and cannot always adequately assess their physical abilities. Adults should closely monitor their children to avoid the possibility of ligament rupture.

After the massage People quite often complain of back pain. The reasons for their occurrence may lie in:

• an incorrectly carried out procedure, for example, a person was shown a relaxing massage, but was given a stimulating, acupressure massage;
• muscle aggravation during the procedure - kneading and mechanical impact stimulate the muscles even more;
• contraindications - perhaps massage or certain techniques are generally contraindicated for a person; various chronic diseases can also make themselves felt within 1.5-2 hours after the massage session;
• low qualification specialist. Many “gods of massage” with their inept actions can only harm the patient, but not help him in any way.

If massage sessions are not constant, but are carried out periodically, then moderate pain is normal. After the procedure, blood and oxygen begin to actively penetrate weakened muscle tissue. Metabolism accelerates, and lactic acid begins to accumulate in the muscles, which causes moderate pain.

Myositis often causes muscle pain in the back. This ailment is much more serious than ordinary mechanical sprains. It's pretty easy to pick up. It is enough to be warmed up and sweaty in a draft. Other causes of myositis can be:

• chronic diseases of the respiratory tract and lungs;
• untreated bruises and injuries;
• rheumatism;
• helminthic infestations;
• diseases of the central nervous system;
• hereditary factors.

Initially, this inflammation may go away on its own, even without any treatment. However, in this case, the prerequisites for subsequent relapses of the disease remain, and each new exacerbation will become more and more severe and may be accompanied by:

• increasing pain;
• a sharp increase in body temperature;
• infectious processes;
• muscle atrophy.

Atrophy– this is the final stage, in which there is practically no pain, but the motor functions of the muscles have already been lost.

Other causes of muscle pain in the back include special anatomical features. Any violation of the symmetry of the spine causes compensatory curvatures - scoliosis. He, in turn, violates the so-called. muscle harmony. Other reasons for such disharmony and asymmetry may be:

• flat feet;
• shortened lower limb;
• congenital asymmetry of the pelvis.

Clear localization

Sometimes pain in the back muscles makes itself felt in a clear, specific place. A very common pain is pain in trapezius muscle . This muscle is considered the most vulnerable, because its fibers and layers form the shoulders, controlling their movement. Many people simply overstrain this particular muscle. Representatives of the arts, such as dancers, are at risk.

Pain can also provoke a psycho-emotional state, in which various muscle groups involuntarily become overstrained. Surprisingly, pain in this muscle can persist even after the root cause has been eliminated and is often aggravated by headaches. These pains are characterized by:

• limited ability to move your head;
• pain, as a rule, radiates to the shoulders and neck;
• aching pain pressing on the shoulders;
• the pain is constant.

Pain in the neck and shoulders can also limit the mobility of the neck and shoulders. rhomboid muscle. This muscle consists of two parts, connecting the vertebrae of the upper back to the shoulder blade. It is designed to stabilize the shoulder blades and ensure their movement. The cause of pain is often incorrect technique for lifting heavy objects; athletes and tourists are at risk. Pain often occurs due to displacement of the shoulder blades and the appearance of stoop. The pain is localized between the shoulder blades, intensifying with the movement of the arms.

Pain on the left and right under the shoulder blades may also indicate the presence of other very serious diseases. Very often they indicate the presence intervertebral hernia or intercostal neuralgia.

Back pain between the shoulder blades may “remind” osteochondrosis of itself. At the same time, the pain is aching, it can be accompanied by dizziness, disturbances in visual perception, and radiate to the arm area.

The root cause pain along the spine Hernias and scoliosis often occur. Scoliosis is a scourge modern man, and especially young people who spend hours sitting near the computer. The pain syndrome manifests itself due to compression of the nerve processes. Subsequently, negative processes of mixing parts of the spinal column begin.

Diagnostic measures

To make a correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment at the initial stage, you may need the help of several specialists: a surgeon, a traumatologist, a neurologist, and even a therapist.

This is due to the fact that it is necessary to very clearly differentiate muscle pain in the back, for example, with myositis, from diseases of other internal organs - the heart, stomach, etc.

An experienced specialist will carefully analyze the patient’s complaints, and only then conduct physical examinations.

In the arsenal of modern instrumental methods:

Treatment process

There are simply no universal methods for treating back pain. All adequate therapeutic measures should be aimed at eliminating the root cause of the disease.

To relieve acute pain syndromes use ointments and gels with anesthetic. Ointments containing red pepper, which have a warming effect, have also proven themselves to be effective. In other cases, ointments and gels based on snake venom are very good.

Myositis are treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but in some cases corticosteroids may be required, which are usually taken over the course of a course. You should not abuse this group of drugs.

In other cases, for example, for intervertebral disc herniation, the use of muscle relaxants is indicated, which effectively eliminate muscle spasms.

For scoliosis people are prescribed to wear special corsets.

Basic physiotherapy techniques include:

• electrotherapy;
• acupuncture;
• manual therapy;
• laser exposure;
• therapeutic massages.

Subsequently, the patient may be indicated for sanatorium-resort treatment in institutions of the appropriate profile. Measures aimed at correcting the patient’s psycho-emotional state may also be indicated.

Special exercises and prevention

Systematic preventive measures, which with regular use will strengthen the back muscles, will also help to avoid serious problems.

Firstly, you need to accustom yourself to correct posture while walking and sitting. It is quite simple to determine it - stand against the wall so that the heels, back of the head and buttocks touch the wall, which is correct posture, and then try your best to support it.

Secondly, when standing for a long time, you need to change the position of the body every 10 minutes, moving total weight body from one leg to the other.

Third, during sedentary work, muscle fatigue should be relieved by bending forward, stretching your arms up and taking a deep breath and exhale. In this case, it is useful to stand on your toes and, raising both arms, stretch upward, like a cat. Repeat this stretch several times.

It’s also good to hang on the horizontal bar regularly, at least for a minute a day. Ideally, such a horizontal bar can be hung at home.

Very good for back muscles and swimming. Regular trips to the pool are one of the best preventive measures.

Recommended and special exercise. To do this, you need to place the sports mat on a flat surface. The person lies on his back, bends his knees, presses his shoulder blades, and then moves his knees as far as possible to the right, and then to the left. There should be a pleasant feeling of stretching in the spine.

You can do other things on the mat good exercise. Lie on your stomach, and at the same time raise your arms and legs, try to make deep bends. The body takes the shape of a kind of arc.

In addition, it is important to monitor your diet, constantly saturating your body. necessary vitamins and minerals. If necessary, you should periodically take a course of appropriate medications.

You need to dress strictly for the weather, avoiding hypothermia and drafts. Regular exercise stress should be moderate, based on individual capabilities in each specific case. Don't overexert your body.

A set of exercises to strengthen the back muscles (video)

Regular and pretty simple exercises help strengthen your back muscles, avoid serious diseases and significantly improve your overall well-being.

The baby's first movements occur thanks to the muscle-joint sense, with the help of which the child determines its place in space long before birth. In the first year of life, muscle-joint sensation gives the child a powerful stimulus for development. It is thanks to him that the baby learns to make conscious movements (raise his head, reach for a toy, roll over, sit down, stand up, etc.). And the main characteristic of the muscular skeleton of newborns is tone.

The tone varies

First of all, you need to understand what muscle tone is and what is considered normal. Even in sleep, our muscles do not relax completely and remain tense. This minimum tension, which remains in a state of relaxation and rest, is called muscle tone. The younger the child, the higher the tone - this is due to the fact that at first the surrounding space is limited to the uterus, and the child does not need to perform purposeful actions. In the fetal position (with the limbs and chin tightly pressed to the body), the muscles of the fetus are under strong tension, otherwise the child simply would not fit in the uterus. After birth (during the first six to eight months), muscle tone gradually weakens. Ideally, the muscle tone of a two-year-old baby should be approximately the same as that of an adult. But almost all modern babies have problems with tone. Poor ecology, complications during pregnancy, stress and a number of other unfavorable factors provoke impaired tone in newborns. There are several most common violations muscle tone.

• Increased tone (hypertonicity).

  The child seems tense and tense. Even in sleep, the baby does not relax: his legs are bent at the knees and pulled up to his stomach, his arms are crossed on his chest, and his fists are clenched (often in a “fig” shape). With hypertonicity, a child holds his head well from birth due to the strong tone of the occipital muscles (but this is not good).

• Decreased tone (hypotonicity).

  With decreased tone, the child is usually lethargic, moves his legs and arms little, and cannot hold his head up for a long time. Sometimes the child’s legs and arms unbend at the knees and elbow joints more than 180 degrees. If you place the baby on his stomach, he will not bend his arms under his chest, but spread them to the sides. The child looks limp and spread-eagled.

• Asymmetry of muscle tone.

  With asymmetry, the tone on one half of the body is higher than on the other. In this case, the child’s head and pelvis are turned towards the tense muscles, and the torso bends in an arc. When a child is placed on his stomach, he always falls to one side (where the tone is increased). In addition, asymmetry can be easily detected by the uneven distribution of the gluteal and thigh folds.

• Uneven tone (dystonia).

  Dystonia combines signs of hyper- and hypotonicity. In this case, the child’s muscles are too relaxed and others are too tense.

Diagnosis of muscle tone

Usually, immediately after birth, the doctor, based on visual diagnostic tests, identifies disturbances in the tone and motor activity of the newborn. In addition, all infants have so-called “residual” (posotonic) reflexes, which can also be used to determine disturbances in muscle tone. In principle, you yourself can check how your child is doing with his tone. Here are a few basic tests that help determine abnormalities in the development of muscle tone and postural reflexes in a newborn.

• Hip spread.

  Place the child on his back and carefully try to straighten his legs and move them in different directions. But do not use force and make sure that the child does not get hurt. Normally you should feel moderate resistance. If a newborn’s legs are fully extended without resistance and easily spread in different directions, this is evidence of decreased tone. If the resistance is too strong and the child’s legs cross, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

• Sitting down by hands.

