Do you get up in the morning and your low back is stiff? Do you get out of the car after a long drive and your low back hurts? When your back is aggravated do you have sciatica symptoms like pain radiating down into your buttocks or legs? Do you have episodes that you describe as your back "going out?"

If this sounds like you, you may have a directional preference for lumbar spinal extension.
Having a directional preference for lumbar extension means you feel relatively better when your lower back is straight, arched or extended (i.e. standing, walking, lying on your stomach) and you feel relatively worse when you round, stoop or flex your spine (i.e. sitting, slouching, bending over). When you have lower back pain it is important to understand your directional preference so you can move your spine frequently in ways that are therapeutic and healing and avoid moving in ways that promote more pain and dysfunction.

Join Esther Smith (Doctor of Physical Therapy) and Eva Kauffman (Master Pilates Instructor) as they help you understand what is happening in your spine so you can self treat common low back conditions like sciatica, lumbar arthritis, lumbar stenosis, and lumbar herniated discs. Learn Pilates exercises for back strengthening and core support, and physical therapy exercises for back pain and back mobility.

Recommended for: Lower back pain, lumbar degenerative disc disease, lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spine arthritis, lumbar spondylosis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, sciatica

Video Highlights-

Section 1: Education and Low Back Pain Treatment

• Learn about sciatica symptoms and exercises for sciatica
• Lumbar disc herniation explained and lumbar disc herniation treatment
• How to check the response of your low back pain
• Mckenzie Method physical therapy lumbar extension exercises for back pain

Section 2: Low Back Movement Skills

• Pilates exercises for supported lower back movement
• Extension exercises for low back pain relief
• Posterior chain connection

Section 3: Low Back Mobility Exercises

• Lower back mobility exercises
• Leg stretches with band: hamstring stretch, adductor/abductor stretch
• Hip openers: piriformis stretches, hip flexor stretches
• Calf stretches to open posterior line

Section 4: Low Back Strengthening Exercises

• Pilates exercises for core strengthening and connection
• Physical therapy exercises for lower back strengthening
• Back extensor muscle strengthening 
• Core strengthening exercises for lower back pain
• Multifidus and Transversus Abdominis muscle strengthening