Strengthen the Hamstrings to Reduce Pain From a Back Injury (Slipped Disk)

1. Strengthen the Hamstrings to Reduce Pain From a Back Injury (Slipped Disk) Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts Described To Start the Slide Show Press F5

2. Pre-Lesson Slide • This presentation is intended for those who have or are experiencing pain in the legs from a low back injury. • The lesson includes a demonstration of single leg Romanian deadlifts • These exercises are a common physical therapy tool.

3. Instructions • To use this courseware, simply sit back and enjoy the informative presentation. • To advance to the next slide, use the arrow keys. • To stop the presentation at any point, use the Esc key.

4. Objectives • After this instruction the viewer should be able to perform the movement without difficulty. • This instruction also provides a set of pointers for the exercise • At the end of the instruction the viewer should be able to answer some very simple questions about the movement.

5. What is a Herniated Disk Anyway? • Herniated discThe spine is formed by 33 interlocking bones called vertebrae. • Breakdown from age. • Tears on the disk’s outer capsule. • Smoking causes disks to breakdown.

6. What is a Herniated Disk Anyway? • Excessive pressure. • Weak discs. • Pinched nerves. • Weakness or numbness in an appendage is the result. • Conservative treatment is the first response. • Surgery can alleviate a pinched nerve, but there are no guarantees.

7. More Explanation of Herniated Disks • For a demonstration of a disk you can go to spinesearch.com and search for a sample video. As of this publication, the links did not work.

8. Treatments • From the previous two slides we can see that our spines will break down with age. • Unfortunately, this is an evitable process of aging. • Cartilage breakdown will occur in most people after age 30. • Conservative treatments involve pain killers and physical therapy.

9. Low spine injuries cause many people undue pain and lost time from work. Hamstrings or the muscles on the back of the upper leg are instrumental in reducing pain from compressed disks in the spine. These muscles become tightened as a result of a slipped disk. Therapy for a Spine Injury

10. Strong Muscles Play a Large Part • Any physical therapist will tell you that to reduce pain from an injury in the lower spine, the patient will need to strengthen muscles surrounding the injury. • Stronger muscles will tend to pull on the bones they are attached to. They are also more limber and flexible.

11. We have all heard of athletes who become injured with a pulled Hamstring. They are usually done for the season. These are very long muscles, and are tied to the pelvis and knee like a tight string. Why??? First of all these are very powerful muscles in the back of the upper leg that tie the pelvis/sacrum to the knee. As you can imagine these are the very muscles that enable us to stand and walk upright. We use them for walking without even knowing it. What are the Hamstrings Anyway?

12. The Following Exercise Program Will Strengthen the Hamstrings • To start the exercise: Stand with a dumbbell of equal weight in each hand: 10,15 or 20 lbs each • If you are just beginning the exercise, you may just want to use your bodyweight. • Make sure your posture is perfect, chest up and out, with the back slightly arched. • Put one foot slightly in front of the other, like a half step

13. Exercise Continued • Keep feet slightly narrower than shoulder width apart • Hold the dumbbells in the hammer position: palms facing the body • Contract your abs, with the back flat and chest lifted, lower the dumbbells to the front foot as you bend forward • Push your glutes back

14. Exercise Continued • Bend your front leg slightly throughout the movement. • Keep the arms straight and shoulder width apart as the dumbbells make their way to the floor. • The weights should be on the side of the leading knee. • Put emphasis on the hamstring only and use the back leg for balance.

15. Exercise Continued • When the weights have reached the shin, flex the hamstring of the front leg and push the hips forward to bring your body back to the upright position. • Do not round the back at any point during the exercise as you will risk further injury. • Remember, take it slow if you are just beginning a course of exercise for a back injury. • Adequate stretching is necessary before beginning the program

16. Demonstration Single Leg Variation of the Romanian Deadlift Points to Remember: • Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. • Initiate the motion with the drawing-in maneuver and maintain it throughout the duration of the exercise. • The main goal of this movement is to keep the dumbbell close to the body while moving the hips posterior to the body. • Progression can be accomplished by performing this movement on one leg. (Romanian Style Deadlift)

17. Video Demonstration of the Dumbbell Lunge • Click the icon to play, if it doesn’t automatically start. (Dumbbell Lunge)

18. Key Points of the Exercise • This exercise is meant to strengthen the hamstrings • The hamstrings are red fiber muscles. • The goal is to loosen up these muscles as with a back injury, they tend to become very inflexible. This will reduce the pain associated with a back injury in the legs.

19. Pointers • Do not stand on a platform to raise the level of motion, doing so will compromise your form and could cause injury. • Keep the back flat, chest up and leg slightly bent • Stop the motion about mid shin level • This exercise is kind of awkward at first, but most back exercises are this way.

20. More Pointers • Do not use heavy weights at first, until your body adjusts to the movement. • You may want to vary the bend in the front leg as this will stress different parts of the hams and glutes. • The weights should be about an inch away from the sides of the front leg. • The upper body will slightly turn toward this leg.

21. More Key Points • This exercise targets the hamstrings and glutes. • It is very easy to injure this part of the body especially if you are already compromised with a back injury. • Take this exercise slow, it demands very precise form to be completed correctly. • Although this exercise seems simple with relatively small amounts of weight, the hamstrings will respond almost immediately.

22. Assessment • Should one use heavy weight for this exercise? • Answer on the next slide.

23. Assessment • Should one use heavy weight for this exercise? • Absolutely not!

24. Assessment • Is it very easy to injure the back when completing this exercise?

25. Assessment • Is it very easy to injure the back when completing this exercise? • YES!!!!

26. Assessment • Should you keep the dumbbell close to the body when doing this exercise?

27. Assessment • Should you keep the dumbbell close to the body when doing this exercise? • YES!

28. Assessment • Should a platform be used to increase the movement?

29. Assessment • Should a platform be used to increase the movement? • NO!!!!

30. Take a Break Now!

31. References: • Pena, J. (2004). Single-leg Romanian deadlift. Muscle and Fitness, 65(10), 72. • 24 Hour Fitness, (n.d.). Romanian style deadlift. retrieved Sep 07, 2004, from http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fitness/today/hams/rom_dumb_deadlift • (n.d.). Herniated disk. retrieved Sep 07, 2004, from http://my.webmd.com/hw/health_guide_atoz/sth149777.asp?navbar=hw56431. • Bodybuilding. COM, (n.d.). Dumbbell lunge. retrieved Sep 08, 2004, from Dumbbell Lunge Web site: www.bodybuilding.com/exercises.