Spondylolisthesis Exercises

Spondylolisthesis Exercises

Spondylolisthesis exercises may help to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. When your back muscles are tense, symptoms of spondylolisthesis can intensify. Stretching spondylolisthesis exercises like this one can help increase your flexibility and reduce the severity of your symptoms.

Spondylolisthesis Exercises: Double knee-to-chest stretch

  • Lie down on the floor or on your bed on your back
  • Bend both legs at the knees, placing both feet flat on the floor or on your bed; this is the starting position
  • Tense your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your knees up toward your chest
  • Grasp your knees with your arms
  • Hold this position of slight tension in the spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
  • Slowly lower your knees, returning to the starting position
  • Repeat the spondylolisthesis exercise 15 to 20 times

Spondylolisthesis Exercises: Abdominal Curl 

Abdominal curls help to promote strong muscles in your abdominal core. This is a key component of spondylolisthesis exercise and may help to prevent further displacement of the vertebrae.

Starting position is lying on the floor on a mat on your back, with both of your legs bent at the knees. Your feet are firmly flat on the floor, hands behind your head.

  • Tense your abdominal muscles
  • Holding your abdominal muscles tense, raise your head slowly from the floor, tipping your chin up toward your abdomen. Your hands are only for support; don't use them to assist you to raise your head
  • Slowly continue to curl up, with your abdomen tensed, your until your shoulders are slightly off the floor. Do not allow your arms or hands to help raise your shoulders
  • Hold this position of tension for a count of two to three in this spondylolisthesis exercise
  • Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and relax briefly
  • Repeat the exercise three times, then relax for one minute
  • Complete three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Spondylolisthesis Exercises: Trunk Rotation 

Trunk rotations are a beneficial spondylolisthesis exercise because they strengthen the abdominal and lower back muscles.

Starting position is lying on the floor on a mat on your back, with both of your legs bent at the knees. Your feet are firmly flat on the floor. Your arms are alongside your body.

  • Tense your abdominal muscles
  • Holding your abdominal muscles tense, slowly rotate from the waist, turning your knees to the left side as far as you can. Your feet remain on the floor.
  • Continuing to hold your abdominal muscles tense, bring your knees back to the center, then slowly rotate from the waist, turning from the waist to your right side, keeping your feet on the floor through the spondylolisthesis exercise. Let your arms help you keep  your balance
  • Keep your movements controlled
  • Repeat moving from the left to the right ten times, then rest
  • Do three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Spondylolisthesis Exercises: Hamstring Stretch 

The hamstring stretch helps prevent excess tilting of the pelvis and curvature of the lower part of the spine forward. Your hamstrings are the large muscles on the back of your upper thighs. This spondylolisthesis exercise will help improve your flexibility.

Starting position is sitting on the floor with both legs extended out in front of you.

  • Bend your right leg at the knee and bring your foot into touch the inside of your left thigh
  • Straighten your arms out in front of your body
  • Slowly bend toward your left leg, as far as you can
  • Hold this position of tension in this spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
  • Slowly sit back and relax briefly
  • Repeat 5 times
  • Change the  position of your legs and repeat on the other side
  • Complete 3 sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise

Spondylolisthesis Exercises: Pelvic Tilt 

This spondylolisthesis exercise will strengthen the muscles of your lower back, pelvis, and abdomen.

Starting position is lying on the floor on your back. Bend both of your legs at the knees; both of your feet are flat on the floor.

  • Tense your abdominal muscles
  • Reposition your pelvis so it is tilted slightly upward
  • Keeping your abdominal muscles tensed, push your lower back into the floor as you continue to tilt your pelvis
  • Hold this position of tension for this spondylolisthesis exercise for a count of five
  • Relax and then repeat 10 times
  • Do three sets of this spondylolisthesis exercise
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Questions & Answers
Q:
What is the best way to treat permanent back and neck pain and stiffness?
A:
by
Age2B

Here are some tips:

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep with a cervical pillow

Orthopedic or cervical pillows are made with special contours to support the space beneath the neck and head. They are also more concave for the head and provide more support to the neck.

