PhysioTherapy for my back

So I was at the Physiotherapy today. Christine seems like a competent PT.

Anyways, she gave me some new exercises for my back. For the list of the old ones, go here. I'm to continue doing those, but add these to the regimen 1-2 times each day. NO less than four times per week.

Anyways, the new ones are as follows: They are called back stabilization exercises. And this page actually shows two of them. Quadriped progression: actually harder than it looks. One must keep ones back from twisting. It must be kept level. She wants me to hold one arm forward for five seconds. Guess what...I can, at this point, hardly do it for 2 seconds. Weak back muscles eh? The second is called a Bridging progression. This one too I should hold for 5 seconds and I'm lucky just to lift up! :) ALL I'm to do is step one at this point in my life.

Must strengthen my back. I must! Boy..I feel like a total weakling trying to do these.

The other one I"m to do is kinda like a hamstring pull, but without being up against a wall. Trick is to hold one's back straight while putting one foot forward and slowly bending both knees. I'm not too good at this one yet either. BUT! It will come! :)

She once again taped up my sore foot for me, the one with Plantar Fasciitis. Surprised me last week when she did this at how much it helped me. I hope it will do the same this time around. She's also been ultra sounding it. Doesn't seem to hurt it until the last 10 seconds or so I figure why not. :)

As I searched for pictures of back stabilization exercises I found this page. I don't have to do all the exercises here, but I liked the page and this way I can find it again. :)

Oh I suppose i should add for those who know: my scratched eye hardly hurt at all today. Should be getting better now I think. :) I have to learn to be more careful around those spike plants! They just got too ornery when you over winter them. :)

Physio Exercises for my back

Rather than me writing this all down out of my memory I"m going to do a search through the internet for wording similar to what I was told. :) Where different I'll write in red.

How to do your exercises

It is very important to do the exercises well if you are to get the benefit and improve your condition.

1. Do them regularly if you are going to do them at all. The tissues of the body respond to regular, repeated stresses to change how they behave. To achieve this you will need to repeat the exercises a certain amount of times every single day.
2. Do each exercise individually. If you try and do two movements at once, neither movement will be done well or to the maximum degree. This cuts down the effectiveness and may stress your joints more than you intend.
3. Go to the end of each movement. There’s no point waving a joint around in the air as joints usually have problems at the end of their available movement at the time. Make sure you move each joint to the end of the movement if you can.
4. Do the movement slowly and steadily. Jerking or moving quickly can be painful and strain something, as well as not permitting the part to relax as the movement progresses.
5. Pay attention to pain. This is a difficult one. Pain can mean that the painful area is damaged and you should not move it until it has healed more, but it can also be much less important. If your joint is stiff, you will need to stretch it and cause some pain if it is to loosen up. Good pain is not too severe and settles down quickly. Bad pain is severe and takes a long time to settle down after. If you cause pain on exercise, and you may have to to succeed, make sure it is good pain.
6. Make specific times to exercise through the day as this makes it more likely you will actually do them. I was told to do them as often as I could throughout the day, eventually I will get down to just some maintenance exercises. These I will do first thing in the morning and last thing at night. For now I will do them frequently as possible.

So what exercises was I given?
Pelvic Tilt

• lay down with back on floor.
• Knees bent, feet flat on floor.
• Tilt pelvic up so that back is flat on floor. Do this by tightening abdominal and buttocks muscles to do this. Focus more on the abdominal muscles.

Crunches (or Partial sit up)

• lay down with back on floor.
• Knees bent, feet flat on floor. .
• place hands on tummy, and crunch upwards just a bit.
• use abdominal muscles to do this.

Knee to chest

• lie on back with feet flat on floor
• alternate knees, if not too much pain do both knees together.
• Do slowly.
• Feel a stretch and hold it for 15 seconds or so.

Hamstring stretch

• lie on back with feet flat on floor
• pull leg towards your chest until you feel a stretch
• straighten your leg as much as possible
  
• hold it there for 15-20 seconds
  

Wall Slide

• Stand with your back against a wall
• place your feet about a foot in front of you
• tuck in your buttocks until comfortable
• slide down the wall into a half sit.
  
• be sure to keep your back flat against the wall.
  
• Your knees should not go beyond your toes.

I like doing this this when I want to sit, but the chairs around me seem too soft to use. OR if I'm tired of sitting on something. :) easy to do. nice on a back.

The whole point of this?

• To strengthen muscles and
  
• to stretch out my ever so tight muscles. Fun fun! NOT! :)