From a Meridian physioTherapyTM perspective, people with these types of pain will usually have a tight or hypertonic posterior chain, which causes nerves to be pinched. They may experience back pain AND/or “sciatic” shooting pain down the leg. People with problems in these meridians may also have symptoms such as gallstones, migraines, and stress or chronic fatigue with a desire to lie down and curl up even during the middle of the day.
In order for the following exercise sequences to be effective they ideally must be completed daily, and always in the order described. The order of exercises in a sequence, are used to subconsciously activate specific muscles, and are often followed by exercises that cause the 2 halves of the body to work together. This has an effect on neuro-plasticity. With enough repetition, body-memory takes place, and the body gets used to the target muscles activating correctly. The body will automatically sequence muscle use correctly as the exercises have trained the target muscles to do so.
Always consult with your physician before engaging in these exercises or any physical activity to ensure your physician supports you engaging in the activity. If any exercise or movement causes pain or discomfort, immediately stop doing that exercise and consult with your physician and trainer. By performing the below general exercise sequence you agree to release all liability from BodyBalance, total wellness of north carolina, pllc, MeridianExerciseTherapy.com, and meridianphysio.com and understand that this sequence has not been evaluated for individual contraindications. To get a personalized exercise sequence click here.
The following exercise sequence can be used to help with pain located in certain areas. After performing the following general sequences for your area of pain, daily for 1 week, you may wish to request a personalized exercise sequence if some of your pain remains.
You can enhance your exercise sequence with massage to specific acupressure points for back pain and sciatica. Acupressure is a simple way to access the small amounts of electricity or Qi that flow through the body’s fascia and meridians. There are few contraindications for acupressure. To perform Meridian physioTherapy’s low back pain & sciatica acupressure, find the tender point in the middle of the back of the leg at the bottom of the calf (gastrocnemius) muscle. Next, find the tender point on the outside edge of the hand just above your pinky finger (you can massage this point by pinching the little muscle above the pinky finger). Massage strongly for 2 minutes before and after your exercise sequence.
Airbench Position
Stand against a wall with your feet hip width apart and pointed straight ahead. Keeping your low back against the wall, walk your feet away from the wall approximately two to two and a half feet. Bend your knees and slide down the wall to a point where your hips are a few inches higher than your knees and at equal height (it is common that the hips are at unequal height when doing this exercise). Now your heels should be directly under your knees. Flatten your low back against the wall and put an equal amount of weight into both heels so that you feel both sides of the low back/hips pressing equally against the wall. You should feel work in your thigh muscles and gradually moving/growing up towards the anterior groin. Remember also to keep the feet straight, knees and feet hip width apart. Relax your stomach, head and shoulders. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.
Stand against a wall with your feet hip width apart and pointed straight ahead. Keeping your low back against the wall, walk your feet away from the wall approximately two to two and a half feet. Bend your knees and slide down the wall to a point where your hips are a few inches higher than your knees and at equal height (it is common that the hips are at unequal height when doing this exercise). Now your heels should be directly under your knees. Flatten your low back against the wall and put an equal amount of weight into both heels so that you feel both sides of the low back/hips pressing equally against the wall. You should feel work in your thigh muscles and gradually moving/growing up towards the anterior groin. Remember also to keep the feet straight, knees and feet hip width apart. Relax your stomach, head and shoulders. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.
Static Back with Abdominal Breathing
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Knees and hips bent 90 degrees and legs relaxed. Also relax arms out to the sides. Breathe with your stomach. Maintain this position for 5 minutes.
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Knees and hips bent 90 degrees and legs relaxed. Also relax arms out to the sides. Breathe with your stomach. Maintain this position for 5 minutes.
Static Back Reverse Elbow Presses
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Knees and hips bent approximately 90 degrees and legs relaxed. Raise your arms out to the side at 90 degrees, bend the elbows at 90 degrees, point the forearms toward the ceiling, and form loose fists with your hands. Keep your shoulders down towards your hips while pressing your elbows into the floor using muscles between your shoulder blades. Press and release for 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Relax your stomach the entire time. You should feel the work between the shoulder blades and possibly down along the mid-/lower back but not in your upper shoulder/neck area. In case you do - make sure that you are keeping the shoulders down towards the hips while pressing with the elbows.
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Knees and hips bent approximately 90 degrees and legs relaxed. Raise your arms out to the side at 90 degrees, bend the elbows at 90 degrees, point the forearms toward the ceiling, and form loose fists with your hands. Keep your shoulders down towards your hips while pressing your elbows into the floor using muscles between your shoulder blades. Press and release for 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Relax your stomach the entire time. You should feel the work between the shoulder blades and possibly down along the mid-/lower back but not in your upper shoulder/neck area. In case you do - make sure that you are keeping the shoulders down towards the hips while pressing with the elbows.
Static Back Knee Squeezes
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Relax the arms out to the sides, palms up. Knees and hips bent 90 degrees and relaxed. Put a pillow between your knees and squeeze and release the pillow with the muscles on the insides of the thighs. Make sure that you squeeze with equal strength with both legs. Relax the stomach and the shoulders the entire time. Maintain this position for 5 minutes.
