3 Exercises to Ease Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
The lumbar spine (lower back) consists of 5 vertebrae in the lower part of the spine between the ribs and the pelvis.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canals, compressing the nerves traveling from the lower back into the legs.
Individuals who are experiencing the pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis typically present with increased lower back and leg pain with upright standing postures and relief of pain with sitting.
While lumbar spinal stenosis may affect younger individuals with development diagnoses, it is most commonly a degenerative condition that affects people over the age of 60.
The goal of any rehabilitation plan for a patient with lumbar spinal stenosis is to improve their tolerance to walking and standing in order to preserve general mobility, muscle strength, and muscle endurance.
Physical therapy has been shown to be very effective at managing lumbar spinal stenosis through therapeutic exercise (stretching, strengthening) manual therapy interventions (massage, mobilization), and the use of therapeutic modalities (heat, ice, electrical stimulation).
Today’s video outlines 𝟑 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 to help ease the pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis:
- 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭- While laying on your back, pull one knee towards your chest until you feel a comfortable stretch in your lower back. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and repeat 3 times each side.
- 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭- While laying on your back, pull both of your knees at the same time towards your chest until you feel a comfortable stretch in your lower back. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬- While laying on your back with both your knees bent to 90 degrees, slowly rock your knees side to side going as far to the side as possible until you feel a comfortable stretch. Repeat this sequence for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.