Need free exercise/stretching videos for bad back

March 26, 2020 9:42 AM

I've got lower back pain from a lifetime of working slumped in an office chair. Can't see a physical therapist because of the quarantine. What are some good free videos I can watch that will teach me what I need to know? Assume I know nothing and have no experience with exercises or stretching.
posted by panama joe to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

I suppose I could try and see a physical therapist during the quarantine, but they'd probably just want to do a video appointment anyway. So, looking for free options first.
posted by panama joe at 9:46 AM on March 26, 2020

If you can get a copy of Tim Ferriss's "The Four-Hour Body", there's some stuff in there about the Egoscue method, which are a handful of easy exercises that are supposed to be helpful for back pain. Quick googling finds a bunch of videos on the topic as well.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:58 AM on March 26, 2020

Do you have or can you get a foam roller?
posted by jonathanhughes at 10:40 AM on March 26, 2020

It would be worth trying the McKenzie Exercises, which I learned about here on Metafilter. I felt relief very quickly (like, within two minutes), which reassured me that I was on the right track. They are very simple and require nothing more than a patch of floor you can lie on and maybe a pillow, but can be life-changing.
posted by DrGail at 10:48 AM on March 26, 2020

I may be overly paranoid, and feel free to disregard me of course, but I would really recommend at least consulting with a physical therapist once before doing stretches. Source: have been seeing a great PT for a long time and still managed to totally screw up my back in the ~2 weeks I have been home. Don't be me. Using a foam roller, if you can get access to one, would probably be fine, but it is really easy to mess up back stuff. (Again, ask me how I know. :() Good luck!
posted by ferret branca at 1:31 PM on March 26, 2020

- hip opener stretches (reclined pigeon, regular pigeon, or standing pigeon pose in yoga speak)
- Viniyoga exercises, specifically the back series (the various poses used for chronic lower back pain are described here)
- wall stretch (here's a gif)

(Reposted from an answer I gave to an earlier askme.)
posted by spamandkimchi at 2:31 PM on March 26, 2020

Shoot, it looks like the Viniyoga link is no longer useful. Sorry about that...
posted by spamandkimchi at 2:36 PM on March 26, 2020

I find Bob and Brad, the most famous physical therapists on the internet, helpful and entertaining too.
posted by Gertrude McFuzz at 3:00 PM on March 26, 2020

Annie Pilates Physical Therapist on YouTube works well for me, and she targets specific issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JulgAQjsigA

Edit: link
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 4:11 PM on March 26, 2020

These five yoga poses have completely changed my back-pain management. I can even stop a spasm with them. I hope they work for you. I believe I have recommended them on MF at least ten times by this point. Don't worry if you can't do the full range of motion that the young models can-- I can only do 10-20% of what they do-- and the exercises still work. If you really get into it, you may do like I did and buy a physical therapy tool called a body back buddy, which is very helpful for any stretching exercise, and you can also do self massage with it. These yoga poses are often good enough to mange back pain and flexibility to the point where I don't need any pain drugs or muscle relaxers. Good luck!
posted by seasparrow at 4:45 PM on March 26, 2020

Here is a YouTube playlist of back stretches and exercises from Ask Dr. Jo. I found them very helpful when I was struggling with back issues.
posted by dorkydancer at 9:52 PM on March 26, 2020

Check out the McGill method at backfitpro.com - there is a video guide for his book back mechanic that I highly recommend.
posted by sxtrumpeto at 4:39 AM on March 27, 2020