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep on your back

The best position to lie to sleep is on your back. If you sleep on your stomach or on your side, make sure your pillow is not too thick. It should raise your head no more than 4 to 6 inches. This will keep your neck and head from turning to either side.

Neck Pain Tips: Position your computer screen at eye level

While you are working at a computer, sit comfortably in your chair with your computer in front of you. Close your eyes and then open them. When you open your eyes, you should see the middle of the computer screen. If your gaze is not in the middle of the screen, adjust the height of the screen using items like books.

To keep your head from gradually drifting forward, take frequent breaks to stretch. Getting up to walk around at least once every half-hour is one of the best neck pain tips.

Neck Pain Tips: Use a telephone headset

Never hold a phone between your shoulder and your ear. Use a headset or other hands-free system to talk on the phone and avoid abusing your neck and spine.

Neck Pain Tips: Exercise your neck muscles

One of the best neck pain tips is using the chin tuck. You can do this often throughout the day. In addition to helping strengthen the muscles that hold the head in alignment over the shoulders, it also helps strengthen the scalene and sub-occipital muscles.

Read more tips here: Neck Pain Tips: Sleeping, Posture, Exercising, Hydration & Prevention

Read more
Age2B
4 answers
Q:
What is the best treatment for neck pain and shoulder Pain?
A:
by
Age2B

One of the best treatment for neck pain and shoulder pain is exercises:

Neck Pain Exercises: Neck Extension

  1. To begin this neck pain exercise, sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
  3. Place the palm of your hand on the back of your neck, at the base of your head
  4. Apply slight forward pressure with your hand, while resisting the forward motion of your neck and head
  5. Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax
  6. Repeat the neck pain exercises 5-10 times

Neck pain exercises: Side bend

  1. Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
  3. Place your left hand, palm down, on the left side of your head (around your ear)
  4. Slightly push your head to the right side with your hand, while resisting the sideways motion of your neck and head
  5. Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax.
  6. Repeat 5-10 times
  7. Repeat the neck pain exercises with the other side.

Neck pain exercises: Neck flexion

  1. Sit up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin slightly (starting position)
  3. Place the tips of your fingers on your forehead
  4. Slightly push your head backward with your fingers, while resisting the backward motion of your neck and head
  5. Hold for a count of 5 and return to the starting position and relax.
  6. Repeat the neck pain exercises 5-10 times

More exercises here: Neck Pain Exercises

Read more
Age2B
4 answers
Q:
How do I reduce the shoulder and neck pain?
A:
by
Age2B

Here are some tips:

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep with a cervical pillow

Orthopedic or cervical pillows are made with special contours to support the space beneath the neck and head. They are also more concave for the head and provide more support to the neck.

Neck Pain Tips: Sleep on your back

The best position to lie to sleep is on your back. If you sleep on your stomach or on your side, make sure your pillow is not too thick. It should raise your head no more than 4 to 6 inches. This will keep your neck and head from turning to either side.

Neck Pain Tips: Position your computer screen at eye level

While you are working at a computer, sit comfortably in your chair with your computer in front of you. Close your eyes and then open them. When you open your eyes, you should see the middle of the computer screen. If your gaze is not in the middle of the screen, adjust the height of the screen using items like books.

To keep your head from gradually drifting forward, take frequent breaks to stretch. Getting up to walk around at least once every half-hour is one of the best neck pain tips.

Neck Pain Tips: Carry weight evenly

Many people make the mistake of carrying a heavy briefcase or their purse on their shoulder or on one side of their body. Doing this causes strain in the muscles and leads to pain.

Remove non-essentials from your briefcase or purse. Consider using a backpack to evenly distribute the weight across your shoulders. If you choose to carry a purse or backpack, keep your shoulders level while carrying it.

Neck Pain Tips: Maintain a proper posture

The most common posture contributing to neck pain is the “head-and-shoulders-forward” posture. In this position, the neck slopes forward, putting the head in front of the shoulders.

In this position, the head pulls the upper back forward also in a slumped position. This places a strain on the entire spinal column.

More tips here: Neck Pain Tips: Sleeping, Posture, Exercising, Hydration & Prevention

Read more
Age2B
4 answers