  Place the child on his back on a hard, flat surface (for example, on a changing table), take him by the wrists and gently pull him towards you, as if sitting him down. Normally, you should feel moderate resistance to extending your elbows. If the child's arms straighten without resistance, and in a sitting position the stomach is strongly protruded forward, the back is rounded, and the head is tilted back or lowered down - these are signs of decreased tone. If you cannot move your child’s arms away from the chest and straighten them, this, on the contrary, indicates hypertonicity.

• Step reflex and support reflex.

  Take the baby vertically under the arms, place him on the changing table and slightly tilt him forward, forcing him to take a step. Normally, the child should stand on his full foot with his toes straightened. And when bending forward, the child imitates walking and does not cross his legs. This reflex gradually fades and by 1.5 months it practically disappears. If this reflex persists in a child older than 1.5 months, this is evidence of hypertonicity. Also, increased tone is indicated by curled toes, crossing the legs when walking, or relying only on the forefoot. If, instead of standing, the newborn crouches, takes a strong step legs bent or refuses to walk at all - these are signs of decreased tone.

• Symmetrical reflex.

  Place your baby on his back, place your hand under the back of his head and gently tilt the baby's head toward your chest. He should bend his arms and straighten his legs.

• Asymmetrical reflex.

  Place your baby on his back and slowly, without force, turn his head toward your left shoulder. The child will take the so-called fencing pose: extend his arm forward, straighten his left leg and bend his right leg. Then turn the child’s face to the right side, and he should repeat this pose only in the opposite direction: he will stretch forward right hand, straighten the right leg and bend the left.

• Tonic reflex.

  Place the baby on his back on a hard surface - in this position, the newborn’s extensor tone increases, he tries to straighten his limbs and seems to open up. Then turn the child over on his stomach and he will “close” and pull his bent arms and legs under him (the tone of the flexors increases on the stomach).
  Normally, symmetrical, asymmetrical and tonic reflexes are moderately expressed and gradually disappear by 2-2.5 months. If a newborn does not have these reflexes or is too weakly expressed, this indicates decreased tone, and if by three months these reflexes persist, this is a sign of hypertonicity.

• Reflexes of Moro and Babinski.

  Watch your child carefully. When overexcited, he should throw his arms to the sides (Moro reflex), and when the soles are irritated (tickling), the child reflexively begins to straighten his toes. Normally, the Moro and Babinski reflexes should disappear by the end of the 4th month.

If muscle tone and associated reflexes do not undergo changes appropriate to the baby’s age, this is a very dangerous signal. You shouldn’t rely on the proverbial “maybe” and expect that problems with muscle tone will go away on their own. Violation of tone and development of reflexes often leads to delayed motor development. And with a strong deviation from the norm, we are talking about the possible formation of diseases of the nervous system, ranging from seizures to cerebral palsy. Fortunately, if a doctor diagnoses a tone disorder at birth (or in the first three months), the threat of developing serious diseases can be prevented with the help of massage, because in the first year of life the nervous system has enormous regenerative potential.

Healing massage

It is best to start massage when the baby is two months old. But first, it is necessary to show the child to three specialists: a pediatrician, an orthopedist and a neurologist, who make a diagnosis and give recommendations. If a child requires drug treatment, it is usually “adjusted” to massage. A correctly and timely course of massage helps to correct many orthopedic disorders (incorrectly turned feet, etc.), normalize muscle tone and eliminate “residual” reflexes. In case of serious deviations from the norm, the massage should be performed by a professional. But you can slightly adjust the tone at home.

It is better to massage during the day, at least an hour after feeding. You should first ventilate the room and make sure that the temperature is not lower than 22 degrees; the child should not be hot or cold. Hands should be washed with warm water and wiped dry (so that they are warm). You should not cover your child’s entire body with massage oil or cream; just apply a small amount of cream to your hands. For massage, you can use special oil or regular baby cream. When giving a massage, talk gently to your child and watch his reaction. When the first signs of fatigue appear (crying, whimpering, dissatisfied grimaces), you should stop exercising.

During massage, all movements are made from the periphery to the center, starting from the limbs: from the hand to the shoulder, from the foot to the groin. In the first lessons, each exercise is repeated only once. At first, the entire massage complex will take no more than 5 minutes. Gradually increase the number of repetitions and time to 15-20 minutes.

To eliminate hypertonicity and residual reflexes, manifested in the child’s excessive activity, the so-called gentle massage- it relaxes and calms. Start the massage by stroking your arms, legs, back with the back and palm surfaces of several closed fingers. You can alternate between flat (using the surface of your fingers) and grasping (with your whole hand) stroking. After stroking, the skin is rubbed in a circular motion. Place your baby on your stomach and place your palm along your baby's back. Without taking your hands off your baby's back, gently move his skin up, down, right and left in line movements, as if you were sifting sand through a sieve with your hand. Then place the child on his back, take his hand and shake it lightly, holding the child by the forearm. In this way, massage both arms and legs several times. Now you can move on to rocking. Grasp the baby's arm muscles (just above the wrist) and gently but quickly rock and shake his arms from side to side. Your movements should be fast and rhythmic, but not abrupt. Do the same with the legs, grabbing the child by the calf muscles. You need to finish the massage in the same way as you started - with smooth stroking.

With decreased tone, on the contrary, it is carried out stimulating massage, which activates the child. Stimulating massage includes a large number of “chopping” movements. After traditional stroking with the edge of your palm, lightly walk along the baby's legs, arms and back. Then place your baby on his stomach and roll your knuckles over his back, bottom, legs and arms. Then turn your baby onto his back and roll your knuckles over his stomach, arms and legs.

In addition to massage, it helps to normalize muscle tone physiotherapy , for example, exercises on a large inflatable ball. Place the child with his stomach on the ball, legs should be bent (like a frog) and pressed against the surface of the ball. Let dad, for example, hold the baby’s legs in this position, and you take the baby by the arms and pull him towards you. Then you return the baby to initial position. Now grab your baby's shins and pull them toward you until your baby's face is at the top of the ball or his feet touch the floor. Smoothly return the baby to its original position. Then tilt the child forward (away from you) so that his palms reach the floor (just make sure that the baby does not hit his forehead on the floor). Repeat this exercise forward and backward several times.

If you have asymmetrical tone, you should do a relaxing massage with force on the side in which the tone is lower. Besides, good effect has the following exercise on an inflatable ball: place the child on the inflatable ball with the side in which it arches. Smoothly swing the ball along the axis of the child's body. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times daily.

Even if a child’s muscle tone is normal, this is not a reason to refuse preventative massage. Preventive massage includes both relaxing and activating movements. Massage techniques such as stroking (they begin and end the massage), rubbing, and kneading with stronger pressure are used. Use circular movements (clockwise) to massage your stomach to prevent colic and constipation. pat thumb baby's soles and lightly pat them. Then, with your entire palm, preferably both hands, stroke the baby’s chest from the middle to the sides, and then along the intercostal spaces. From three months onwards, it is useful to combine massage with gymnastics. The main goal of preventive massage is to prepare the child for walking. From two months to a year healthy child must undergo at least 4 massage courses (15-20 sessions each). When the child begins to walk, the intensity of the massage is reduced to twice a year. It is advisable to take massage courses in spring and autumn to improve the condition of the immune system, which is usually weakened at this time of year.

Natalya Aleshina
Consultant: pediatric neurologist Inna Viktorovna Knyazeva.

12/21/2008 10:50:45, Elena

I have a question, my baby is 3.5 months old and he throws his head back a lot when he lies on his back, what could this be?

12/20/2008 22:06:34, Kirill

Thank you, the article is good, I agree with Lesya’s statement. Before visiting a neurologist, bring your baby back to normal. We were fast asleep - we undressed the sleeping woman, the doctor examined her - the baby was soft, like a kitten, weak reflexes, arms outstretched, sleeping... as a result - the diagnosis "Diffusion hypotonicity" Although I will not deny, the tone is still lowered, but since the doctor was scared, It’s better not to see anyone, then I got scared, and the baby didn’t eat well. At the second appointment, everything settled down - there is hypotonicity, but not strong. We do a massage (250 per session, x 20 times, the child has no price), eat Caventon (Vimpocetine) to improve cerebral circulation. Everything is restored, mothers, don’t worry.

08/10/2005 14:57:26, Julia

02/09/2005 17:37:17, YuriK

This article helped us a lot. When my child, at 2 months old, went to the prof. for the first time. examination by a neurologist, by this time I was already pretty exhausted from previous examinations by a pediatrician and surgeon, and it was still time for feeding. Therefore, it is not surprising that when we entered the doctor’s office with him, he was a compressed bundle of nerves. No doctor, much less a neurologist, can properly examine such a child, who is fed up with everything and is screaming displeasedly. As a result, the child, with this condition, was diagnosed with hyperesthesia of the skin, hypertonicity of the muscles of the limbs and prescribed medication. Armed with information about these diseases and comparing them with the daily behavior of my baby, I could not agree with the neurologist’s diagnosis. Even the reflexes that are used to establish tone (they are used by neurologists, but we found them in your article and used them ourselves) did not confirm such a diagnosis. We did not carry out any prescribed treatment, especially since the medications prescribed by the doctor are used in the treatment of serious illnesses, but we waited until the child was three months old and went on a visit to an experienced neurologist. The main thing was that the child was prepared: he was well-fed and enjoyed the sound. As we expected, the doctor did not find any developmental abnormalities. Therefore, when going to a neurologist, you need to find the right time for the child so that his condition does not give rise to erroneous diagnoses.

06/18/2004 23:19:15, Lesya

Good afternoon, very useful article, thank you very much. Our Nastenka is 4 months old today. We have asymmetrical tone, which is now being corrected with massage. Local neuropathologist at 3 months. I prescribed Cavinton, is it necessary to take it, what kind of drug is it, or would it be better to consult the child with another specialist?

09.19.2003 18:36:43, Julia

After a good shake, such a house will completely crumble. Without appropriate load, muscles atrophy. This happens unnoticed, but with a consistency that is frightening. How to strengthen your back muscles?

Anatomy of the human back muscles and their role in the functioning of the spine

As you know, the back has internal and external muscles. External ones look impressive if they are pumped up using sports activities. However, they do not support the spine. This work is done internally muscular system, which is attached to the vertebrae and supports them in a fixed position.

What does a “sedentary” lifestyle lead to?

