Is an Exercise Ball Beneficial for Lower Back Pain?
Back pain often results from weak stabilising muscles that fail to support your joints adequately. Your joints rely on efficient, supportive muscles to remain upright, as your bony skeleton requires this reinforcement across every joint.
Research indicates that pain leads to inactivity in these supportive muscles, often called your “stabilisers” or “inner core stability muscles.” Studies on lower back pain sufferers have demonstrated that these muscles become inactive every episode of back pain.
Moreover, in most cases, these muscles do not automatically resume functioning once the pain subsides; they need to be consciously reactivated by your brain.
An exercise ball offers an unstable surface that automatically engages your natural balance reactions when you sit or exercise. This balance reaction system is crucial to activating your core and stabilising muscles. With just a few days of repeated use, in most cases, your stabilising muscles will reactivate on their own.
So, does using an exercise ball help with lower back pain?
In most cases, YES. However, it can aggravate lower back pain in certain situations. For an individualised assessment and back care program, it is essential to consult your trusted back pain physiotherapist.
There are several methods to reactivate your core stability muscles, and one of the most effective ways is to use a Physio Exercise Ball. Simple exercises can often automatically ‘kick start’ these stabilising muscles.
Your physiotherapist possesses special training in the reactivation techniques of these stabilising muscles. For further advice, please get in touch with your physiotherapist.
