Patient exercises

Back exercises

Neuro Medical Clinic, Mall Road, Saddar, Rawalpindi · Dr. Umar Zafar Ali, Neurologist & Medical Specialist

A simple routine for a stiff or painful back, to be built up gradually.

This sheet sets out the back routine given to patients with a stiff or painful lower back. It is meant to be built up gradually over weeks rather than completed in full on the first day, and it works best done little and often.

Stop any individual movement that sharply increases your pain, and build the repetitions up slowly.

Stop and seek advice if pain travels down the leg, or if you notice numbness or bladder trouble.

The routine itself is shown in the sheet below. Follow the version you were given in clinic if it differs.

Doing it properly

Little and often beats one long session. Keep to the stated frequency for at least two weeks before judging whether it is helping, and stop any movement that causes sharp pain rather than working through it.

Come in if

Symptoms are worsening, waking you at night, spreading to a new limb, or unchanged after four weeks. Walk in during clinic hours — Monday to Saturday, 11:00 am to 06:00 pm — and bring this guide and any reports with you.

A question about your own case is better answered by the doctor than by a guide. Message the clinic with your name and file number.

General education, not a prescription. Seek urgent care for sudden weakness, slurred speech, a first-ever fit, a face that has drooped, or the worst headache of your life.