It would seem that the so-called “sedentary” lifestyle is a natural result of the development of human civilization. Now all necessary information can be found on the Internet, all work can often be done on a laptop. You can also relax there, immersing yourself in the world of virtual reality. The development of the transport network has become so global that a person practically does not even need normal walking. And everything would be fine, but the human body, created for movement, simply atrophies from such a lifestyle. The spine is the first to suffer.

If you constantly sit at a computer, the very first consequences will be deterioration of posture and chronic back pain between the shoulder blades. Over time, all this can result in osteochondrosis. Internal muscles the backs, which create a muscular frame around the spine, relax and deprive the back of the necessary support, and over time they completely atrophy.

What are the dangers of poor posture and muscle imbalances for the spine?

Few people know that stooping not only leads to back pain and greatly spoils your appearance and figure, but can also cause a variety of diseases, including high blood pressure, flatulence and even depression. The thing is that with incorrect posture, internal organs are displaced. They begin to occupy a position that is not natural for them.

Muscle imbalance manifests itself mainly in the fact that some back muscles are constantly tense, while others are overly relaxed and underdeveloped.

Muscle tension usually occurs as a result of stress. A person who has a lot of muscle tension, over time, begins to behave stiffly, tensely, even his speech becomes strangled. Such a person is often unsure of himself, as if placed in some kind of framework. Many people who go in for sports, dancing, and yoga note that after training their self-confidence has increased, their gait has become more beautiful, and their movements have become more graceful. Thus, many psychological problems can be overcome only by regularly exercising your body.

As a rule, one arm and its muscles are more developed than the other. In appearance, the spine looks straight, but the load in the thoracic region is distributed unevenly. Therefore, working on the spine should be a normal element of life for every person.

Muscle imbalance is harmful due to distortions of the spine, disruption of its normal position and the normal natural position of internal organs, which is fraught with malfunctions in their work and a variety of ailments. The spine has long been called the pillar of life, which indicates its priority importance in maintaining health.

Strong abdominal muscles are an important aid to the spine

Often, for problems with the spine, doctors recommend strengthening the abdominal muscles even more than the muscles of the back itself. From behind is our body vertical position support the back muscles, and in front they are balanced by the abdominal muscles. The back muscles help you lean back, and the abdominal muscles help you lean forward. At the same time, they pull the chest towards the pelvis. The obliques help you bend to the sides.

As you know, the abdominal muscles help stabilize the position of the spine. If the abdominal muscles are weakened as a result of excess weight, a sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy and other reasons, then this is fraught with stiffness of the lumbar spine. It simply cannot withstand the loads that press on the spine from above. People who are characterized by problems of this kind often have a sagging stomach and an unnaturally strong arch in the lumbar region.

By exercising your abdominal muscles, you will not only gain a beautiful slim stomach, but you will also become the owner of beautiful posture, a more beautiful and confident gait and a good mood.

How to strengthen your back muscles?

Exercise to strengthen back muscles

So, how can you strengthen your back muscles? If you haven't exercised for a long time, you can start with simple complex exercises for the back muscles, which are known to each of us since school. The main thing here is not to go too far. Loads must be strictly dosed and gradual. Otherwise, you will simply pull something on yourself, damage your muscles and ligaments, and instead of doing any good, you will further worsen your health.

Yoga - gymnastics to strengthen back muscles

Yoga is popular both among those who are engaged in their spiritual development and among those who suffer from chronic diseases.

Yoga asanas perfectly cure osteochondrosis and others chronic problems with the spine. Asanas will perfectly strengthen the muscular frame of the spine and its ligaments. Yoga is a priority because there are no sudden or too heavy loads.

An experienced instructor will always tell you that the asana should, first of all, be comfortable. That is, the degree of its implementation should correspond to your current level. The level increases gradually over months or even years of constant training.

Yoga will improve blood supply to the spinal muscles, restore the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, relieve tension between the vertebrae, and strengthen muscles.

Yoga is also good because it doesn’t have side effects, as a drug treatment, helps to activate metabolic processes and restore the functioning of the body as a whole. Yoga effectively relieves stress, chronic fatigue, and relieves depression. Classes are available to people of any age. If you do not have the opportunity to go to a fitness center, you can easily exercise at home. Today you can find many video lessons with complexes for beginners.

Stretching

As you know, stretching is stretching. Additional stretching classes are practiced by dancers, gymnasts, and those who martial arts And various types sports. There are many exercises to stretch your back muscles.

Stretching will help develop the muscular frame of the spine, make the ligaments more elastic, make the spine more mobile and resilient, remove muscle clamps, relieve back muscle tension, restore the natural position of the spinal column, and achieve beautiful posture. Often when regular classes Stretching increases growth. This increase can be from 1 cm to 10 cm. Yes, exactly 10 cm of “extra” height is often hidden in our posture spoiled by a sedentary lifestyle.

Swimming

Swimming is incredibly effective for spinal curvatures, postural defects, and allows you to strengthen your back muscles with osteochondrosis, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis and other diseases.

As is known from Archimedes' law, in water the human body loses as many kg as the weight of the liquid it displaces. As a result, a person weighing 70 kg will weigh only about 3 kg in water. Therefore, water is almost a state of weightlessness. In water, the spine is unloaded, and the intervertebral discs are straightened.

How to strengthen your back muscles simple exercises at home, watch the video:

I work a lot on the computer. So the lifestyle is just sedentary. Thank God, there is no back pain yet. But I began to notice the stoop. And it’s better to take care of your health than to undergo treatment later.

So it's time to start doing at least basic exercises. And I’ve been planning to sign up for the pool for a long time. It turns out it’s also good for your back.

The article says that the abdominal muscles need to be strengthened no less than the back muscles. I completely agree with this, as I was convinced of this by my own example. After giving birth, I gained quite a bit of weight, especially in the abdominal area. Frequent back pain began to appear. I turned to a specialist for help, and he advised me to pay more attention to sports and follow a diet. But what struck me most was that indeed, when the abdominal muscles strengthened after physical activity, the back pain completely disappeared...

There is only one reason – the spine.”

All materials on the site are for informational purposes only.

Since school age, children have enough for a long time spend sitting at a desk.

Weak back muscles in a child lead to poor posture and, in the future, to the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. With the help of a special set of exercises, you can prevent negative health consequences.

Physical training at an early age

Preparation for school should be not only mental, but also physical. Exactly physical health helps you study well and remember new material better.

Preparation should begin from birth. It is before the age of 1 year that children develop a muscle corset, which then continues to develop.

Scoliosis develops during school years. At this time, children spend most of the day studying, and their fragile backs are constantly exposed to stress from a heavy briefcase.

Even before school, you should think about it and start studying. Can:

• take to the pool starting from 5 months;
• from the age of three go to dancing and gymnastics;
• study at home.

If the home is installed wall bars, you can start practicing on it from 8 months, the same goes for exercising on a fitball.

Exercising on a gymnastic ball is quite simple. You can start from the very birth of the baby, laying it on the tummy and back and rocking it slightly.

The advantages of such exercises are that in addition to strengthening the muscular corset, the vestibular apparatus develops. The amplitude of the swings gradually increases, and then other exercises are added.

Exercises on a gymnastic ball from birth

Starting at birth, place the baby on his tummy and then on his back on a ball, rocking him up and down, from side to side. Gradually increase the range of motion.

From three months, when rocking, bend and unbend your legs, do circular movements, carefully grasping the two handles.

How to strengthen the back muscles at 6 months, when the baby should sit down, but a weak muscle corset does not allow him to do this? This question worries every mother who notices that her baby lags behind her peers in terms of physical development.

Strengthening the back muscles of a 6-month-old child with a fitball begins with sitting down. Even if the baby is not yet sitting on his own, he can be seated on a fitball. IN sitting position The baby should be rocked using springy movements.

An 8-month-old child can be allowed to reach the exercise ball with his hands to the floor or allowed to get his favorite toy. Taking the baby under the arms, you can put him on his feet and jump on the ball. Such fun will bring benefits and a lot of positive emotions.

Fitball is an indispensable thing in a house where there are children. You can use it from birth to adulthood. This is perfect sports equipment, which helps pump up muscles without much effort.

What to do if your baby has weakened muscle corset?

If a one-year-old child has weak back muscles, this is manifested by the following signs:

• the baby cannot sit independently;
• does not go;
• does not keep your back straight;
• Doesn't hold up on its own when picked up.

Weak back muscles in a 1-year-old child are a sign of muscle hypotonia, which was not detected at the time. This condition requires treatment, which includes:

After the full course of treatment, the baby quickly catches up with his peers in physical development. The sooner hypotension is detected, the less time it will take to recover.

How to help a child with cerebral palsy?

A special set of exercises will tell you how to pump up the back muscles of a child with cerebral palsy:

1. The baby squats down, puts his hands on the shoulders of the adult who is standing in front, and tries to kneel.
2. The baby is on his knees, and the adult tilts his body in all directions.
3. An adult supports the person standing under the armpits and gently pushes him under the knees so that the patient squats.
4. The baby sits on a chair, and the adult presses his legs firmly to the floor, pushing him forward so that the child stands up.
5. In a lying position, the adult lifts the patient's body and rocks in different directions.
6. The baby lies on his side, and the adult pushes him forward and back.
7. In a sitting position, the adult turns the patient's head in different directions, who, in turn, tries to relax his neck as much as possible.

In addition, doctors prescribe amplipulse for long muscles backs. This is effective both at 6 months and at an older age to restore blood flow in damaged tissues and joints. Complex therapy will allow you to restore your health and achieve success in the fight against cerebral palsy.

Prevention of scoliosis

Since scoliosis is the most common disease of the spine, prevention should be taken care of in advance.

It is better to do this before the baby goes to school. How to strengthen your back muscles to avoid scoliosis? Recommended exercises:

1. While lying down, pedal an imaginary bicycle.
2. Lying on your back, lift your legs up and make cross movements, as if scissors are cutting paper.
3. Lie on the mat, pull your legs to your chest, wrap your arms around them and roll on your back.
4. The most ordinary bridge will help develop flexibility and take care of the health of the spine.
5. Lying on your back, raise your legs, trying to reach the floor behind your head with your fingertips.
6. Standing on all fours, bend and arch your back. Popularly this exercise is called “cat exercise”.
7. Offer to walk around the room on your hands. To do this, take the baby by the legs and lead him as far as he can.
8. Lying on his stomach, the baby clasps his ankles with his hands, making a “basket”.

