Radiating Low Back & Buttock Pain - McKenzie Extension Protocol
IN THIS LESSON
This is the first active movement in the McKenzie series, designed to further increase spinal extension. By using your arms to press your upper body away from the floor, you create a more significant arch in the low back, with the goal of completely centralizing any remaining radiating symptoms.
Instructions
Important Safety Note: A mild increase in low back pressure is normal, but this movement should not cause sharp or pinching pain in your back. If you feel a "pinch," do not press up as high. If your radiating symptoms in the buttock or leg worsen, stop and return to Exercise 2.
Step 1: Get into Position
Lie face down on the floor.
Place your hands flat on the floor directly under your shoulders, as if you were about to do a push-up.
Step 2: The Press-Up
Keeping your hips and pelvis completely relaxed and in contact with the floor, use your arms to press your upper body upward.
Straighten your arms as much as you can without feeling a sharp pinch in your low back. It is not necessary to straighten your arms completely.
At the top of the movement, pause for a second.
Step 3: The Release
Slowly lower your upper body back down to the starting position.
Take a moment to relax completely.
Step 4: Repetition
Perform a set of 10 press-ups, moving through your pain-free range of motion.
The goal is for any remaining leg or buttock pain to diminish and centralize to the low back.
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For complete instructions read “Treat your Own Back” by Robin McKenzie
