BEST Low Back Exercise for Side BACK PAIN: Strengthen your Multifidus
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- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- What is my #1 exercise for lower back pain? The "Bird Dog" alternating arm and leg exercise is my top choice for its ability to work the multifidus muscle of the lower back. Did you know we have 3 layers of back muscles, each with a specific function? The multifidus muscle actually turns to a fat like substance in those individuals with chronic lower back pain. Learn different ways to strength your back, even if you can't get down on the floor.
- Jak na to + styl
Excellent! clearly described + demonstrated = easy to follow. Thanks so much Dr. Ed
You're very welcome Bruce!
EXCELLENT PRESENTATION..APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
You are very welcome, Linda
Thank you..... much appreciated and intend to practise.......
You are so welcome!
Nicely presented; excellent format; thank you!
You're very welcome!
Fantastic! love your smooth style and knowledge, Thank you:) Florida, USA
Thanks so much!
Very helpful and clear Ed, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I used the Roman chair at the gym but now lay on a folded pad and do reverse crunches as I call them. Back feels great. I'll add bird dogs. Now to watch your video.
Thank you for the welcome and thank you for your suggestion to do these exercises for my back. Love your style Ed. Greetings to you and your wife from New York.
Glad you like them Lupe! And hello to New York!
Thank you for this.
Any time Kenneth!
Beautiful! Amazing work out easy and effective! Great!!!
Happy to help!
Thank you
You’re welcome!
Incredible thanks
Thanks Lauren, you are very welcome
GREAT INFO!
THANK YOU!!!
Anytime!
Love this!
Thanks Janine!
Great I'll give the 2nd exercise, I'm fused from L1-L5 so very important to get this muscle area strong. Thanks Rosemary
You're so welcome!
Not a commonly talked about group of muscles. Thank you for this Ed.
Hey Michael, you are very welcome. Yes, it is a very important muscle!
Thank you!!!
You are very welcome, happy to help!
This is a great video!…people usually talk about the QL but the multifidus seems more like the issue
Thanks hope it helps!
Hmm , going to give this a try.
I've been dealing with radiating groin pain for 8 months now. Been tested for a possible hernia and I've been to a urologist and had a MRI of my back and a CT scan. Everything is fine. Even the doctors don't know what the issue is.. pretty annoying
2:22 BIRD DOG IS REALLY GOOD STUFF.
Thanks!
Thank you !! :-)
You are welcome!
❤❤❤ thanks
You are so welcome!
YAY, loved that. Brought my massage training back to me. I loved doing back work. I opted to do this exercise standing by my kitchen sink. Thanks for sharing the different ways to do this. 🙏🏽
Wonderful!
I like the way you explain things. Thank you Ed. Will include in my exercise.
Awesome, thank you!
@@FrontRowwithEd Tried this today. Set of 10, is a task but could do it. Thank you Ed
Well gave the 2nd one a try, unfortunately it causes major pain at the S1/2 area so will go to next exercise. I won't give up. Also watched quad stretch, will give the last one a go. The left quad is fine but with the right medius/minimus muscles being completely separated from bone etc the poor old quad is very tight. Cheers Rosemary (Perth Western Australia)
Hello Rosemary from Australia ! I love your "won't give up" attitude, that's excellent. Let me know if you can find a way to stretch your quad, good luck!
What do you recommend for RA patients? The same program? thanks
Is the "shake" where your multifidus on both sides is evening out?
Would an iso hold of the bird dog pose be more effective than many reps of it?
Thanks Ed, I could do it and will continue to do it as I do experience back pain and spasms often. Hey whose birthday was it?
Good attention to detail! My younger son turned 19, full on adult now!
do you have any tips for a weaker side core? i shake a littlewhen my left leg is on the floor, but i shake a LOT when my right leg is on the floor
Langsung exercise ae kesuwen
What about the thoracic multifdus ?
