Spine Rehab
After an injury or surgery, an exercise conditioning program can help you return to your daily activities and lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. By following a well-structured conditioning program, you can also get back to participating in sports and other recreational activities.
This generalized conditioning program offers a variety of exercises to safely and effectively improve your fitness. It is best to perform the program under supervision to get the most benefit from it.
Strength: The muscles that support your lower leg, foot, and ankle are important for stabilizing your ankle joint. Keeping these muscles strong can help relieve pain and prevent further injury.
Flexibility: Stretching the muscles that you strengthen is important for restoring range of motion and preventing injury. Gently stretching after strengthening exercises can help reduce muscle soreness and keep your muscles long and flexible.
Target Muscles: The muscle groups targeted in this conditioning program include:
- Cervical spine (neck)
- Trapezius (neck and upper back)
- Latissimus dorsi (side and middle back)
- Back extensors and erector spinae (middle and lower back)
- Quadratus lumborum (lower back)
- Abdominals
- External oblique rotators (side and lower back)
- Internal oblique rotators (side and lower back)
- Piriformis (buttocks)
- Gluteus maximus (buttocks)
- Gluteus medias (buttocks)
- Hamstrings (back of thigh)
The length of this program depends on how long it takes for you to recover. Your consultant will give you a more specific idea. These exercises can be continued even after you’re feeling better, to help make sure your spine stays healthy throughout your life. Doing the
exercises 2-3 times a week will help maintain the strength and range of motion in your back.
Getting Started
Warm up: Before starting any of the following exercises, it’s important to warm up your muscles with some low-impact activity. This could be something as simple as walking around your block or riding a stationary bike for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stretch: After you warm up, it’s important to stretch before moving on to strengthening exercises. Stretching helps improve your range of motion and can prevent injuries.
Exercises: It’s important to do both strengthening and stretching exercises when you’re trying to improve your flexibility. First, do the exercises that will help you build strength. Once you’ve completed those, go back and repeat the stretching exercises to finish off the
program.
Do not ignore pain: If you’re feeling pain during your workout, it’s important to listen to your body and not ignore the sensation. Exercise should never be painful, so if you’re experiencing pain of any kind, be sure to speak with your doctor or physical therapist. They’ll be able to help you understand what might be causing the pain and how to find relief.