Can Your Core Strengthen Your Back?

any people suffer from back pain, whether in the upper or lower back. Back pain can sometimes be the result of weak core muscles. That is why core strength does more to your body than just giving you abdominal muscles. Developing strong core muscles can help strengthen your back and reduce back pain. It is recommended to visit our back pain specialist in NJ for your back pain needs. Dr. Han Jo Kim can evaluate your back pain and recommend a personalized course of treatment.

How Does Your Core Strengthen Your Back?

Your core muscles, which include the abdominals, obliques, and lower back muscles, play a significant role in supporting your spine and improving posture. Strengthening these muscles can help to alleviate back pain and prevent future injuries. If you work hard to strengthen your core muscles, then you can strengthen your back and get relief from back pain and will be less likely to obtain a back injury in the future. 

How To Strengthen Your Core With Exercise

Core exercises can be used to strengthen your core, eventually leading to the relief of back pain. Exercises should be repeated frequently, but allow your body to rest too. Some examples of exercises you can do to strengthen your core muscles include the following:

Elbow Plank:

1. Lie on your stomach with the rest of your body flat. 
2. Place your elbows on the floor with your arms making a 90-degree angle to hold you up.
3. Make sure your elbows are close to the sides of your body, and your forearms are on the floor with your fingers interlaced.
4. Use your core muscles to hold this position for 30 seconds at a time.
5. Repeat this exercise three times in a row with resting in between.
6. For efficient results, do this exercise once a day.

Abdominal Crunches: 

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Your feet should be flat on the floor, hip-distance apart. 
2. Place both hands on the back of your head with your elbows open wide. 
3. Use your abdominal muscles to raise your head, neck, and upper back off the floor as you exhale. 
4. Lower your upper body to the ground as you inhale. 
5. Do three sets of 10 abdominal crunches every day to strengthen your core.

Pushups:

1. Lie on your stomach with your hands on the floor a little higher than where your shoulders are.
2. Lift your body, so you become evenly balanced on your hands and feet.
3. Lower yourself to the floor until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Remember to keep your back straight.
4. Your arm, upper back, chest, and abdominal muscles should be used while doing pushups.
5. Do three sets of 10 pushups each day.

For more recommendations of exercises that can help strengthen your core muscles and help relieve back pain, see our back pain specialist in NJ.

Other Techniques to Strengthen Your Core

Preventing back pain by strengthening your core through exercise can take some time. Other techniques can also help aid the process of strengthening your core. Examples of these techniques include the following:

• Losing weight
• Stretching regularly
• Getting enough sleep
• Incorporating proper techniques when exercising

Can You Injure Your Back While Strengthening Your Core?

Exercises that are performed incorrectly can put you at risk of injuring yourself. Therefore, it is possible to worsen your back pain when strengthening your core if done inaccurately. The best way to keep your body safe when doing physical activity is to do exercises with caution and stop if you feel too much discomfort. It is, however, usual to feel a sense of soreness while performing exercises and afterward. Feeling soreness means you are performing the exercise correctly and using your muscles.

When To Contact a Doctor

If any of the following problems occur, reach out to our back pain specialist in NJ:

• Your pain has been lingering for longer than a month.
• Your pain is getting worse.
• Your pain wakes you up from sleep at night.
• Your back pain is radiating down your legs.
• One of your legs is becoming weak.

Contact Dr. Han Jo Kim

If you are experiencing any back pain that makes doing daily tasks difficult, consider seeing Dr. Han Jo Kim specializes in treating back pain issues and coming up with treatment plans for his patients. Contact our office to get in touch with our specialist and find out how to live a pain-free life again.