Minnesota

Here’s a midwestern program based on James Rainville’s protocol.

When I’m away from the gym, I miss my TRX workout so much!  I’m thinking of getting myself one of these 2 lb “machines.” 

Czech Republic

http://www.rehabps.com/REHABILITATION/Home.html

http://www.rehabps.cz/rehab/certified_practitioners.php (Certified practitioners)

http://www.rehabps.cz/rehab/certified_trainers.php (Certified trainers)

Here is a thorough cheat sheet for exercises to strengthen lumbar instability and additional background information on why these specific exercises work in targeting this region and alleviating back pain.

The basic question Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman asks is why does the human body look and function the way it does? He researches an evolutionary approach to human anatomy and physiology not only helps us to understand better why humans are the way they are, but also helps provide key insights on how to prevent many kinds of illnesses and injuries. Find more information here.

Bristol, United Kingdom

If you live in or are traveling to the Bristol region, check out Core Strength Studios, where you will find back pain experts who specialize in core strengthening, sports massage, and injury rehabilitation. The studio is equipped with the latest exercise equipment, including a MedX lumbar extension machine, Gravity GTS machine, stability balls and BOSU, cardiovascular equipment, and free weights. After freedom from lower back pain, one patient’s only regret was that she didn’t see them sooner.

New York

Purely by coincidence, I walked by a doorway in Manhattan and noticed a small sign and a brochure for Attune Holistic Fitness. I’m normally wary of anything labeled “holistic,” a term that doesn’t mean anything in particular, but after a trip up a long flight of stairs, I knew I’d found a gem.

Eva Pelegrin’s sparkling and friendly facility is perfect for rehabilitating a back pain patient – assuming you can make it up those stairs. (She assures me that she has 80-year-old patients flying up them.)  I worked out with Pelegrin herself, and I can tell you that she really knows her stuff.  She began her career in advertising, but after years of bi-weekly business trips to Europe, she left to become a functional movement specialist. In 2005, she started Attune, determined to focus on all aspects of a client’s health and wellbeing. Attune has other well-trained exercise specialists,  bodywork practitioners and acupuncturists on staff as well.

Austria, Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland

This no-nonsense website is an excellent resource for preventative and therapeutic strength training. Their slogan? “A strong back knows no pain.” They have locations worldwide, and will conduct a free first personal session to lay out your situation and your training goals.

ACE, the American Council on Exercise, sponsored a study in 2007 that assessed the effects of functional fitness rehabilitation programs, aimed to help older adults remain active and independent as they age. The results were decidedly positive: read a writeup on the study, which details examples of the kinds of exercises the participants performed and tracks changes over the course of the study. The website also has a trainer search function so you can get started with a fitness program.

Pennsylvania

Chad Bong’s Philadelphia Sports Acupuncture institution uses a combination of massage therapy, acupuncture, targeted muscle strengthening, and stretching to treat athletes for injuries and simply to maximize their movement and activity on whatever field they play. He’s Whitfield Reaves’ right-hand man in the teaching of sports medicine acupuncture (see entry on Whit Reaves for more acupuncture resources).

The company LifeLineUSA has come up with some incredibly versatile and compact equipment that make it easy to do a thorough workout at home. Their Jungle Gym is an excellent, multifaceted, and affordable piece of equipment, and they have an array of other products that make great additions to whatever else you have.

This ScienceDaily article discusses the benefits of using trekking poles to hike, reducing post- or mid-hike soreness while still allowing your muscles to work in a healthy manner.

Hoopnotica offers an intense cardio workout program using hula hoops that, in addition to being effective non-impact and fat-burning exercise, “strengthens your core and calms your mind.” You can locate a teacher near you.

The New York Times published an article about hula-hooping as a new trend in both exercise and fashion. You can now employ the versatile hoops as luggage, as meditative aides, and – if dancing’s not your thing – in group “hoop jam” sessions.

California

Sean Cochran offers products and programs for Golf Fitness and Performance Training, designed to help you with golfing technique as well as strength and conditioning programs that will improve your performance and health in the game.

If you’re unable to travel to a convenient clinic location, the website MyRehabExercise provides programs and exercises. Ask your physical therapist to select your exercises here, and you’ll always have access to them on your phone.

Weight training is good exercise for anyone, but the New York Times ran an article detailing how kettlebells can be used as therapy for back and neck pain.

Dr. Ronald D. Siegel, Michael H. Urdang, and Dr. Douglas R. Johnson have written Back Sense: A Revolutionary Approach to Halting the Cycle of Chronic Back Pain. The book does a great job of exploring the influence of stress and tension, and offers an escape route.

Low-tech and inexpensive giant exercise balls, known as physioballs, Swiss balls and posture balls, can play an important part in your rehab – and they’re fun to have around! Working out on a ball requires balance, which means that you must recruit the deeper back muscles, rather than the large, superficial ones. Typical exercises include push-ups with the legs supported by on the ball, crunches with the back resting on the ball, and leg lifts (on your back) with the ball squeezed between the ankles. Some people use these balls as office chairs, with good results. To remain upright, you need to exercise good posture.  If you’re interested in trying one out, check out the products available at FitBALL.

Back-oriented exercise equipment and gear can sometimes be hard to track down: if you’re not sure what a Roman chair is or where to find one, visit Body Solid for sample exercises and other information.