On this page you will find the exercises that are covered in the lower back therapeutic workshop. Please note that they are restricted to students who have either attended the workshop or have received instruction for these particular exercises from Petra. Please do not distribute, download or share theses exercises without prior consent. Thank you.

Exercise 1

This is a great alternative to hanging in terms of getting the spine to traction. The key action in the pose is to internally rotate the leg which is pressing against the wall when straightening it. One must lie on a sticky surface (ideally on two mats) and really make the use out of the friction between the mat and the body. If the skin in the back starts feeling sore (like a carpet burn), discontinue until it recovers. This exercise releases the QL, origin of the hamstring, insertion of psoas, iliacus, top end of rectus femoris.

Exercise 2

The same principle as in previous exercise, but this time with the belt, which increases the traction in the lower back. Please note that the belt must be extremely tight. You can always adjust the length of the belt after the first set. If there is a pain in the groin, do the variation without the belt.

Exercise 3

By sitting on the ball, one puts a perpendicular pressure on the fibres of the buttock muscles and therefore releases them. The focus should be on the most painful areas of the buttocks. Avoid the boney areas (sacrum, greater trochanter).

Exercise 4

This exercise releases the tension in the piriformis muscle which, when spasms can press on the sciatic nerve causing false sciatica. The gentle bouncing 'confuses' piriformis into releasing the spasm. For maximum effect, bounce for 1 minute,  alternating 9 times (total of 18 minutes). Tall people need to sit on two blocks. The back must be kept straight.

Exercise 5

This is the gentle lower back series. It is suitable for serious back pain (where the person cannot move because of pain). All of the sequences should be repeated 9 times. The movements can be very small if there is pain otherwise. It is a very soothing series, also good for very stiff people.

Exercise 6

These two exercises are lower back strengtheners. In the first one, it is very important, as it is in all the twists, that the abdomen 'resisting' the twist. I.e. if the knees are going to the right, the action in the abdomen has to be a twist to the left. If that is not the case, the twist will always happen in the most flexible part of the spine, its 'weakest link', and therefore weaken it even further.