The Basic Bridge Physical Therapy Exercise Described by Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath

An important component in low back pain rehabilitation is to stabilize the spine and pelvis while mobilizing the hips.

The basic bridge is an excellent exercise that accomplishes both the above goals.

Start by lying on your back, both knees bent and your hands by your sides.

From this position, brace your abdominal muscles without pushing your belly out or sucking it in. Basically, keep your stomach tight.

Contract your buttocks as you lift your hips off the ground and drive them towards the ceiling. Don’t let your pelvis shift side to side.

Focus on keeping your torso in the same position throughout the movement while hinging exclusively through your hips. Don’t sag or move through your back at all.

While squeezing through your glutes, try to keep your hamstrings or back of your thighs as relaxed as possible.

Slowly lower your buttocks back to the ground under control, with all movement taking place through the hips.

Remember to breath normally.

Key points:

-only work in your pain free range
-keep your abdominals tight for the whole exercise
-all movement should take place at the hips
-your torso should move together as a unit
-squeeze your glutes as your drive your pelvis up
-keep your hamstrings as relaxed as possible
-from the top position, slowly lower your buttocks down
-breathe normally throughout the exercise

Duration : 0:1:15

Technorati Tags: bridge exercise, Dev Chengkalath, low back pain, Physical Therapy, Physiotherapist, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, Toronto

Duration : 0:1:47

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Duration : 0:1:44

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Child’s Pose Physical Therapy Exercise Described By Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath:

This movement is taken from yoga and is used to relax tight, tense muscles.

From the quadruped position (on your hands and knees) with your big toes together and your knees slightly apart, move your hips back towards your heels.

When you have pushed your hips as far back as they can go, reach forward as far as you can with your arms.

In this position, drop your head down towards the floor and rest it there. Use pillows if you need to.

Breathe deeply and relax.

Duration : 0:1:4

Technorati Tags: Chengkalath, Child's Pose, Dev, low back fitness, low back pain, physical therapy exercise, Physiotherapist, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, strengthen your low back, Toronto

Front Plank Physical Therapy Exercise Described By Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath:

If you suffer from mechanical low back pain, there’s probably a good chance you’ve been told you have a weak core.

In the following video, the front plank exercise is demonstrated.

When used properly, this core and abdominal exercise is a fantastic tool to help alleviate the symptoms and the causes of low back pain.

Start in a legs fully extended position while braced on your forearms. Lift your hips and body off the ground and hold that “plank” position.

Make sure that you keep your spine in the neutral position without any excess rounding or arching while breathing normally.

Lower yourself back down, under control, to the starting position.

Hold for the desired amount of time or complete the desired number of repetitions.

Key Points:

-work in a pain free zone
-maintain neutral spine
-breathe normally
-hold for desired time or desired number of reps

Duration : 0:1:5

Technorati Tags: Chengkalath, Dev, exercising your core, front plank, low back fitness, low back pain, physical therapy exercise, Physiotherapist, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, strengthen low back, Toronto

The Cat & Camel Physical Therapy Exercise Described By Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath

This back mobilization exercise is designed to loosen up the joints and tissue surrounding the spine.

It should not be taken as a stretch but as an active motion exercise used to improve controlled flexibility.

This movement results is lower spine loads while improving back mobility. Aim for 6-10 cycles.

Key points:

-only work in your pain free range
-keep your hands directly beneath the shoulders
-keep your knees directly beneath the hips
-your spine should flex and arch together as a unit
-you don’t need to go to the end range of motion

Duration : 0:1:20

Technorati Tags: Cat and Camel, Dev Chengkalath, low back pain, physical therapy exercise, Physiotherapist, reduce low back pain, Relieve back pain, Toronto

The Marching Bridge Core Stability Physical Therapy Exercise Described By Toronto Physical Therapist Dev Chengkalath:

An important component in low back pain rehabilitation is to stabilize the spine and pelvis while mobilizing the hips.

The marching bridge is an excellent exercise that accomplishes both the above goals while being a bit tougher than the basic bridge.

Start by lying on your back, both knees bent and your hands by your sides.

From this position, brace your abdominal muscles (core) without pushing your belly out or sucking it in. Basically, keep your stomach tight.

Contract your buttocks as you lift your hips off the ground and drive them towards the ceiling. Don’t let your pelvis shift side to side.

Focus on keeping your torso in the same position throughout the movement while moving exclusively through your hips.

