Back Muscle Imbalance

RedRebel92

The muscles on the right side of my back are stronger than the muscles on the left side and it is causing me some back pain, mainly lower back pain. Anyone have any exercises i can do to strengthen my left side or fix the imbalance??

Hanley

How have arrived at that conclusion? If advised by a physio etc, they should have prescribed some remedial work.

If self assessed, there could be numerous other causative factors.

RedRebel92

yes ive been to a physio and she gave me some exercises that just involve raising my leg basically and i feel these arent helping that much, i know it will take a good while before my back improve but im just wondering im just wondering if there are other exercises that will help

Kashkai

Either follow your physio's advice or seek another physio's opinion. I had a back imbalance that I ignored and I ended up with two degenerated lumbar discs that occurred due to the long term imbalance. It took me 6 months before I could walk properly again and three years on, I'm still doing the back exercises to manage my condition.

Don't ignore your medical advice!

Chancer3001

+1 for the above advice.

My abs, shoulders caused problems with my pelvis and it still flares up from time to time despite doing physio strecthing for the last year.

Go to a second physio, get them to assess you without saying "well the last guy told me this"

RedRebel92

oh i am doing what the physio, and ive been doing it for the last 2 months, its just feels lik its not going to improve my back. she has me sitting on a ball or a chair and then lift my left leg and then my right and to repeat that, and the same with my back against a wall and the same lying down on my stomach, it just feels lik nothing is happening

Kashkai

Like I said, I have two degenerated discs in my lumbar region and so I need to keep my back muscles strong to hold my spine in shape. My exercises consist of:

- on hands and knees, lift right leg out and extend and lift left arm and extend and hold for ten seconds and then switch arm and leg and repeat. Do ten repetitions.

- lie on belly and put arms behind head and lift from the waist up and hold for ten seconds. Ten of these.

- lie face down and push up with arms as far as you can go (more useful for keeping spine supple though)

- stretch hamstrings as far as you can to stop tight muscles pulling your spine into compression.

I have to do these daily but they work and I'm injury free for three years.

From what you describe, those exercises you are doing would not strengthen your back muscles, more likely they would have a slight affect on your lower abs??

Perhaps you should see another physio and see if they prescribe anything different.

calfmuscle

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Like I said, I have two degenerated discs in my lumbar region and so I need to keep my back muscles strong to hold my spine in shape. My exercises consist of:

- on hands and knees, lift right leg out and extend and lift left arm and extend and hold for ten seconds and then switch arm and leg and repeat. Do ten repetitions.

- lie on belly and put arms behind head and lift from the waist up and hold for ten seconds. Ten of these.

- lie face down and push up with arms as far as you can go (more useful for keeping spine supple though)

- stretch hamstrings as far as you can to stop tight muscles pulling your spine into compression.

I have to do these daily but they work and I'm injury free for three years.

From what you describe, those exercises you are doing would not strengthen your back muscles, more likely they would have a slight affect on your lower abs??

Perhaps you should see another physio and see if they prescribe anything different.

Your only thinking of the concentric action of the hip flexors ect. Your forgetting the eccentric action of the back muscles to slowly drop the leg back down as well as the core stabilisation effect of sitting on the ball and doing very specific and controlled movements.

Nervous Wreck

RedRebel92 wrote: »

oh i am doing what the physio, and ive been doing it for the last 2 months, its just feels lik its not going to improve my back. she has me sitting on a ball or a chair and then lift my left leg and then my right and to repeat that, and the same with my back against a wall and the same lying down on my stomach, it just feels lik nothing is happening

As has been said, if you are not confident in the advice provided by your physio, seek advice from a different one. Surely that's just common sense?