Sarah Key’s 4 simple steps to a supple spine

Keep moving – avoid backache by following physiotherapist Sarah Key’s simple steps to a supple spine

© SAGA Members magazine

The spine is more susceptible than other parts of the human body to aches and pains, simply because it does so much. The lower back is particularly vulnerable because it supports the torso, and bends through the middle to put the arms and face at different heights. By doing a few simple exercises each day you can keep your spine young and prevent lower back pain developing. The exercises will also help to ease a painful back.

The spine is a slender upright column consisting of multiple segments, all sitting on top of one another. The vertebrae (the bones) are separated and cushioned from grinding impact by fibrous pillows, called inter vertebral discs. Healthy discs are full of fluid, the pressure of which forces the vertebrae apart. At the same time, the fluid pressure stretches the walls of the discs and creates a strong link that holds the segments secure. This makes the spine taut and whippy, so it can double over and spring straight again in a single bending action. Buoyant, well hydrated discs are critically important for a healthy spine.

A large part of spinal treatment, both prevention and cure, is aimed at improving disc hydration. Thicker water-filled discs provide better shock absorption and better bony clearance to give the vertebrae more room to move. The stretch and compression of bending will help to keep your back loose and healthy by keeping your spinal segments mobile and pulled apart.

When your back starts getting painful, you will naturally try to avoid bending, because you misread the stiffness as a sign to keep the back straight. But when the spine stops bending, the discs lose one of their main mechanisms of re-hydrating and degeneration is hastened, with the segments at the base of the spine the first to suffer. Keeping the back moving is therapeutic.

Sarah Key’s The Back Sufferer’s Bible.

Curling down and up again (bending) Duration: One minute

Curling down and up again (bending) while standing, with the tummy held in, keeps backs strong and, most important, re-hydrates the discs, which keeps your spine young. This is not the same as bending statically, as you do with gardening. Staying bent over is a strain because the long-term contraction of the back muscles compresses the spinal segments and makes your back sore.

1 Standing upright, brace your tummy and curl your body down towards your toes. Tighten your buttocks as you go forwards. If your back is stiff and weak you may want to “walk” your hands down your thighs.
2 Round your lower back to make a horizontal crease across your belly at navel level. Bend low enough to hang. This is where you get maximum vertebral separation.
3 Bend your knees for greater comfort, dangling like a gorilla. Be sure to relax completely.
4 Let the spine lengthen as you relax and then “bounce” your upper body very gently towards the floor for five to 10 seconds.
5 Pull the tummy in hard, tightening the gluteal muscles in your buttocks and start to unfurl, one “cog” at a time. Curve your lower back as you do so, and keep your chin on your chest to the very last. Keep the movement slow and under control, with your midriff strong and tightened, and resist the temptation to flip up quickly through the last degrees of straightening.

Rock Your Knees.  Duration: Two minutes

The easiest way to start bending your spine is lying on your back on the floor and rocking your knees to your chest. This starts opening up the spinal interspaces and pulling apart the segments, as it stirs the circulation of fluid through the discs. The movement does not have to be vigorous and two minutes a day makes a difference.

1 Lie on your back on a carpet or folded towel, with a pillow under your head if you prefer.
2 Bring your right knee up to your chest and hold it with your right hand, then do the same with your left knee and hand.
3 Spread your knees as wide apart as is comfortable, still cupping them with your hands, and cross your ankles.
4 Oscillate your legs gently to and from your chest with your head relaxed on the floor. Alternate between rocking the knees up and down and moving them left to right; then try rotating them in small circles, first clockwise then anti-clockwise.

Spinal Rolling. Duration: One minute

Spinal rolling is particularly helpful when your back is rigid with pain. The to-and-fro action softens the armour-plated rigidity of the muscles (called muscle spasm) and as the segments loosen, the discs are able to swell up with fluid. This exercise also strengthens the abdominal muscles, which are essential for bending. Rolling along your spine continuously for 60 seconds is quite difficult to do.

1 Lie on your back as before. Lift your arms and stretch them out. Lift your thighs up so that they are just below perpendicular to the floor.
2 Make your back into a round saucer shape by raising your upper body, tucking your chin on to your chest.
3 Hold your legs behind the knees and tip gently back and forth along the spine, with very small amplitude rocking movements. Attempt to focus on the painful vertebra, as if you are pivoting on a painful cog in a wheel. If this feels easy, alternate with tipping left to right, pivoting on the painful vertebra.

Reverse Curl Ups. Duration: One minute

Specific tummy-strengthening exercises are important because strong abdominal muscles support the spine and keep it safe during bending. These reverse curl-ups are particularly helpful when the lower back is painful (when it is difficult to “switch” these muscles on).

1 Lie on your back as before, pulling your knees up to your chest with ankles crossed and knees apart. Interlace fingers behind your head. If you have a neck problem, do this exercise with your hands on your forehead, palms upwards.
2 Without jerking, lift your bottom off the floor and your knees towards your chin, then return thighs to start position. Don’t let your thighs go beyond the start position – ie below perpendicular to the floor – on the way down, as this will strain your lower back.

When and how often to exercise.

Rocking your knees and spinal rolling are both preventative and therapeutic. They are an all-round panacea and particularly beneficial when your back feels stiff and sore. Doing them effectively will make sure your back does not get worse. They are often better done in the mornings to relieve stiffness but you can do them whenever you feel your back tightening up. Don’t be tempted to rush or continue for too long: two minutes is ample. And don’t tug at your knees.

Reverse curl-ups have to be more arduous to effectively build up the strength of your tummy and improve core stability. They are best done at night and you need to do at least 15 without stopping in order
to gain strength. Your tummy may feel sore when you laugh for a day or so but this is no bad thing. You can do curling down and up again exercises at any time of day, but do only one at a time.

Do them when you feel your back settling and compressing and the muscles hardening, but no more than three times a day.

Sarah Key’s The Back Sufferer’s Bible – Reviewed.