This simple set of exercises is suitable for children aged three years and older. You need to do it every day, then you can forget about spinal diseases, and children will have excellent posture, good health and a good habit of playing sports.

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Denial of responsibility

The information in the articles is for general information purposes only and should not be used for self-diagnosis of health problems or medicinal purposes. This article is not a substitute for medical advice from a doctor (neurologist, therapist). Please consult your doctor first to know the exact cause of your health problem.

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How to strengthen your back muscles

Many of us strain our muscles all day long without even realizing it. We have weak muscles due to poor posture, which we acquire mainly at work, and this is harmful as it causes additional fatigue and physical stress. Back pain limits daily enjoyment and affects your lifestyle. It can be painful, but, one way or another, it goes away with time.

Our spine is strong and rigid - it can last at least 70 years. But the old saying that our back adds years to us faster than anything else remains true. We hope this brief introduction has convinced you of the need to “take matters into your own hands” and create a defense against this scourge of modern life.

Back pain is often the result of weak muscle tone, as the back is a place of great tension. Stress from work pressure can show up in the neck, shoulders or lower back and can be seen and felt in tight, tight muscles. We change our posture to relieve this discomfort and end up arching our back. Many of us work in a state of physical imbalance, our backs are constantly twisted in order to be more comfortable.

Back pain is not life-threatening, and therefore not much time is spent on its treatment. We ourselves must watch our own backs, constantly learning how to care for them. First of all, most people suffering from back pain vow to do something about the problem. After the pain calms down, the exercises are carried out only on enthusiasm, and when improvement appears, they are forgotten about. Only a few continue to do the exercises, and the good intentions of the rest fade into oblivion.

The most common cause of chronic back pain is that the spinal column or part of it is subjected to excessive compression, as a result of which the vertebrae are compressed downwards, moving towards each other. At the same time, the intervertebral discs lose their elasticity and shrink, the small articular surfaces close too tightly, and the edges of the vertebrae either wear out or form bone growths on them, which are called osteophytes.

Muscle dysfunction is the most common cause of spinal compression and may itself be a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, muscle imbalances and weak abdominal muscles.

Sedentary lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle Sedentary image life contributes to the appearance of chronic back pain.

If you don't give it to your muscles regular load, they lose the ability to fully contract and become weak. This means that they can no longer provide sufficient tension and perform their task of creating support for the spine together with other tissues and keeping it in place. correct position. Regular light exercise is enough to keep your muscles in good shape.

Incorrect posture

Any posture that distorts the natural curves of the spine causes changes in the muscles that become permanent over time. When the natural curves of the spine are distorted, the intervertebral discs are compressed and, as a result, begin to thin out and lose elasticity. Muscles change because they work in pairs: if one muscle group contracts, the other, opposite, relaxes.

For example, if you slouch for a long time, pectoral muscles contract and remain in this state, and the muscles of the upper back relax. Over time, the chest muscles become stronger, and the muscles of the upper back weaken, as a result of which the structure of the spine is disrupted. Your back becomes rounded and the pressure on your spine is uneven, resulting in chronic back pain.

Muscle imbalance

The ability to use both your right and left hands equally well (ambidexterity) is rare, so you are unlikely to use both hands equally. As a result, the muscles on one side of the body become more developed than the other. In some cases, such as avid tennis or squash players, due to the additional force generated by the more developed side of the body, the alignment of the vertebrae is disrupted to such an extent that when viewed from the back, a line in the shape of the letter “S” or “C” is visible. .

This is an extreme example, but even a slight difference in the development of the sides affects the condition of the thoracic spine. It may look straight, but the pressure on the vertebrae and intervertebral discs will be uneven. Over time, the discs on the more developed side will gradually flatten, the vertebrae will wear out and the small articular surfaces will close together.

Weakness of the abdominal muscles

Powerful abdominal muscles serve as a corset that holds organs in place abdominal cavity close to the spine. In normal condition, this corset takes on some of the body weight, relieving the spine and hips. However, any weakening of the abdominal muscles, which may be the result of a sedentary lifestyle, overweight body, pregnancy, leads to an increase in the load on lumbar region spine. The result can be an excessive forward bending of this part of the spine, called lordosis, which will ultimately lead to chronic back pain.

The abdominal and back muscles must not only be flexible, but also strong to properly support the spine. Weak muscles are not able to take on their share of the loads and stresses that the back must withstand, which means that joints and ligaments that are not as well supplied with blood as muscles have to work for them.

Over time, joints and ligaments become increasingly worn out, leading to tissue damage and chronic back pain. Exercises aimed at strengthening muscles will help get rid of pain by increasing the ability of muscles to absorb stress and load, thereby making it easier for ligaments and joints.

Warm-up exercises

It is very important to warm up before starting these exercises, which is also useful to do before starting any heavy housework, such as cleaning or gardening. After completing the exercises, repeat the warm-up.

Warming up increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles, tendons and ligaments, which due to this become more flexible and elastic, function better and are less susceptible to deformation. In addition, the speed of transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles also increases. Thus, good warm up in itself is very important for the prevention of back problems, and performing it before starting the flexibility and back strengthening exercises described on the following pages is vital to minimize the risk of further tissue damage.

Perform warm-up exercises after chronic pain has subsided, before doing strenuous work around the house or in the garden, to prevent a recurrence of the attack.

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Execute the following exercises, repeating each five times.

1. Take two deep breaths and full exhalations.

2. Raise your shoulders up and down, then move your shoulders back and forth in a circular motion.

3. Move your head from side to side, and then up and down.

4. Swing your arms up and back, gradually increasing the circles.

5. Bend your elbows in front of your chest.

6. Swing your arms to the sides at shoulder level.

7. Rotate your hips as if you were doing a hula hoop.

8. Bend forward, sliding your hands down your legs to your knees or lower if you can. Then straighten up, bending slightly.

9. Walk in place, gradually pulling your knees higher, while swinging your arms. Then jog in place for one minute.

10. At the end of the warm-up, take two deep breaths and full exhalations.

How to gradually strengthen your back

Lie down on a carpet or mat (you'll need a table to elevate your legs) and do the exercises below five times each. Making them part of your morning and evening routine and continuing after the pain has passed will help prevent the problem from recurring.

Backbends

1. Lie on your stomach with a pillow under it, arms at your sides. Raise your head from the floor, hold it for a while and then lower it.

2. Relax your shoulders and lift your legs up about 15 cm.

3. When you get stronger, try to raise both your head and legs at once, but only a few centimeters.

Back flexion

1. Lie on your back and stretch your palms towards your knees, bending your back.

2. Repeat the exercise, now trying to reach your right knee with your right elbow. Repeat with the other hand on the other leg.

3. As you get stronger, try to raise your knee towards the opposite elbow. Repeat the exercise with the other arm and the other leg.

Leg Raising

1. Lie on your stomach on the table so that your hips are on the edge, holding the table top with your hands.

2. Raise your legs to the level of the table top. Make sure your back doesn't bend. Hold your legs until you count 3, then slowly, carefully lower.

Exercises to strengthen the back muscles affect correct posture; they are also called straightening exercises. Back exercises are of great importance for women with sedentary work. These exercises simultaneously increase the mobility of the spine, strengthening the back muscles; they also prevent the occurrence of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.

During back exercises, make sure that the spine is loaded as much as possible, so that weakened back muscles are strengthened and hardened ones are relaxed.

The most effective exercises for the back are exercises with a large load, complicated ones, in which bends alternate with turns of the torso, then straightening positions of the arms, in which the shoulder blades are brought together, as well as straight bends forward, backward, to the sides, in which the muscles attached to the spine are trained.

Regular and gradual strengthening of your back muscles will help improve your posture. When you include exercises to strengthen your back muscles in your exercise routine, remember that they are the ones that primarily improve your appearance.

1. Sitting with crossed legs, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Raise your arms up, swing your arms forward, backward, then deeply bend forward, touching your forearms to the floor.

2. Kneel down, raise your right hand up, and move your left hand to the side. Make backward circular movements. Change hands.

3. Sitting, legs apart, bend your arms in front of your chest, swing your arms back, return your arms to the starting position, turn your palms up, swing back, then deep bend forward, touch your hands to the floor.

4. Standing, pull yourself up on your toes, arms up, pull your stomach in, gradually bend forward (i.e., first bend the cervical, then the thoracic and finally the lumbar spine), grab your ankles with your hands and pull your torso to your hips, then straighten spine, return to the starting position.

5. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Turn your torso to the right, move your right hand back higher, palm up, swing your right hand back, turn to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction.

6. Standing with your feet together, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Bend forward with a deflection, stretch your arms forward, swing your arms, bend deeply forward, lower your relaxed arms, gradually straighten up, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders.

7. Standing, legs apart, arms along the body, squat, make a deep bend forward, swing your arms back, squat, bend forward with a deflection, stretch your arms forward.

8. Standing, legs apart, arms along the body, make a deep bend forward, lower your arms freely, swing your arms in a tilt, touch the floor as far behind you as possible, deep bend, stretch your arms forward, touch them to the floor as far as possible in front of you .

9. Get on your knees, bend forward with your arms outstretched and rest on the floor (arms and torso on the same line), push your arms apart, swing in a tilted position, push your arms back, swing in a tilted position.

10. Get on your knees, lean forward with your arms outstretched and rest them on the floor (arms and torso on the same line). Move your arms to the left with tilted swings (legs in one place all the time), move your arms back with tilted swings. Do the same in the opposite direction.

11. Kneel with emphasis on outstretched arms, raise your pelvis, straighten your legs (legs and arms in place, move your body weight back, do not lift your feet off the floor), bend over and kneel again.

12. Lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, palms on the floor, bend your torso back, bend your arms and place them on the back of your head, stretch your arms forward to the starting position.

13. Lying on your stomach, bend your arms in front of you, connect them in front of your forehead, forearms inward. Raise your legs off the floor, alternately swing your legs up and down (toes extended), lower your legs to the floor.

