Author of the book "Stretching" Bob Anderson writes that most back problems are caused by lack of abdominal strength, poor posture, inactivity and muscle tension and tightness. Back stretches can reduce back pain.
Using an exercise ball as an office chair or for workouts can provide many benefits for your back. Exercise balls, also known as fitness balls, stability balls, ergonomic balls and Swiss balls, can promote good posture and core muscle strength, writes Mayo Clinic physician Edward Laskowski. Moving around on an exercise ball can help reduce back pain caused by prolonged sitting.
Core Muscle Stability
Exercise balls improve core strength.
A 2000 study published in the journal Physical Therapy found that abdominal muscles responded more during exercises on a stability ball than they did when done on flat surfaces. Another study, conducted by LM Cosio-Lima et al. in 2003 found that exercise balls increased back and abdominal core stability in women better than other floor exercises.
Reduce Back Pain
Exercise balls can reduce chiropractic visits.
Exercise balls can help reduce back pain by improving muscle control and awareness. Chiropractors Larry and Celynne Merrit report that researchers V. Janda and M. Va'Vrova suggest that exercise balls activate proprioception, balance and equilibrium control. Proprioception refers to awareness of the positioning of your body parts.
The Merrits published a two-case report in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. They treated a 55-year old man with severe and chronic back pain. After the man was able to increase the time he spent on an exercise ball every day to 20 minutes per day, his office visits for back pain fell from as many as four per month to once a month or less. The Merrits also treated a female office worker with severe back pain. Exercise ball exercises and using an exercise ball for an office chair reduced her chiropractic visits from 17 in 2002 to just four in 2005.
Enhanced Circulation
Prolonged sitting can increase back pain.
Sitting on an exercise ball requires you to make constant small adjustments to stay balanced. This constant adjustment increases circulation to the spinal disks according to "Vitality Web." If you use an exercise ball as a desk chair, gentle bouncing and adjusting your posture will increase circulation and your level of physical activity.
Proper Back Stretches
Draping your back over an exercise ball doesn't stretch back muscles.
Trainer Juilieanna McGuire says that draping your back over an exercise ball doesn't amount to back stretching. If you drape your back in an arch over an exercise ball; you contract muscles in the center of your back. The American Council on Exercise recommends bracing your head and using your feet to walk an exercise ball away from you until your upper back rests on the ball to stretch your back. Circling your hips while you're seated on an exercise ball can also stretch your back.
The Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) lists more back stretches that you can do with an exercise ball.
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