Home Page

Program Details

The Back Rehabilitation Programme is a group based exercise class designed to help you manage your symptoms of lower back pain and restore you to normal activity.

The aims of the class include:

1. Help you to return to normal activities and function

2. Build flexibility and strength of the spine

3. Help establish an exercise routine to prevent re-occurrence of lower back pain

4. Help understand why we get lower back pain and how to manage the symptoms in the future

Exercise Classes

Our Back Rehabilitation classes involve exercises in our gym. These exercises aim to help regain your normal movement and functional activity. It will require a moderate to high level of physical exertion.

Alongside the Back Rehabilitation classes we will ask you to complete exercise at home to help maximise the outcome of our interventions. Please discuss these with your therapist prior to starting the class.

Please Bring

1. Appropriate clothing and footwear to help you exercise and move freely in class.

2. Goals you want to achieve by attending the Back Rehabilitation class

3. A drink and any medication you may need during the class

Venue               

The Gym, Physiotherapy Department, Level 7, Derriford Hospital

Time:                   

Every Monday and Friday at either 11:00-12:00 or 15:20-16:20

Course Outline

Our sessions will start with an introduction to the back rehabilitation class and will be held in the Physiotherapy Gym.

Throughout the classes there will be

• Advice and information on managing back pain.

• Posture and pacing advice

• Introduction of exercising with weights

• How to progress exercises

• Stretches

• Relaxation

• Advice on coping with bad days

• Discussion on creating exercise goals for the future

• Review of your rehabilitation journey

What is this booklet for?

This booklet is designed to accompany the back rehabilitation exercise class. It includes some of the exercises we aim to teach you during your rehabilitation programme with instruction on how to complete them.

This can be used as a reference to remind you of the exercises once the class has been completed. As you may find some of your symptoms continue after the rehabilitation class has ended.

Alongside the back rehabilitation classes, we ask you to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week.

What counts as a Moderate level of activity?

This might include.

• Brisk walking 

• Water aerobics

• Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills  

• Hiking

• Racquet sports

• Dancing

Moderate level of activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

One way to tell if you are working at a moderate level is if you can still talk, but you cannot sing the words to a song.

If you are having any difficulty with the exercises, please discuss this with the therapists in the class. They are all trained exercise specialists and can help you find ways of adapting your exercise to suit your level of fitness.

Rehabilitation Exercises

Flexibility Exercises

Cat & Camel Stretches

 

Start Position: Kneel on all fours, with your knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders, do not lock your elbows.

Action: Arch the back up and lower the head, hold for a few seconds, and then sag the back down. Repeat 8 to 10 times

Knee Hugs

 

Start Position: Lie on your back. Place a small, flat cushion or book under your head. Bend your knees, keeping your feet straight and hip-width apart.

Action: Pull knee in to chest until a comfortable stretch is felt in hip and lower back. Hold 15 seconds. Repeat with opposite leg. Repeat 5-10 times each leg.

Knee Rolls

 

Start Position: Lie on your back. Place a small flat cushion or book under your head. Keep your knees bent and together. Keep your upper body relaxed.

Action: Roll your knees to one side, keeping both shoulders on the floor. Hold the stretch for one deep breath and return to the starting position. Repeat 8 to 10 times, alternating sides.

Bottom to Heel Stretch

 

Start position: Kneel on all fours, with your knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders. Try to keep your back and neck fairly straight, and don't lock your elbows.

Action: Slowly move your bottom back towards your heels. Hold the stretch for one deep breath and return to the starting position. Repeat 8 to 10 times.

Back Extension

 

Start position: Lie on your front and rest on your forearms, with your elbows bent at your sides. Look towards the floor and keep your neck straight.

Action: Keeping your neck straight, arch your back up by pushing down on your hands. Breathe and hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 8 to 10 times.

Pelvic Tilts

 

Start position: This exercise can be completed lying down or sat on a chair. Sit upright with shoulders relaxed, head level and eyes looking straight ahead.

Action: Gently drop the trunk down from a point whilst letting the pelvis tip down and back as if you are slumping. Then sit up straight, tilting the pelvis slightly forward. Repeat 10 to 15 times, tilting your pelvis back and forth in a slow rocking motion.

Stability Exercises

Bridge

Start position: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms alongside your body with the palms down.

Action: Press into the feet and lift your hips up. You want to avoid arching your lower back. Repeat 15 times

Dead Bugs

 

Start position: Lie flat on your back, keeping your back in its natural position without flattening it. Raise your arms toward the ceiling.

Action: Raise your feet, knees, and hips. Bend your legs so that your knees are above your hips and thighs. Keep your abs and core engaged as you slowly lift your feet off the floor. Continue to use your abs and core to raise your bent legs so they are in a 90-degree angle. Repeat 15 times

Wall Squat

 

Start position: Stand with your head and back against a wall. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your arms at your sides.

Action: Engage your abdominal muscles slowly lower your body into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 2 seconds and return to the initial position. Repeat 15 times

Superman

Start position: Kneel on all fours, with your knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders. Try to keep your back and neck fairly straight, and don't lock your elbows.

Action: Slowly lift and extend one arm and the opposite leg. Hold them in the raised position for five seconds, then return to the starting position, repeat on the other side. Repeat 15 times.

Strengthening Exercises

Wall Press

Start position: Stand in front of a wall and lift your arms up to shoulder level. Place your palms against the wall so that they are slightly wider than your shoulders. Back your feet a couple feet away from the wall.

Action: Push off the wall until your arms are in an outstretched position. Make sure you don’t arch your back during the exercises. Repeat 15 time.

Split Squat

 

Start Position: From a standing position, take a step forwards. The heel of your back foot should be raised. Keeping your back straight.  Keep your knees in line with your toes. You may choice to add a weight to this exercise when ready.

Action: Lower slowly until your back knee almost touches the floor, then push back up. Complete all your reps on one leg, then switch legs. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Beginner Dead-Lift

 

Start position: Start with a small weight place your feet flat on the floor shoulder width apart. Keep your head in a neutral position by looking forwards. Aim to maintain a strong spine from the beginning of the lift to the end. Do this by keeping your chest up to prevent your torso hunching forwards over your weight.

Action: Keeping your back straight and your head facing forward throughout, lift the weight using your legs and driving your hips forward. Pull your shoulders back at the top of the move, then carefully lower the weight down bending our knees as you move down.

Tips

• The dead-lifts should be a fast and powerful lift using your legs and glute strength. Drive upwards as explosively as possible.

• Start this exercise without any weights to work on a good technique. When you are ready trial a small weight between 1-3 kg.

• Remember to engage your abdominal muscles during this exercise and maintain a small arch in your lower back.

On-line Resources

Back pain: NHS choices

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/

Find out about the treatment of lower back pain including exercises and pain management.

Back pain Versus Arthritis

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/back-pain/

Being active and exercising won't make your back pain worse, even if you have a bit of pain and discomfort at first. Staying active will help you get better.

Low Back Pain: YouTube Dr Mike Evans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOjTegn9RuY

Reframe Health Lab combines patient and care provider engagement with communications and behaviour change strategy

Fitness Studio exercise videos: NHS

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-fitness-studio/

Take your pick from 24 instructor-led videos in our aerobics, strength and resistance, pilates and yoga categories.The workouts have been created by fitness experts InstructorLive and range from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. 

Mindfulness: NHS

https://www.nhs.uk › Health A-Z › Moodzone

Whatever you need to know about coping with stress, anxiety or depression, or just the normal emotional ups and downs of life, the NHS Choices Moodzone is here to help.