One important goal in decreasing back pain is to get your individual spine segments moving. It’s an uphill battle however in the presence of arthritis, degenerative changes, narrowing (stenosis) and nerve pain (sciatica). This simple “exercise” really helps because it triggers your spine segments to move while you rest and take the load off your discs. Take an ironing board, yes, really, an ironing board, standard model cross leg pattern. Collapse the legs and put it on the floor. Pad the top with a blanket. Now lie down slightly offset from the middle. Legs are usually best with knees bent. The idea is to help your low back flatten on the board while the board is in a tip. The ironing board will tip surprisingly more than you would have expected. Stay tipped one way for 5-7 minutes, then slide over so you tip the other way for 5-7 minutes. Do this once a day. In 10 sessions or less you’ll start to notice better spinal movement and increased comfort. Use this on an ongoing basis to help maintain motion in your back.
“That ironing board is a great idea. It really helps. I notice that my vertebrae get looser and I can help manage the numbness I get from my nerves”
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