14. Lying on your back, knees bent, arms along the body, raise the pelvis above the floor (torso and hips on the same line), lower the pelvis.

15. Sitting, legs together, bend left leg and press it with both hands to your stomach, move your arms back, palms turned up, swing both arms back (the leg remains bent during the swing), deeply bend forward, exhale and touch your toes with your hands right leg. Do the same with the left.

Exercises to strengthen your back muscles

Exercises that strengthen the back muscles have a great impact on correct posture. Such exercises are called straightening exercises. Back exercises are very important for women who have sedentary jobs. Thanks to these exercises, the mobility of the spine increases, the back muscles are strengthened, and the formation of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs can be prevented. When doing back exercises, you need to monitor the load on the spine; it should be maximum in order to strengthen weakened back muscles, and relax those that have hardened.

The most effective exercises for the back that carry heavy load and complicated. For example, in which you need to alternate bending with body turns, then straighten your arms so that your shoulder blades are brought together. Also do straight bends forward, backward, to the sides, with the help of which the muscles that are attached to the spine are well trained.

Constant and gradual exercise to strengthen your back muscles improves your posture. If you add “straightening” exercises to your exercise routine, then they will primarily help you improve your appearance.

Detailed description with pictures of exercises to strengthen the back:

1. Sit down, cross your legs, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders. Raise your arms up, swing your arms forward, backward, then bend deeply forward and touch your shoulders to the floor.

2. Get on your knees, raise your right arm up, and move your left arm to the side. Make backward circular movements. Switch hands.

3. Sit down, spread your legs apart, bend your arms in front of your chest, swing your arms back, then put your arms in the starting position, turn your palms up, swing back, then bend deeply forward, touching your hands to the floor.

4. Stand up, pull yourself up on your toes, raise your arms up, pull in your stomach, slowly bend forward (the cervical spine bends first, then the thoracic and lastly the lumbar spine), grab your ankles with your hands and pull your torso to your hips, then, straightening your spine, return to the starting position.

5. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Turn your torso to the right, move your right arm back as high as possible, palm up, swing your right arm back, turn to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction.

6. Stand with your feet together, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Bend forward, stretch your arms forward, swing your arms, lean forward deeply, lower your relaxed arms, slowly straighten up, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders.

7. Stand, spread your legs apart, straighten your arms along your body, squat, bend forward deeply, swing your arms back, squat, bend forward, bend over, stretch your arms forward.

8. A very good exercise for the back is lying on your stomach, your head should be located on your hands, your legs should be straightened. In this position, we slowly raise our legs up without bending them. At the highest point, you need to hold your legs for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your legs to the floor. Repeat this exercise eight to twenty times (depending on your physical fitness). After which the load can be increased, stretch your arms straight in front of you and, at the same time as your legs, you need to lift both your arms and legs up.

9. Stand, spread your legs apart, straighten your arms along your body, bend deeply forward, lower your arms freely, swing your arms in a tilted position, touch your hands to the floor, the further behind you, the better. Bend deeply, stretch your arms forward, touch them to the floor, the further in front of you, the better.

10. Get on your knees, lean forward, extend your arms and lean them on the floor (arms and torso should be on the same line), push your arms apart, make a bent over swing, push your arms back, make a bent over swing.

11. Get on your knees, lean forward, extend your arms and place them on the floor (arms and torso should be in line). Move your arms to the left, making bent over swings (your legs should remain in one place at all times), move your arms back, making bent over swings. Do the same in the other direction.

12. This exercise is very good for strengthening everything. muscle groups backs. Stand on all fours as shown in the picture, place your knees shoulder-width apart, straighten your arms, palms should be located exactly under your shoulders. Try to tense your abs. The position must be made as straight as possible - from the very top of the head to the hips (do not allow the back to arch in the lower back). At the same time as your left leg, extend your right arm forward. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position. Then do the exercise again, changing left hand on the right and right leg on the left. Continue doing this back exercise, constantly alternating your arms and legs. For the last exercise, hold as long as possible in the final position for about thirty seconds with both the right and left sequences.

13. Get on your knees and lean on your outstretched arms, raise your pelvis, straighten your legs (legs and arms should remain in place, move your body weight back, do not lift your feet off the floor), make a bent-over swing and kneel again.

14. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, place your palms on the floor, bend your torso back, bend your arms and place them on the back of your head, stretch your arms forward, return to the starting position.

15. Lie on your stomach, bend your arms in front of you, bring them together in front of your forehead, bend your forearms inward. Raise your legs off the floor, alternately swing your legs up and down (toes should be extended), lower your legs to the floor.

16. Lie on your back, bend your knees, straighten your arms along your torso, lift your pelvis above the floor (torso and hips should be on the same line), lower your pelvis.

17. Sit with your legs together, bend your left leg and press it to your stomach with your hands, move your arms back, palms should be turned up, swing your arms back (the leg should remain bent during the swing), lean forward deeply, exhale and touch with the hands of the toe of the right foot. Do the same with your left.

Sources

1. Healthy back

2. Strengthen your back

3. Back. Exercises for back muscles

4. Exercises to strengthen your back muscles

Scoliosis. Symptoms, degrees of scoliosis, diagnosis and treatment

Posture. Education and correction of posture (continued)

Posture. Education and correction of posture

Spine

The core of the body is the main part of the human axial skeleton

Posture

Vertebrae

These are the bones that form the spinal column

Spinal sections

Lumbar spine

Connects the sedentary thoracic region and the immobile sacrum.

Knee-joint

Allows flexion and extension movements (frontal axis) - a total range of movements of 150 degrees, and in a bent position (due to relaxation of the collateral ligaments) - rotation around the axis.

Foot

Lower anatomical section of the leg

Curves of the spine

Helps a person maintain balance. During fast, sharp movements, they spring back and soften the shocks experienced by the body.

Lordosis

Curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane, convexity facing forward.

Thoracic spine

Participates in the formation of the posterior wall of the chest.

After a good shake, such a house will completely crumble. Without appropriate load, muscles atrophy. This happens unnoticed, but with a consistency that is frightening. How to strengthen your back muscles?

Anatomy of the human back muscles and their role in the functioning of the spine

As you know, the back has internal and external muscles. External ones look impressive if they are pumped up with the help of sports activities. However, they do not support the spine. This work is performed by the internal muscular system, which is attached to the vertebrae and maintains them in a fixed position.

What does a “sedentary” lifestyle lead to?

It would seem that the so-called “sedentary” lifestyle is a natural result of the development of human civilization. Now all the necessary information can be found on the Internet, all work can often be done on a laptop. You can also relax there, immersing yourself in the world of virtual reality. The development of the transport network has become so global that a person practically does not even need ordinary walking. And everything would be fine, but the human body, created for movement, simply atrophies from such a lifestyle. The spine is the first to suffer.

If you constantly sit at a computer, the very first consequences will be deterioration of posture and chronic back pain between the shoulder blades. Over time, all this can result in osteochondrosis. The internal back muscles, which create the muscular frame around the spine, relax and deprive the back of the necessary support, and over time they completely atrophy.

What are the dangers of poor posture and muscle imbalances for the spine?

Few people know that stooping not only leads to back pain and greatly spoils your appearance and figure, but can also cause a variety of diseases, including high blood pressure, flatulence and even depression. The thing is that with incorrect posture, internal organs are displaced. They begin to occupy a position that is not natural for them.

Muscle imbalance manifests itself mainly in the fact that some back muscles are constantly tense, while others are overly relaxed and underdeveloped.

Muscle tension usually occurs as a result of stress. A person who has a lot of muscle tension, over time, begins to behave stiffly, tensely, even his speech becomes strangled. Such a person is often unsure of himself, as if placed in some kind of framework. Many people who go in for sports, dancing, and yoga note that after training their self-confidence has increased, their gait has become more beautiful, and their movements have become more graceful. Thus, many psychological problems can be overcome only by regularly exercising your body.

As a rule, one arm and its muscles are more developed than the other. In appearance, the spine looks straight, but the load in the thoracic region is distributed unevenly. Therefore, working on the spine should be a normal element of life for every person.

Muscle imbalance is harmful due to distortions of the spine, disruption of its normal position and the normal natural position of internal organs, which is fraught with malfunctions in their work and a variety of ailments. The spine has long been called the pillar of life, which indicates its priority importance in maintaining health.

Strong abdominal muscles are an important aid to the spine

Often, for problems with the spine, doctors recommend strengthening the abdominal muscles even more than the muscles of the back itself. From behind, our body is supported in an upright position by the spinal muscles, and in front they are balanced by the abdominal muscles. The back muscles help you lean back, and the abdominal muscles help you lean forward. At the same time, they pull the chest towards the pelvis. The obliques help you bend to the sides.

As you know, the abdominal muscles help stabilize the position of the spine. If the abdominal muscles are weakened as a result of excess weight, a sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy and other reasons, then this is fraught with stiffness of the lumbar spine. It simply cannot withstand the loads that press on the spine from above. People who are characterized by problems of this kind often have a sagging stomach and an unnaturally strong arch in the lumbar region.

By exercising your abdominal muscles, you will not only acquire a beautiful flat stomach, but also become the owner of beautiful posture, a more beautiful and confident gait and a good mood.

How to strengthen your back muscles?

Exercise to strengthen back muscles

So, how can you strengthen your back muscles? If you haven’t played sports for a long time, then you can start with a simple set of exercises for the back muscles, which each of us has known since school. The main thing here is not to go too far. Loads must be strictly dosed and gradual. Otherwise, you will simply pull something on yourself, damage your muscles and ligaments, and instead of doing any good, you will further worsen your health.

Yoga - gymnastics to strengthen back muscles

Yoga is popular both among those who are engaged in their spiritual development and among those who suffer from chronic diseases.

Yoga asanas perfectly cure osteochondrosis and other chronic problems with the spine. Asanas will perfectly strengthen the muscular frame of the spine and its ligaments. Yoga is a priority because there are no sudden or too heavy loads.

An experienced instructor will always tell you that the asana should, first of all, be comfortable. That is, the degree of its implementation should correspond to your current level. The level increases gradually over months or even years of constant training.

Yoga will improve blood supply to the spinal muscles, restore the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, relieve tension between the vertebrae, and strengthen muscles.

