What is a “pinched nerve”? A pinched nerve occurs when a lot of pressure is applied to a nerve by the surrounding bones, ligaments or tendons. While it can happen anywhere in the body, the nerves of the neck, wrists, elbow and lower back are the most susceptible because of their peculiar bone and muscle structure. A pinched nerve may be caused by any of the following conditions: repetitive motions, overuse of the joint area, arthritis or an injury to the joint or muscle near the nerve, causing a lot of pain and sometimes resulting in a general feeling of numbness. The symptoms of a pinched nerve may range from mild to debilitating pain, depending on the location of the affected area and the cause of the pain.  The pain can be manifested at the site of the injury itself or at any location farther down the path of the effected nerve.  Sometimes, the feeling may be as slight as what you feel when your leg or arm has “fallen asleep.”

A pinched nerve in the lower back area can cause lower back pain and stiffness with the symptoms appearing even farther down the leg or arm. A doctor can often pinpoint which nerve is pinched in the neck or lower back, depending on what portion of the patient’s arm or leg is affected. In certain severe cases, it could take surgery to fully repair the damage. Generally, however, most doctors will recommend a regimen of physical therapy, exercises and anti-pain medication

Having a strong muscle tone and flexibility in the lower back area are fundamental to avoiding a pinched nerve condition and its attendant lower back pain. Being acutely aware of keeping a good posture is quite important. Check your reflection in a mirror as to how you sit or stand. Sitting and standing with a neutrally aligned spine and equally distributed body weight will keep muscle tension in balance and relieve pressure on the nerves. Losing a few pounds, if you are overweight will ease some load off your spine.

It has been shown that a sedentary lifestyle and a lack of exercise are the primary causes of non-injury-related lower back pain in adults. When the muscles which support the spine lose tone and when your usual  body weight compresses the vertebrae, the nerves get pinched and cause pain and muscle spasm. Any weakness of the muscles in a certain part of your body without any obvious external injuries may be a symptom of a pinched nerve. To alleviate the pain, the core muscles — which include the pelvic floor, the abdominals and the lower back muscles along with the hamstring and hip flexor muscles — muscles that support the spine — must all be strengthened through exercise.  Some of the exercises that you can do are as follows:

1. Using Stability Ball Rolls
2. Doing the Butterfly bridge
3. Making like Superman on the floor

In the process, you can strengthen the muscles in the area, alleviate lower back pain and hopefully keep it from coming back.