Hello Dr Ed Excellent video . Will this help for stage 2 Spondylolisthesis? Appreciate it:)
Hello Bert, yes it will and also take a look at this video I did specifically about spondylolisthesis czcams.com/video/ZFgo8r3cvyI/video.html Good luck
@@FrontRowwithEd thank you for quick response & video!
@@bert-9916 Welcome!
I'm years in to doing the Stuart McGill 3, and tons of tissue work, and yet I still have debilitating low back aching when stooping over. I'm really frustrated. What else can I do? I really tore up my posterior chain, and I want to live life normally again.
I asked my chiropractor how I can strengthen my lumbar spine and he suggested corrective exercises that target intrinsic muscles like the maltifidus. This video helped me in adding another stretch , the bird dog is great! Thank you.
Excellent Matt, good luck!
Great! Would this fix the knots I have in my lower back? Thanks
Hey Jaime, it might help. Try it and let me know
@@FrontRowwithEd Will do, thx.
Hi Ed! I am a personal trainer and one of my clients has a epigastic hernia so I have been working around that for them. Focusing on corrective exercise first and then more strength training for weight loss (along with diet corrections). I would normally have my clients do Bird Dogs for this muscle but I can't with this client. This will be super helpful for them but do you have any other suggestions?
Hello Melanie, you could try to "hip hinge" to strengthen their lower back and also it's a great way to learn how to move anyway. Here's the video link czcams.com/video/lfPNgM7zOcg/video.html Let me know if it works for them, good luck!
Wow all this time I thought it was my QL. What a game changer.
Hey Stephanie, hope the exercise helps. You can also add this stretch IF it feels good czcams.com/video/fbzub0TODBw/video.html
Will this work as pain relief if it's a recent development? Back pain started a week ago from my work (manual labor), today it's hit it's peak. Through some googling I found this bird-dog exercise, and it seems to activate the exact muscle that's hurting (though without much pain for whatever reason)
I don't think you should exercise in to pain. If it hurts to lift both your leg and opposite arm, then just start with lifting you leg and holding it for 3-5 seconds and then do the other leg. As you get stronger and pain comes down, add the opposite arm. Sound good
I have basically got a wagyu multifidus (MRI-certified, they also found an eroded L5/S1, the herniation has since be reabsorbed). I struggle immensely with the bird dog. I'm so weak i can't keep my spine from rotating, it's worse on one side. It's very demoralising, any time i try and build muscle, I get pain at knee height along the sciatic nerve.
I struggle with birddog too. Try just 1 arm or 1 leg only, and lift much lower than when you feel symptoms or rotate. Or if you're trying the prone face down exercise, think about lifting the leg, but don't actually lift. Even just that, can activate the muscle. Sometimes we lose that neural connection after injury or deconditioning. Or maybe try the standing variation if you feel more stable in it. If neither is suitable, and it still hurts. try to find another exercise. Lower the range of movement, height, resistance etc to what you can manage.
I can't believe it its like you read my mind ... I actually feel my lower back feeling like turning to fat because this muscle has suddenly become non exist ant I don't understand what I've done wrong ... Maybe daily walking ?3-5 miles just seems to have switched it off weird.
Hey Gary, walking definitely helps but the "bird dog" exercise is a must if you have lower back pain. I have intermittent low back as well and do these daily. Good luck
I found this video trying to troubleshoot my lower back after years of being sedentary/many long hours in front of the computer. Thank you. One question, once the multifidus has atrophied (or turned to fat) is it physiologically possible to turn it back to a strong muscle and restore proper function? I have read that it isn’t possible to turn fat to muscle. So I’m wondering whether doing these exercises can reversed the atrophy. Thank you for your time.
Well he said it turns to a fatty like substance not actual fat so it should be possible to strengthen them
@@turntogod4410 I missed that part, thanks. I've been doing these exercises for about 2 months and the difference is unreal!