Yoga is also good because it does not have side effects like drug treatment, it helps to activate metabolic processes and restores the functioning of the body as a whole. Yoga effectively relieves stress, chronic fatigue, and relieves depression. Classes are available to people of any age. If you do not have the opportunity to go to a fitness center, you can easily exercise at home. Today you can find many video lessons with complexes for beginners.

Stretching

As you know, stretching is stretching. Additional stretching classes are practiced by dancers, gymnasts, those involved in martial arts and various sports. There are many exercises to stretch your back muscles.

Stretching will help develop the muscular frame of the spine, make the ligaments more elastic, make the spine more mobile and resilient, relieve muscle tension, relieve tension in the back muscles, restore the natural position of the spinal column, and achieve beautiful posture. Often, with regular stretching exercises, an increase in growth is observed. This increase can be from 1 cm to 10 cm. Yes, exactly 10 cm of “extra” height is often hidden in our posture spoiled by a sedentary lifestyle.

Swimming

Swimming is incredibly effective for spinal curvatures, postural defects, and allows you to strengthen your back muscles with osteochondrosis, spondylosis, spondyloarthrosis and other diseases.

As is known from Archimedes' law, in water the human body loses as many kg as the weight of the liquid it displaces. As a result, a person weighing 70 kg will weigh only about 3 kg in water. Therefore, water is almost a state of weightlessness. In water, the spine is unloaded, and the intervertebral discs are straightened.

How to strengthen your back muscles with simple exercises at home, watch the video:

I work a lot on the computer. So the lifestyle is just sedentary. Thank God, there is no back pain yet. But I began to notice the stoop. And it’s better to take care of your health than to undergo treatment later.

So it's time to start doing at least basic exercises. And I’ve been planning to sign up for the pool for a long time. It turns out it’s also good for your back.

The article says that the abdominal muscles need to be strengthened no less than the back muscles. I completely agree with this, as I was convinced of this by my own example. After giving birth, I gained quite a bit of weight, especially in the abdominal area. Frequent back pain began to appear. I turned to a specialist for help, and he advised me to pay more attention to sports and follow a diet. But what struck me most was that indeed, when the abdominal muscles strengthened after physical activity, the back pain completely disappeared...

There is only one reason – the spine.”

All materials on the site are for informational purposes only.

Weak back - consequences for the whole body

The spine is the main part of our axial skeleton, the support of the entire body, which also protects the spinal cord. Any violation of it leads to discomfort, pain, complications and effects on internal organs.

Osteochondrosis

This is the most common disease of the ridge: it affects up to 90% of the world's population, often people over 30 years old, but sometimes it manifests itself already in adolescence. This is a degenerative lesion of the tissues of the spine, intervertebral discs and surfaces of the vertebrae and nearby joints.

It develops due to the fact that the necessary substances do not enter the joints, since lymphatic outflows and nervous regulation are disrupted due to insufficient muscle functioning, because this is where the neurovascular pathways lie.

The reason for its development may be asymmetrical work of the back muscles, insufficient or excessive physical activity, stooping, sitting in incorrect positions, the use of soft mattresses, stress on the deadlift during pregnancy, wearing high-heeled shoes, in athletes - a sudden cessation of training, constant stress, smoking , poor nutrition, metabolic disorders, overweight, spinal injuries, flat feet and even heredity.

Often, suffering from stabbing pain in the heart, constant aching headaches, we turn to a cardiologist and neurologist, not even suspecting that the source of the problem is completely different. Only an experienced specialist will determine the true cause of their occurrence and refer you to the right doctor.

Due to such problems, limbs may become numb, vision may become dark, and the functioning of the genitals and other organs may be disrupted. Here it is important not to self-medicate by taking painkillers, but to take an x-ray and see a doctor. The medbooking.com portal will help you find the best specialist and make an appointment online.

Complications of osteochondrosis include intervertebral hernia, protrusion, and radiculitis. The first occurs as a result of rupture of the fibrous ring and the release of a small part of the nucleus pulposus - components of the intervertebral disc - into the spinal canal. At the same time, the spinal cord and nerve are compressed - the person becomes painful. They perform a shock-absorbing function - soften the load on the spinal column and provide movement.

With an intervertebral hernia, pain in the chest, lower back, buttocks, legs, shoulders, arms, numbness of the limbs, dizziness, increased blood pressure, and problematic urination are possible. To identify it, magnetic resonance imaging is performed, and, if necessary, non-invasive MR myelography or invasive CT myelography. It is necessary to pay due attention to this problem, since in advanced situations the only way out is surgical intervention.

Spinal curvature

Kyphosis is a backward curvature of the upper spinal column. In this case, the patient looks hunchbacked and stooped: the head is lowered, the shoulders are in front and the shoulder blades are behind, the chest and buttocks are sunken, the stomach is protruded, and possibly flat feet.

This leads to the fact that internal organs begin to suffer and chronic diseases develop: due to the decrease in space in the chest, ventilation of the lungs becomes more difficult, and the functioning of the heart becomes more difficult; due to compression of the stomach, intestines, liver and changes in the position of the kidneys, digestion is disrupted, stomach ulcers, chronic forms of constipation, cholecystitis, gastroduodenitis occur. The joints of the hips and knees also suffer, blood circulation in the brain is disrupted, headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness are a concern.

Kyphosis develops due to incorrect posture. Possible hereditary kyphosis or acquired after injury or surgery, in patients with rickets, tuberculosis, paralysis of the spinal muscles.

Lordosis is a physiological or pathological bending of the ridge with a convexity forward, appearing due to dislocations in the hip joints, excess weight, in particular, in the abdominal area, this deforms the figure, forcing you to maintain a displaced center of gravity.

Lordotic posture is characterized by a forward, flat head chest, bulging belly, protruding shoulders and legs spread apart at the knees. Such deformation complicates blood pumping, complicates the functioning of the lungs and gastrointestinal tract organs, metabolism is disrupted, and patients quickly get tired.

Scoliosis is a disease of the musculoskeletal system, characterized by deformation of the column to the side. Among the factors of its appearance are underdevelopment, deformation or anomaly of the development of vertebrae, ribs, muscles, and ligaments.

Scoliosis affects nervous system and the pelvic bones, distorting it, displaces the insides, reduces lung capacity, and disrupts the normal functioning of the heart. Performing regular exercises for the back muscles guarantees a strong muscle frame that protects against curvature.

Weak back

I started training (there is/was a topic here somewhere about How to start a rash - thanks to the moderators, they took it down to an unknown location). Therefore, I will repeat the introductory information again.

My back along the spine between the shoulder blades constantly goes numb. What to do?

Andrey, you decide what you need the gym for. I gave mine to the gym, thanks for the arthritis shoulder joint at 23 years old. Running after mountains of muscles and beyond results did not lead me to happiness, and you need to be able to enjoy the process itself. Do you want a weak back? There are a lot of exercises for your back to start strengthening it without unnecessary stress. Have you been in the gym for 3 months and want to get a sore throat? There is also the option of a good instructor, but this is an endangered species in the provinces; in large cities it may be better.

With 2 workouts a week, the muscles are not loaded enough to grow or at least become stronger, Andrey.

On the other hand, too much exercise in one workout increases its duration, which leads to overwork and. injuries, even when using small weights.

In addition, when CORRECT technique kettlebells overload the spine to a lesser extent than a barbell. As a bonus, the shoulder girdle of weightlifters looks impressive, even with a small body weight.

I myself was fond of weights in my student days, when I was a “jerk.” True, I had a kettlebell with an adjustable weight, from 16 to 40 kg.))

It's perfect for homework!

Thanks for the answer.

Given all your parameters, I advise you to use trisets and pyramids in groups.

Train 5 days a week, and take Saturday and Sunday off.

Chest, wide (classic chest and top, spread)

Press and crunches - in every workout

Warm up - at least half an hour.

After training, secure it under the dumbbells.

And most importantly, high-calorie nutrition! Lots and often!

During training, be sure to take a sip of water so as not to dry you out.

I agree with Ivan’s advice.

You need to study wisely, especially at the initial stage.

push the classics for the first year, at least. 4-5 workouts + weight gain.

I recognize the words not of a boy, but of a husband who has been visiting the rocking chair for many years.

Unfortunately, a lot of guys, especially the “skinny ones,” try to pump themselves up at once. This usually leads to injuries, disappointment in the hardware, etc. developing confidence that everything is determined by genetics and luck.

In fact, in fitness everything is decided by the brains (your own, and better coach) and perseverance in achieving the goal. Especially when it comes to improving your health.

P.S. Classics are great, a more reliable foundation cannot be found.

But each of the “golden three” exercises has its own nuances. Break your back incorrectly when doing standard squats or deadlift- it's a piece of cake.

It’s better, of course, to find a good fitness trainer, Andrey. At a minimum, to master the CORRECT technique of doing the exercises.

Even better - a physical therapy doctor. If there is some kind of burdened heredity, then consultation is necessary on how not to harm your health.

However, I can offer the following answers to the questions posed (from personal experience). But first, some general considerations.

Second introductory lesson - 2 classes a week is not enough, you need to find time for 3-4, otherwise overloading the body is inevitable.

Third - do not give in to the persuasion to “cheat”!

1) You NEED to swing if your spine is weak. It is the developed muscle corset that protects against injury. Use weights, but... do this slowly and be extremely attentive to the exercise technique. Increase the load carefully.

2) Incorrect training with a weak back is fraught with injury, this is obvious.

3) The condition of the intervertebral discs greatly depends on: the strength of the core (press and Bottom part back) i. developed muscles legs! In addition, power supply to disks during active physical work is improving.

4) Bench press with legs - no best exercise for legs. Details in Dmitry Smirnov’s book “Fitness for Smart People”.

Try to get good at starting squats on one leg while standing on a chair, you can do it at home 3-4 times a week. Great exercise for legs and core - single leg King deadlift. With dumbbells, it strengthens your back perfectly, and also loads your buttocks.

After a COUPLE of months, start mastering front squats with a barbell, but without fanaticism. But don't forget the King deadlift!

It is deadlifts that contribute to significant natural testosterone production, and skinny guys simply need this.

