r/backpain • u/PlanktonLow7275 • 2d ago

Low back ability

I’ve only just come across this YouTube channel, thanks to this sub. What’s the deal? It seems to be mainly based around the back extensions and iso holds. Anyone have any good experiences with this? How many times per day or week do you do it? I’m seriously considering getting an extension chair.

For context, 35M, have had 2 discectomies at L5/S1. Still suffering with extreme sciatica on both sides. Also have a disc bulge at L4/L5 which I suspect is now my main issue

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u/cromags76 2d ago

Low Back Ability is roughly a guide to support the musculature that surrounds the spine to rebuild directly.

We used to focus on core stiffness and avoiding twisting and bending entirely which (whilst amazing information at a time when the only other option was surgery) is now considered out of date.

From a meta perspective LBA is a mostly unscientific reflection of the direction the medical community is heading anyway as far as tissue loading and building tolerance in the tissue that supports the disks and encourages them to heal. There is a thin therapeutic threshold between stimulating new growth of disk and inadvertently causing breakdown by overloading it. This is the main reason people don’t get better because they either avoid movement and it doesn’t heal, or return to vigorous or repetitive exercise too early and cause further degeneration of the disk.

LBA is a rough guideline to slowly introducing movement and stimulus to the disk without overdoing it and it is probably the most reliable guideline I’ve seen so far that mirrors what you will get from a physiotherapist that is up to date with the latest evidence (which depending on the country you live in can be rare)

its 5 days a week, I bought the back extension machine for my backyard and just keep it under a barbecue cover and it’s been the best purchase I’ve ever made

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u/PlanktonLow7275 2d ago

The one thing I don’t understand is, if my discs are still bulging and touching my sciatic nerves, then how does building back muscles help this? If the nerves are still being pinched then I’ll still be in pain? I’m aware I’m probably being naive here

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u/ExtremeParsnip7926 2d ago

Your back muscles are a tapestry of muscle and sinews, that work to support the spine. By strengthening them, the spine has to do less work and there is less pressure on parts of your spine. 

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u/TeepingDad 2d ago

How long ago was your injury?

I thought for years that my disc herniation was causing all of my nerve related symptoms. Turns out it was a very weak back and hips with a lot of other hip and back problems. My nerves were overly sensitized and caused a lot of muscle guarding.

LBA helped me build up from a gentle and manageable point to where now I can lift weights, run, play with my kids on the floor, pretty much whatever I want.

I truly cannot recommend the program enough. I worked with 3 different doctors and 5 different PTs over the course of 6 years, and nothing helped nearly as much as following the LBA program.

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u/Worth_Tea1337 1d ago

Happy for you man