@@ES-ex5it that's awesome to hear I'm just getting started with them I'm glad that they actually work
i have lumbar instability from a Traumatic Lifting injury. Now my lumbar muscles and glutes won't fire... Im losing hope. i think i shredded my ligaments off the bone. 😥
Hi sir I’m suffering past 6 month wedge compression fracture please 🙏 tell some exercises
Sorry to hear about your compression fractures. Here's my Osteoporosis playlist that may help you czcams.com/play/PL7iadTWb0ExqS-wsl0ssK7jKVwqkRTTlJ.html Good luck!
Is the exercise at 4:38 less effective than the bird dog? Or is bird dog just a more difficult variation?
Hey Paul, ideally you’re doing the bird-dog so it brings in a greater sense of balance and it is more difficult. However, if you cannot do that for whatever reason the other variation at the 438 mark will also strengthen the multifidus
I’m wondering how do I find the muscle on my back? I want to feel if it flexes when stabilising
You wont be able to find it, its rlly deep. Maybe you can roll your back with a foam roller, the compresssion should alllow you to feel if your muscle flexes
Hi. What are your thoughts on the dumbbell bird dog as a progression to the bird dog? Would holding the dumbbells increase the strengthening affect of the exercise on the multifidus?
Hey Adam, before I answer that how many bird dogs are you doing How long are you holding each one?
@@FrontRowwithEd thanks for getting back to me. I'll usually do 3 sets of 10, holding each rep for 5 seconds
@@adamthewoodworker2571 Before you add any weight, I would increase it to a 10-second hold. We really want to build muscular endurance.
@@FrontRowwithEd interesting. Ok I'll do that first. Are there any other additional modifications I can eventually do to make the exercise more challenging without adding weights
@@adamthewoodworker2571 Yes, you can "hover" your knees and kick out one leg at a time and hold
Maybe a dumb question...if your multifidus has already possibly turned to fat, will that be reversed then with training? Is it truly "fat"? Love your videos!
Hello Maureen, not a dumb question at all! What happens is that as the multifidus muscle continues to get smaller (lack of specific strengthening exercises), the body then "fills it in" with surrounding superficial fat. Now, if you start to strengthen the multifidus, the muscle will get stronger and bigger! Hope this makes sense and thanks for the love!
can i do this on my elbows? my balance is really bad on the hands and feet
Hey Paul, try it on your hands and knees, BUT just lift your legs until your balance gets better. Let me know if that's any better.
hello , may i ask you What's the difference between bird dog and dead bug? , which one is better for low back pain/lower cross syndrome
Bird dog is on your hands and knees while dead bug is lying on your back. I would do the bird dog daily and walk 20-30 minutes daily for your back pain. Good luck
Thank you so much😆🎉
@@kitkitty147 Very welcome. Hope you feel better soon!
can i do all reps on one side then go to the other side? or do i have to alternate?
Hey Paul, yes you can
@@FrontRowwithEd i feel a temporary benefit to loosening my back muscles, are there accompanying exercises that could help the benefits stay more permanent
Hi, Ed. I hope, you find this question. I have this very annoying problem. After I seat even for 15 minutes, I cannot straighten my back on standing up. I noticed that many of my friends have same problem. It is no any radiating pain down either leg. Just lower back pain on the first couple of steps after standing up from the sitting position…as if I pinched some nerves during my short sitting. It looks so embarrassing to walk with my back bent forward. Yet, I cannot even “fake” normal erect walking. In couple of steps problem disappears….until I have to sit again for some time. What is that about? Why many of us have this problem and how to get rid of it? I would appreciate your help.
Have you been doing the bird dog exercise ( like I show in the video) for long? Try doing 10 reps with a 5-10 second hold daily and see if it helps. Keep me posted, good luck!
@@FrontRowwithEd Not yet. I just found your video. I am starting only today and will keep you posted about any relief. Thank you for your quick response.
How many times a week?
