UKH

Injured my back a week ago (knocked off my bike). Checked out at A&E who said muscular rather anything worse.

I can now get out of bed/chair without using my arms to pull myself up on things so it's getting better. When i'm moving about it's generally fine but locks up (not as bad as it did) if i'm sedentary or sleeping.

So movement seems to be a good thing but i was pretty sedentary at work yesterday and it didn't feel good.

Obviously I'll have to wander around a bit more at work today but...

...any suggestions for the mildest of non-jerky back exercises or yoga and is that a good idea?

Sounds like you need to se a physiotherapist. Under the NHS this will take weeks so pay out of your own pocket or use BUPA if you have it through work.

“Under the NHS this will take weeks”

depends on the area - my local nhs physio is usually around 1 week.

And also consider that it is in the interest of the nhs physio for fix you quickly. (But finding a good nhs physio is not always easy!)

I have often found that very gentle climbing helps. Just on a slab, and maybe even down climbing too so you aren't weighting the harness. I focus on really slow, gentle movement and lots of gentle, fluid, twisting type movements. 

I'm a great believer in something my physio calls static back exercise. No movement involved. Lie down on floor supine (I like exercises that start like that) with a chair or sofa adjacent and put your lower legs on the chair with your knees and hip joints forming right angles. Your upper legs will be pretty well vertical. You may need a book or something to rest your head on. Then just relax for 15 min. Told you it was a nice exercise. Apparently this will relax every muscle in your back and you should feel your back gradually sinking till it is completely flat on the floor. Then if you can remove the book (or have a stack of thin books and remove them one by one. I was told I should do this everyday and I find it has transformed my back and incidentally my posture which I now realise was bad and linked to all sorts of problems.

Good luck.

This is similar to the semi-supine position I learned at Alexander Technique classes:

https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/learning-it/semi-supine

It is immensely restful, and does wonders for a dodgy back. 

Thanks ###all### (not just those above), I'll look into physio and lie down on floor.

My "semi-recovered" is better than many people's normal so I'd feel a bit of a fraud going to GP.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Keys-Back-Sufferers-Bible/dp/0091814944/ref=... - I use this when my back plays up...

This is my kind of exercise! Exercise that might include snoring can't be a bad thing.

If it is really muscular, my advice would be to go to a pool/ wellness spa. Not for swimming, but maybe for sitting in a warm whirlpool for a while, some water jets for back massage, and maybe a couple of rounds in the sauna. Helps me every time my back seizes up.

The chair exercise is also excellent.

CB

Its too comfortable to go to sleep I tend to do it on top of a length ways bolster, so several cushions for my head. That brings in some very slight shoulder effort so maybe not ideal here.

If you get bored with legs on a chair there's a few yin yoga poses which mess with legs a bit while keeping the back very flat.

Me too. And, yes, snoring is sometimes involved.

I have zero medical knowledge or qualifications but I will share what helps me after 28 years of back problems. If this doesn't work or aggravates things please refer to the above and remember I probably don't know what I am talking about. 

I do slow toe touches multiple times a day. Slowly down in to a toe touch then slowly back up but I carry on and bend over backwards as far as I can. I do 5 on a morning, 5 on an evening and if things pain my during the day I will do sets of 3 to 5 when I can. 

I find walking helps.  Even just a gentle pootle is better than sitting still.  

Robin McKenzie
https://www.waterstones.com/book/treat-your-own-back/robin-mckenzie/9780958...

youtube.com/watch?v=trWBj8pJXV8&

Drugs. Nothing fancy. Use Paracetamol AND 400mg brufen three times a day.

Deep breathing and visualisation to relax the muscles surrounding the injury make a difference. 

Sleep curled up on your side.

Once I get to a certain stage of recovery, I run for a few hundred meters every so often. That seems to really help settle everything into place. You'll know in the first ten metres if this is a good idea!!!

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/back-pain/treatment/

There is info on this link about back exercises. Take it gently though !

Are you sure you didn't crack a rib or two? This is very painful indeed and makes you realise how much the ribcage flexes when you move around or lie down. It has taken my two cracked ribs three months to stop hurting.

Yoga for back pain on YouTube has a channel of exercises and stretches. If you cycle there's a fair chance that your hamstrings are shortened, which has a knock on for a bad back. I found stretches (sun salutations) very useful

It's lower back and not chest or upper back so not ribcage. From what I've heard ribcage is unmistakable agony when you cough etc so thankfully not that.

I really liked Rog Wilko's suggestion as it sounded so pleasant but it was actually really unpleasant - my lower back really did not want to relax onto the floor and it stiffened up.

Dax H suggested touching toes & stretches, done that very gently and feels good.

Hopefully back on the bike next week, although my wife is worrying about traffic dangers

Andy - thanks, looks good.

Thanks all.

Our Council Leisure Services ( North Lanarkshire) do a “back class” in collaboration with local nhs physios which concentrates on gentle stretching and strengthening exercises. It helps the physios by keeping “minor” injuries away from them. Very effective, and free. Might be worth checking with your nearest Council gym to see if your area has anything similar.

Another vote for toe touches, as many as you can do in a day - like 10 every time you stand up. Super gentle and controlled at first, more relaxed as you improve. Stimulates lumbar blood flow which helps recovery in that area. If it is a prolonged thing, gradually add weight, starting with something like a tin of beans.

This has helped me after overdoing deadlifts a few times.