Low Back Pain Lumbar Flexion-Based Program

by Sarah Voelkel Feierstein PT, DPT, OCS, CMPT

Lumbar Flexion-Based Program

Low back pain is the most common condition treated by physical therapists. Research shows that progressive endurance and fitness exercises are helpful to reduce pain and increase function in patients with chronic low back pain. Additionally, interventions that include patient education regarding pain and counseling to maintain a physically active lifestyle are very valuable. For some patients with diagnoses such as lumbar stenosis, degenerative disk disease, or arthritis, a lumbar flexion program could be beneficial. Some examples of such exercises are listed below.

Beattie, Paul. The Lumbar Spine: Physical Therapy Patient Management Using Current Evidence. Current Concepts of Orthopedic Physical Therapy. 4^th Edition. Orthopedic Section, APTA, Inc. 2016.

 

Exercises

1. Single Knee to Chest
   • 3×30 seconds
   • 1x/day
2. Double Knee to Chest
   • 3×30 seconds
   • 1x/day
3. Seated Lumbar Stretch
   • 3×30 seconds
   • 1x/day
4. Bridging
   • 3×10
   • 1x/day
5. Cat/Cow
   • X20
   • 1x/day
6. Hip piriformis stretching
   • 3×30 seconds
   • 1x/day
7. Half Kneel Psoas Stretch
   • 3×30”
   • 1x/day
8. Child’s pose
   • 3×30”
   • 1x/day