Daily if you can
I am 14 and play football. I have some problems with my multifidus. I gotta do a bunch of bird dogs
Yes, you need to be as strong as you can for football, good luck and stay healthy!
Part 2 is hard. I can only lift my right leg up by an inch while laying down, can't hold it up for more than a couple of seconds, & after doing it 3 times, I couldn't do it again.
Sorry to hear that, you may want to try it standing up where you gently lift your leg behind you firing up the muscles of your back and hip. Start there and slowly increase your strength
Can you recover your multifidus muscles if they have already succumbed to fatty atrophy?
Hello Ian, yes you can! If you commit to regular strengthening of the multifidus. 3 times per week and a daily walking program of 30 minutes minimum. Happy New Year!
what can be done with the multifidus and glute is weak on the same side
Hello Aalekh, I would make sure to add both specific glut and multifidus exercises in to your program.
@@FrontRowwithEd what glute exercises can I do without hurting the back ? Bridges don’t seem to work as they fire up the back muscles on the weaker multifidus side
Can a person with disc bulge do this
I would try these exercises first czcams.com/video/Gm0Qhsl0o0I/video.html
2:24
If my left multifidus is tight, which leg do i lift in the birddog to strengthen it?
Hey Paul, just do it on both sides. If one side is harder to do than the other, give it a few more reps
@@FrontRowwithEd could it be possible that a tight multifidus could limit my spinal rotation and eventually cause,my pelvis to be stuck in rotation to one side?
@@paulgeorge9228 Yes, you definitely want to balance the length of Q-L on each side and normalize the strength of the multifidus. Good luck
@@FrontRowwithEd do i do this by doing the mutlifidus exercise here in this video?
hello, may i ask how do i know which ql is longer?
Dear Ed, I'm stabilized 4 years ago from L3-5. Last 2 years I've much pain cause the weak muscles there around. My left hip (glute) is very weak and pain. Would you please let me know what exercises I can do? Thanks. (Diana - Bali, Indonesia)
Hello Diana from Bali! We visited your beautiful country 2 summers ago and had a great time. The traffic was a bit more than I thought, but amazing people! The main thing you need to focus on first is core stability and strength. Make sure you strengthen your multifidus (in the video you saw) and also the rest of your "core". Here is a basic core strengthening video czcams.com/video/NsODXUFywa8/video.html Then make sure you have good mobility through your thoracic spine (mid back) here's an example czcams.com/video/DJNpmN4NHcU/video.html Good luck and let me know if the exercises help
@@FrontRowwithEd Hi, Ed. Thank you for your kind reply and your visit on our land. Ok... I'll try the exercises and let you know how they help. Many thanks and greeting from Bali🙏😊
Hello Ed, I can't tell you how great I feel. After once exercise of yesterday, my stiff and painful lower back is lighter and pain free in the hip (I followed the exercises you've made for your lovely mom). Thank you so much Ed. I'll keep you informed about my progress.. God bless you and your family. Hopefully your mom is getting better..🙏🤗
@@dianavanbabbel Thank you Erdina! Mom's doing pretty well, just turned 89! Happy to hear you are feeling better
How can the multifidus muscle turn into fat. I thought muscle cells and fat cells are completely different?
The muscle atrophies (muscle cells shrink) and fat cells move in.
I would love to see a exercise for a frozen shoulder?..........
Hello Marion, I will see what I can do for you
Front Row with Ed and Elizabeth Thanks you very much, nice to see a reply!
*Stabilization exercises have been proven to be useless compared with overall strengthening of the hips and back. Even the original proponents have abandoned the theory.*
Let's say the unfortunate condition of multifidus into fatty substance has occurred - what's the way back from this?
You can improve the situation by exercising the multifidus 3-5 times per week.
I never see Elizabeth.
Good point! She's "behind the scene" a bit more, but she will be doing some videos in the future. She does have some meditation videos on the channel czcams.com/video/5MiqTWaXXJ0/video.html Stay well!