Numbness or tingling below the elbow or knee. Loss of appetite or weight, coughing up or passing blood. Back specialists say its best to see someone who understands the physiology of the back, such as a physical therapist, before starting a new exercise program. But that will require a doctor's referral. Kelly Lee, senior physical therapist at the Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics in Memphis, said she puts most patients with back problems into a program that works on strengthening and stretching the abdominals, legs, hips and back.
Many people think doing a bunch of situps is enough.
But standard situps will not strengthen the lower abdominals, which are crucial for back strength, said Angela Redden, Campbell Clinic's exercise physiologist. Working the lower abdominals must incorporate the legs and making sure the back is pressed flat to the mat. For a walker, for example, the tendency is to either arch the back or slouch forward. Good neutral posture is somewhere in between, with the back aligned with the shoulders and hips. Poor posture at rest is also a cause of back pain.