Don’t sag or move through your back at all.

While squeezing through your glutes, try to keep your hamstrings or back of your thighs as relaxed as possible.

Remember to breath normally.

At the top position, lift one leg up, keeping the knee bent and then return it back to the ground. Alternate between left and right legs while keeping the hips up, core tight and torso rigid.

Once you’ve completed your desired number of reps, return to the starting position.

Key points:

-only work in your pain free range
-keep your abdominals tight for the whole exercise
-all bridging movements should take place at the hips
-squeeze your glutes as your drive your pelvis up
-keep your hamstrings as relaxed as possible
-at the top of the marching bridge, alternate lifting your bent knees
-breathe normally throughout the exercise

Duration : 0:1:4

Technorati Tags: core fitness, core health, Core Stability, low back fitness, low back pain, Physical Therapist, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, strengthen low back, Toronto

Front Plank from Knees Core Fitness Physiotherapy Exercise Described by Toronto Physical Therapist Dev Chengkalath:

The front plank is another fantastic exercise, that, when executed correctly, can help alleviate, prevent or fix the aches and pains from various forms of mechanical low back pain.

In this most simple variation of the front plank exercise, the front plank from the knees, start in a plank position on your knees and elbows.

From this position, maintain the neutral spine position where your spine is neither flexed (rounded up) nor extended (arched) excessively, while you lift your pelvis off the floor.

Lower back down to the starting position under control.

Hold for the desired amount of time or complete the desired number of repetitions.

Key Points:

-work in a pain free zone
-maintain neutral spine
-breathe normally
-hold for desired time or desired number of reps

Duration : 0:0:59

Technorati Tags: core fitness, core health, low back fitness, low back pain, physiotherapy exercise, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, strengthen low back, Toronto Physical Therapist

Quadruped Rocking Hip Mobility Physiotherapy Exercise Described by Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath:

This mobilization exercise is designed to loosen up the joints and tissues of the hips while teaching you to maintain your neutral spine position.

In other words, this is an active, dynamic stretch used to improve controlled flexibility of the hips while maintaining stability of the lumbar spine.

Both of these outcomes are fundamentally important to prevent and treat various types of mechanical low back pain.

Start on your hands and knees with your arms directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips.

Make sure your spine is in neutral position, without being rounded up or arched down. Breathe normally.

From this position, keep your arms straight and sit back towards your heels.

All movement should be taking place through your hips and shoulders only. Make sure you keep your spine in that neutral position throughout the whole exercise.

Once you go back as far as you can, reverse your movement and return to the starting position.

Repeat for desired sets and reps, always making sure you stay in a pain free range of motion.

Key points:

-only work in your pain free range
-keep your hands directly beneath the shoulders
-keep your knees directly beneath the hips
-sit back towards your heels, moving through your hips
-your spine should not change from the neutral position
-breathe normally (don’t hold your breath)
-reverse the movement direction and return to the start

Duration : 0:1:23

Technorati Tags: core fitness, core health, Hip Mobility, low back fitness, low back pain, physiotherapy exercise, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, strengthen low back, Toronto Physiotherapist

Full Side Plank Core Fitness Physiotherapy Exercise Described by Toronto Physiotherapist Dev Chengkalath:

This is an excellent exercise to activate your core muscles while minimizing compressive loads through the spine.

If you are suffering from mechanical low back pain, this may be one of the types of muscle activation movements you need to get yourself pain free.

Lying on your side, braced on your forearm, your feet in staggered stance position, with the upper leg forward and the lower leg backwards, bring your hips off the ground.

Keep a nice straight line through the torso from head to feet.

Maintain your neutral spine (no excess arching or rounding), with abs contracted and braced. Breathe normally.

You can alternate your stance by switching the position of your legs.

Make sure you don’t allow any sagging through your torso or allow your hips to stay flexed.

Hold for the desired time and lower back to the starting position under control.

Repeat for the desired number of sets and repetitions.

Key Points:

-always work within pain free zone
-stagger your legs to maintain balance
-keep a straight line through your torso, from head to feet
-maintain neutral spine
-breathe normally
-don’t sag through your torso or stay flexed at the hips
-lower under control and repeat

Duration : 0:1:14

Technorati Tags: core fitness, core health, low back fitness, low back pain, physiotherapy exercise, reduce low back pain, relieve low back pain, Side Plank, strengthen low back, Toronto Physiotherapy