Lie on your back, legs up on couch or similar. Relax the arms out to the sides, palms up. Knees and hips bent 90 degrees and relaxed. Put a pillow between your knees and squeeze and release the pillow with the muscles on the insides of the thighs. Make sure that you squeeze with equal strength with both legs. Relax the stomach and the shoulders the entire time. Maintain this position for 5 minutes.
IML Stretch
Lie on your back with one leg bent over a STABLE chair. The knee and hip should be bent 90 degrees. Let the leg relax in this position. Straighten out the other leg along the floor. There should be a straight line from the shoulder to the hip, knee and ankle. Prop the outside of the foot of the straight leg against a STABLE table leg, wall or similar in order to keep it from turning out to the side (you might need to wear rubber-soled shoes or similar to keep the heel from turning in). Relax the arms out to the sides at approximately 45 degrees, palms up. Lie in this position and relax your whole body, breathing with your stomach. Stay in the position for 15 minutes on each side.
As you are performing this exercise, now is a good time to test your body. We actually use this as a before and after test to measure the success of our exercises. Each progressive exercise sequence given to you should assist your back in relaxing and naturally reaching the floor on both sides without effort. If you still have an arch in either side of your back in this position, you should not be surprised if you still have pain. Functional posture takes work, time, and it may take an exercise sequence specific to your body's needs.
Lie on your back with one leg bent over a STABLE chair. The knee and hip should be bent 90 degrees. Let the leg relax in this position. Straighten out the other leg along the floor. There should be a straight line from the shoulder to the hip, knee and ankle. Prop the outside of the foot of the straight leg against a STABLE table leg, wall or similar in order to keep it from turning out to the side (you might need to wear rubber-soled shoes or similar to keep the heel from turning in). Relax the arms out to the sides at approximately 45 degrees, palms up. Lie in this position and relax your whole body, breathing with your stomach. Stay in the position for 15 minutes on each side.
As you are performing this exercise, now is a good time to test your body. We actually use this as a before and after test to measure the success of our exercises. Each progressive exercise sequence given to you should assist your back in relaxing and naturally reaching the floor on both sides without effort. If you still have an arch in either side of your back in this position, you should not be surprised if you still have pain. Functional posture takes work, time, and it may take an exercise sequence specific to your body's needs.
Airbench Position
Stand against a wall with your feet hip width apart and pointed straight ahead. Keeping your low back against the wall, walk your feet away from the wall approximately two to two and a half feet. Bend your knees and slide down the wall to a point where your hips are a few inches higher than your knees and at equal height (it is common that the hips are at unequal height when doing this exercise). Now your heels should be directly under your knees. Flatten your low back against the wall and put an equal amount of weight into both heels so that you feel both sides of the low back/hips pressing equally against the wall. You should feel work in your thigh muscles and gradually moving/growing up towards the anterior groin. Remember also to keep the feet straight, knees and feet hip width apart. Relax your stomach, head and shoulders. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.
Stand against a wall with your feet hip width apart and pointed straight ahead. Keeping your low back against the wall, walk your feet away from the wall approximately two to two and a half feet. Bend your knees and slide down the wall to a point where your hips are a few inches higher than your knees and at equal height (it is common that the hips are at unequal height when doing this exercise). Now your heels should be directly under your knees. Flatten your low back against the wall and put an equal amount of weight into both heels so that you feel both sides of the low back/hips pressing equally against the wall. You should feel work in your thigh muscles and gradually moving/growing up towards the anterior groin. Remember also to keep the feet straight, knees and feet hip width apart. Relax your stomach, head and shoulders. Maintain this position for 60 seconds.
Supine Foot Circles/ Point & Flex
Lie on back, grab one leg under knee. Keep other leg straight, tighten thigh to lock knee and flex foot towards knee. Keep the foot pointing straight up. Shoulder blades down towards hips and pinched together. Proceed to do as big circles as possible with the foot of bent leg - clockwise 30 times, counter-clockwise 30 times, then point and flex the ankle by flexing the foot straight up toward the shin (not up and out to the side) and then straightening in the other direction 20 times. When flexing, it is also important to flex the little toe side of the foot as much as the big toe side (often when flexing - the foot wants to flex with the big toe side leading the movement).The movement should come from the ankle, keeping the knee still. Remember to keep the other leg and foot straight. Switch legs/feet after the above referenced amount of repetitions. Complete 3 full sets.
We genuinely hope that these exercises have changed your life! After performing the following general sequences for your area of pain, daily for 1 week, you may wish to request a personalized exercise sequence if some of your pain remains. To request a personalized Meridian Exercise TherapyTM sequence, click here.
We genuinely hope that these exercises have changed your life! After performing the following general sequences for your area of pain, daily for 1 week, you may wish to request a personalized exercise sequence if some of your pain remains. To request a personalized Meridian Exercise TherapyTM sequence, click here.
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