And a couple more comments. Eliminate shock load on the spine - running/jumping. In abdominal exercises, the emphasis should be on static exercises- a lot of planks, you can do it at least every day at home.

This further stabilizes the back. But it’s better not to get carried away with twisting (especially with weights) - they overload the intervertebral discs.

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How to strengthen your back muscles

Many of us strain our muscles all day long without even realizing it. We have weak muscles due to poor posture, which we acquire mainly at work, and this is harmful as it causes additional fatigue and physical stress. Back pain limits daily enjoyment and affects your lifestyle. It can be painful, but, one way or another, it goes away with time.

Our spine is strong and rigid - it can last at least 70 years. But the old saying that our back adds years to us faster than anything else remains true. We hope this brief introduction has convinced you of the need to “take matters into your own hands” and create a defense against this scourge of modern life.

Back pain is often the result of weak muscle tone, as the back is a place of great tension. Stress from work pressure can show up in the neck, shoulders or lower back and can be seen and felt in tight, tight muscles. We change our posture to relieve this discomfort and end up arching our back. Many of us work in a state of physical imbalance, our backs are constantly twisted in order to be more comfortable.

Back pain is not life-threatening, and therefore not much time is spent on its treatment. We ourselves must watch our own backs, constantly learning how to care for them. First of all, most people suffering from back pain vow to do something about the problem. After the pain calms down, the exercises are carried out only on enthusiasm, and when improvement appears, they are forgotten about. Only a few continue to do the exercises, and the good intentions of the rest fade into oblivion.

The most common cause of chronic back pain is that the spinal column or part of it is subjected to excessive compression, as a result of which the vertebrae are compressed downwards, moving towards each other. At the same time, the intervertebral discs lose their elasticity and shrink, the small articular surfaces close too tightly, and the edges of the vertebrae either wear out or form bone growths on them, which are called osteophytes.

Muscle dysfunction is the most common cause of spinal compression and may itself be a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, muscle imbalances and weak abdominal muscles.

Sedentary lifestyle

Sedentary lifestyle A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the development of chronic back pain.

If you don't give your muscles regular exercise, they lose their ability to fully contract and become weak. This means that they can no longer provide sufficient tension and do their job of working with other tissues to support the spine and keep it in the correct position. Regular light exercise is enough to keep your muscles in good shape.

Incorrect posture

Any posture that distorts the natural curves of the spine causes changes in the muscles that become permanent over time. When the natural curves of the spine are distorted, the intervertebral discs are compressed and, as a result, begin to thin out and lose elasticity. Muscles change because they work in pairs: if one muscle group contracts, the other, opposite, relaxes.

For example, if you slouch for a long time, the pectoral muscles contract and remain there, while the upper back muscles relax. Over time, the chest muscles become stronger, and the muscles of the upper back weaken, as a result of which the structure of the spine is disrupted. Your back becomes rounded and the pressure on your spine is uneven, resulting in chronic back pain.

Muscle imbalance

The ability to use both your right and left hands equally well (ambidexterity) is rare, so you are unlikely to use both hands equally. As a result, the muscles on one side of the body become more developed than the other. In some cases, such as avid tennis or squash players, due to the additional force generated by the more developed side of the body, the alignment of the vertebrae is disrupted to such an extent that when viewed from the back, a line in the shape of the letter “S” or “C” is visible. .

This is an extreme example, but even a slight difference in the development of the sides affects the condition of the thoracic spine. It may look straight, but the pressure on the vertebrae and intervertebral discs will be uneven. Over time, the discs on the more developed side will gradually flatten, the vertebrae will wear out and the small articular surfaces will close together.

Weakness of the abdominal muscles

The powerful abdominal muscles serve as a corset, holding the abdominal organs close to the spine. In normal condition, this corset takes on some of the body weight, relieving the spine and hips. However, any weakening of the abdominal muscles, which may be the result of an immobile lifestyle, excess body weight, or pregnancy, leads to an increase in the load on the lumbar spine. The result can be an excessive forward bending of this part of the spine, called lordosis, which will ultimately lead to chronic back pain.

The abdominal and back muscles must not only be flexible, but also strong to properly support the spine. Weak muscles are not able to take on their share of the loads and stresses that the back must withstand, which means that joints and ligaments that are not as well supplied with blood as muscles have to work for them.

Over time, joints and ligaments become increasingly worn out, leading to tissue damage and chronic back pain. Exercises aimed at strengthening muscles will help get rid of pain by increasing the ability of muscles to absorb stress and load, thereby making it easier for ligaments and joints.

Warm-up exercises

It is very important to warm up before starting these exercises, which is also useful to do before starting any heavy housework, such as cleaning or gardening. After completing the exercises, repeat the warm-up.

Warming up increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles, tendons and ligaments, which due to this become more flexible and elastic, function better and are less susceptible to deformation. In addition, the speed of transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles also increases. Therefore, a good warm-up in itself is very important for the prevention of back problems, and doing it before starting the flexibility and back strengthening exercises described on the following pages is vital to minimize the risk of further tissue damage.

Perform warm-up exercises after chronic pain has subsided, before doing strenuous work around the house or in the garden, to prevent a recurrence of the attack.

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Complete the following exercises, repeating each five times.

1. Take two deep breaths and full exhalations.

2. Raise your shoulders up and down, then move your shoulders back and forth in a circular motion.

3. Move your head from side to side, and then up and down.

4. Swing your arms up and back, gradually increasing the circles.

5. Bend your elbows in front of your chest.

6. Swing your arms to the sides at shoulder level.

7. Rotate your hips as if you were doing a hula hoop.

8. Bend forward, sliding your hands down your legs to your knees or lower if you can. Then straighten up, bending slightly.

9. Walk in place, gradually pulling your knees higher, while swinging your arms. Then jog in place for one minute.

10. At the end of the warm-up, take two deep breaths and full exhalations.

How to gradually strengthen your back

Lie down on a carpet or mat (you'll need a table to elevate your legs) and do the exercises below five times each. Making them part of your morning and evening routine and continuing after the pain has passed will help prevent the problem from recurring.

Backbends

1. Lie on your stomach with a pillow under it, arms at your sides. Raise your head from the floor, hold it for a while and then lower it.

2. Relax your shoulders and lift your legs up about 15 cm.

3. When you get stronger, try to raise both your head and legs at once, but only a few centimeters.

Back flexion

1. Lie on your back and stretch your palms towards your knees, bending your back.

2. Repeat the exercise, now trying to reach your right knee with your right elbow. Repeat with the other hand on the other leg.

3. As you get stronger, try to raise your knee towards the opposite elbow. Repeat the exercise with the other arm and the other leg.

Leg Raising

1. Lie on your stomach on the table so that your hips are on the edge, holding the table top with your hands.

2. Raise your legs to the level of the table top. Make sure your back doesn't bend. Hold your legs until you count 3, then slowly, carefully lower.

Exercises to strengthen the back muscles affect correct posture; they are also called straightening exercises. Back exercises are of great importance for women with sedentary jobs. These exercises simultaneously increase the mobility of the spine, strengthening the back muscles; they also prevent the occurrence of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.

During back exercises, make sure that the spine is loaded as much as possible, so that weakened back muscles are strengthened and hardened ones are relaxed.

The most effective exercises for the back are exercises with a large load, complicated ones, in which bends alternate with turns of the torso, then straightening positions of the arms, in which the shoulder blades are brought together, as well as straight bends forward, backward, to the sides, in which the muscles attached to the spine are trained.

Regular and gradual strengthening of your back muscles will help improve your posture. When you include exercises to strengthen your back muscles in your exercise routine, remember that they are the ones that primarily improve your appearance.

1. Sitting with crossed legs, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Raise your arms up, swing your arms forward, backward, then deeply bend forward, touching your forearms to the floor.

2. Kneel down, raise your right hand up, and move your left hand to the side. Make backward circular movements. Change hands.

3. Sitting, legs apart, bend your arms in front of your chest, swing your arms back, return your arms to the starting position, turn your palms up, swing back, then deep bend forward, touch your hands to the floor.

4. Standing, pull yourself up on your toes, arms up, pull your stomach in, gradually bend forward (i.e., first bend the cervical, then the thoracic and finally the lumbar spine), grab your ankles with your hands and pull your torso to your hips, then straighten spine, return to the starting position.

5. Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Turn your torso to the right, move your right hand back higher, palm up, swing your right hand back, turn to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction.

6. Standing with your feet together, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Bend forward with a deflection, stretch your arms forward, swing your arms, bend deeply forward, lower your relaxed arms, gradually straighten up, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders.

7. Standing, legs apart, arms along the body, squat, make a deep bend forward, swing your arms back, squat, bend forward with a deflection, stretch your arms forward.

8. Standing, legs apart, arms along the body, make a deep bend forward, lower your arms freely, swing your arms in a tilt, touch the floor as far behind you as possible, deep bend, stretch your arms forward, touch them to the floor as far as possible in front of you .

9. Get on your knees, bend forward with your arms outstretched and rest on the floor (arms and torso on the same line), push your arms apart, swing in a tilted position, push your arms back, swing in a tilted position.

10. Get on your knees, lean forward with your arms outstretched and rest them on the floor (arms and torso on the same line). Move your arms to the left with tilted swings (legs in one place all the time), move your arms back with tilted swings. Do the same in the opposite direction.

11. Kneel with emphasis on outstretched arms, raise your pelvis, straighten your legs (legs and arms in place, move your body weight back, do not lift your feet off the floor), bend over and kneel again.

12. Lying on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, palms on the floor, bend your torso back, bend your arms and place them on the back of your head, stretch your arms forward to the starting position.

13. Lying on your stomach, bend your arms in front of you, connect them in front of your forehead, forearms inward. Raise your legs off the floor, alternately swing your legs up and down (toes extended), lower your legs to the floor.

14. Lying on your back, knees bent, arms along the body, raise the pelvis above the floor (torso and hips on the same line), lower the pelvis.

15. Sitting, legs together, bend your left leg and press it with both hands to your stomach, move your arms back, palms turned up, swing both arms back (the leg remains bent during the swing), deeply bend forward, exhale and touch your right toe with your hands. legs. Do the same with the left.

