hi, i'm a dancer...and i've always had a bad lower back. but recently i had a spinal tap done on my back...and i feel like its gotten worse. my coach makes me strech my back before i do anything...but is there anything else i can do? thanks.
Answer:
Hey...there are a ton of things that you can do that will strengthen your back. Do you have an exercise ball, like a big, bouncy ball about 65cm or so? If you do, these are great to help strength in back, core, and other muscle areas. One you can do is by laying on the ball with it under your stomach, then raise your left arm and your right leg as high as you can and hold it, and then do this with the other leg and arm. This will help strengthen back muscles. Also, one called the "superman" in which you lay on the ball and raise your arms and legs as high as you can without bending them (picture superman flying through the air). Also, you may want to check out DVD's by Gunnar Peterson who works with the exercise balls to strengthen core, abs, back, and so much more. The ball is the best way to go in order to strengthen back, and it hits a bunch of muscles at once. Also, working on the ball will help increase your core strength, balance, agility, etc., of which are all really important to any dancer. Good luck, and you should feel a bit stronger in about 2 weeks of doing these at least 3 times a week!
Talk to your doctor. Be careful with the back, especially if you've had procedures done recenty.
strech everyday
and then you will be used to it
The spinal tap, or lumbar puncture, is about as bothersome as a pitcher worrying about his throwing arm because he's had blood drawn from it. If your back is getting worse, your stretching program may not be optimised for you, and you may want to consult both your physician and a physical therapist.
(1) Walk as often as possible.
(2) Lay flat on the floor, until the curve of your back is flat. Lift your pelvis off the floor and count to ten, release and lower your pelvis. Repeat about 12 times, (3 sets.) This same exercise is used to strengthen the stomach.
(3) If you have access to parallel bars like those the kids hang from in the parks, try it. You will get a great back stretch since you'll be hanging with your feet off the ground.
(4) Use a hot pack from the surgical supply stores. The best one is the old fashioned Hydrocollater that physical therapists use. You place it in a pot of boiling water to make it hot. Use it at least twice a day and it will ease the pain. Sometimes therapists tell you to alternate with a cold pack to ease any swelling. I find the hydrocollater to be the best back pain reliever, other than medicine.
You should talk to your doctor and request a MRI of the lower back. This will show disc problems, ligament, everything, not mainly bones like a regular x-ray will.An MRI is magnetic renosance imaging. This is just a fancy word for an very detailed X-ray. You can't determine what steps you need to do unless you find the root of the problem.You may have hurt something while dancing - or if you had been in some kind of accident.
Check out this site for some helpful information: http://www.everydayhealth.com/publicsite...This has the how-to's of back exercises to help strengthen the muscles: http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/...Before doing any of this, it is very important that you let your doctor know you are having continued pain. If he doesn't address it, get a second opinion. Pain is an alarm that your body sends out because there is a problem. As a dancer, you are aware of this. Once the back is gone, so is your physical agilatie. Best of wishes.
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