Exercises to strengthen your back muscles

Exercises that strengthen the back muscles have a great impact on correct posture. Such exercises are called straightening exercises. Back exercises are very important for women who have sedentary jobs. Thanks to these exercises, the mobility of the spine increases, the back muscles are strengthened, and the formation of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs can be prevented. When doing back exercises, you need to monitor the load on the spine; it should be maximum in order to strengthen weakened back muscles, and relax those that have hardened.

The most effective exercises for the back, which carry a heavy load and are complicated. For example, in which you need to alternate bending with body turns, then straighten your arms so that your shoulder blades are brought together. Also do straight bends forward, backward, to the sides, with the help of which the muscles that are attached to the spine are well trained.

Constant and gradual exercise to strengthen your back muscles improves your posture. If you add “straightening” exercises to your exercise routine, then they will primarily help you improve your appearance.

Detailed description with pictures of exercises to strengthen the back:

1. Sit down, cross your legs, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders. Raise your arms up, swing your arms forward, backward, then bend deeply forward and touch your shoulders to the floor.

2. Get on your knees, raise your right arm up, and move your left arm to the side. Make backward circular movements. Switch hands.

3. Sit down, spread your legs apart, bend your arms in front of your chest, swing your arms back, then put your arms in the starting position, turn your palms up, swing back, then bend deeply forward, touching your hands to the floor.

4. Stand up, pull yourself up on your toes, raise your arms up, pull in your stomach, slowly bend forward (the cervical spine bends first, then the thoracic and lastly the lumbar spine), grab your ankles with your hands and pull your torso to your hips, then, straightening your spine, return to the starting position.

5. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Turn your torso to the right, move your right arm back as high as possible, palm up, swing your right arm back, turn to the starting position. Do the same in the other direction.

6. Stand with your feet together, bend your arms and place your palms on your shoulders. Bend forward, stretch your arms forward, swing your arms, lean forward deeply, lower your relaxed arms, slowly straighten up, bend your arms, place your palms on your shoulders.

7. Stand, spread your legs apart, straighten your arms along your body, squat, bend forward deeply, swing your arms back, squat, bend forward, bend over, stretch your arms forward.

8. A very good exercise for the back is lying on your stomach, your head should be located on your hands, your legs should be straightened. In this position, we slowly raise our legs up without bending them. At the highest point, you need to hold your legs for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your legs to the floor. Repeat this exercise eight to twenty times (depending on your physical fitness). After which the load can be increased, stretch your arms straight in front of you and, at the same time as your legs, you need to lift both your arms and legs up.

9. Stand, spread your legs apart, straighten your arms along your body, bend deeply forward, lower your arms freely, swing your arms in a tilted position, touch your hands to the floor, the further behind you, the better. Bend deeply, stretch your arms forward, touch them to the floor, the further in front of you, the better.

10. Get on your knees, lean forward, extend your arms and lean them on the floor (arms and torso should be on the same line), push your arms apart, make a bent over swing, push your arms back, make a bent over swing.

11. Get on your knees, lean forward, extend your arms and place them on the floor (arms and torso should be in line). Move your arms to the left, making bent over swings (your legs should remain in one place at all times), move your arms back, making bent over swings. Do the same in the other direction.

12. This exercise very well strengthens all muscle groups of the back. Stand on all fours as shown in the picture, place your knees shoulder-width apart, straighten your arms, palms should be located exactly under your shoulders. Try to tense your abs. The position must be made as straight as possible - from the very top of the head to the hips (do not allow the back to arch in the lower back). At the same time as your left leg, extend your right arm forward. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds, then return to the starting position. Then repeat the exercise, changing your left hand to your right and your right foot to your left. Continue doing this back exercise, constantly alternating your arms and legs. For the last exercise, hold as long as possible in the final position for about thirty seconds with both the right and left sequences.

13. Get on your knees and lean on your outstretched arms, raise your pelvis, straighten your legs (legs and arms should remain in place, move your body weight back, do not lift your feet off the floor), make a bent-over swing and kneel again.

14. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, place your palms on the floor, bend your torso back, bend your arms and place them on the back of your head, stretch your arms forward, return to the starting position.

15. Lie on your stomach, bend your arms in front of you, bring them together in front of your forehead, bend your forearms inward. Raise your legs off the floor, alternately swing your legs up and down (toes should be extended), lower your legs to the floor.

16. Lie on your back, bend your knees, straighten your arms along your torso, lift your pelvis above the floor (torso and hips should be on the same line), lower your pelvis.

17. Sit with your legs together, bend your left leg and press it to your stomach with your hands, move your arms back, palms should be turned up, swing your arms back (the leg should remain bent during the swing), lean forward deeply, exhale and touch with the hands of the toe of the right foot. Do the same with your left.

Sources

1. Healthy back

2. Strengthen your back

3. Back. Exercises for back muscles

4. Exercises to strengthen your back muscles

Scoliosis. Symptoms, degrees of scoliosis, diagnosis and treatment

Posture. Education and correction of posture (continued)

Posture. Education and correction of posture

Spine

The core of the body is the main part of the human axial skeleton

Posture

Vertebrae

These are the bones that form the spinal column

Spinal sections

Lumbar spine

Connects the sedentary thoracic region and the immobile sacrum.

Knee-joint

Allows flexion and extension movements (frontal axis) - a total range of movements of 150 degrees, and in a bent position (due to relaxation of the collateral ligaments) - rotation around the axis.

Foot

Lower anatomical section of the leg

Curves of the spine

Helps a person maintain balance. During fast, sharp movements, they spring back and soften the shocks experienced by the body.

Lordosis

Curvature of the spine in the sagittal plane, convexity facing forward.

Thoracic spine

Participates in the formation of the posterior wall of the chest.

The content of the article

Almost all of us have been in a situation where our back muscles hurt. But not everyone knows how many causal factors cause such sensations.

Most often we think that this is a slight muscle fatigue. It's good if this is the case, and you can help yourself by simply getting a good rest. But often this happens due to more serious reasons that we are accustomed to neglect. But these can be signals that our body gives that there are problems in it that require elimination.

What can cause muscle pain?

This pain syndrome is called myalgia. And it most often occurs from uneven loads on the back, or rather on its muscle corset.

The result of this situation is significant overfatigue of muscle fibers, which is subsequently supplemented by oxygen starvation.

Muscle pain in the back or myalgia can occur with osteochondrosis, scoliosis, or herniated intervertebral discs. This happens because muscles and skeletal bones are very interconnected and simply cannot function separately. When a person has weak, untrained back muscles, problems with the spine and posture inevitably begin.

In order to ease the pain at least a little, he often has to take forced body positions, because the spine also bends after the muscles.

Many mechanical factors can predispose to the appearance of pain in the back muscles:

• Scoliosis can develop due to a difference in leg length, which is usually not given importance, considering that a few millimeters cannot be decisive. But in vain, because in a child such a discrepancy of 3-4 mm can form incorrect position pelvis and slow down growth. This causes curvature of the spine, which only gets worse with age.
• The halves of the pelvis are not equal in height. In this case, a person always sits with an inclination towards the smaller side, which creates additional loads on it.
• Lengthening the second metatarsal bone (“Greek” foot) leads to a loss of shock absorption properties and an increase in the load on the leg, and then on the back.
• Shortened humerus. With this rather rare pathology, muscles suffer shoulder girdle experiencing constant tension;
• stooping in the thoracic spine (kyphosis), in which the muscles of the shoulder and neck experience overstrain.
• Improper organization of the workplace also leads to overstrain of the back muscles, since a person has to stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
• Cause of pain latissimus muscle the back may become blocked in one of the vertebrae, for example, when it is compressed for a long time by the straps of a heavy backpack.

All these mechanical impacts overwork the back muscles and cause pain. And vitamin deficiency, which is often present, adds excitability to trigger points, which aggravates the situation.

What else can cause back pain?

Muscle inflammation is very common - myositis, in which they become dense, tense with constant aching pain.

manifests itself as pain in the affected muscles, which gradually intensifies

Excessive loads also cause back pain. And it’s not at all necessary to carry heavy loads or dig a garden. Static load is no less dangerous than dynamic load. With it, the muscles will also ache, because of how they support our back, for example, when working at the computer. To relieve them, you need to take breaks and move more often.

Back injuries – these can be blows, bruises, sprains, unsuccessful turns of the body, jumps, jerks, which lead to muscle spasms and, naturally, the appearance of pain. You should never do any serious exercise without warming up your muscles. If this happens, medical attention is needed so as not to unknowingly harm the body.

Once injured, your back can often take its toll. From time to time, severe pain will appear in the back muscles and if adequate treatment is not carried out, the consequences of the injury can lead to disability.

Lumbago – acute pain syndrome in the lumbar region, which is a sudden overstrain of the muscles when lifting a load or awkward movement. Hypothermia and the same spinal injuries can contribute to it. The patient is prescribed to remain in bed for several days, taking painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Herniated discs – the cause of its appearance is degenerative changes in the connective and muscle tissue and disruptions in metabolic processes. The disc gradually loses its elasticity, and its fibrous ring weakens, does not hold the core, and it extends beyond the vertebra. This is how a hernia appears. It puts pressure on nerve fibers and muscles, causing pain. It is treated almost the same as lumbago. Only for pain in the back muscles, muscle relaxants are used for treatment - drugs that relieve muscle spasms and physiotherapeutic procedures.

But it happens that, having felt pain in the back muscles, you turned to specialists and conscientiously went through all the examinations, but no abnormalities were found. There may be two options here. The first one is incorrect posture , when a person holds his back straight, all loads are distributed evenly on it. When bending, the loads on one side are more significant. Having gotten used to it, the muscles become less elastic and support the spine worse. This is how scoliosis develops. Along with these changes, both nerves and blood vessels suffer, and pain appears.

And the second option. You examined the musculoskeletal system, but the pain was only disguised. They can hide in internal organs , for example, with gynecological diseases or multiple adhesions in the intestines.

Therefore, when your back muscles hurt and you find it difficult to decide what to do, you need to pull yourself together and remember all the details associated with these pains. All this needs to be told to the doctor and described the exact nature of the pain, its frequency and what could have provoked it.

You will be assigned more thorough and in-depth studies. For example, an MRI, which will help the doctor make a diagnosis and help you get the right treatment.