I’m a spine specialist and here are the 3 exercises everyone does that makes back pain WORSE

It’s a stretch that most people with back pain will know well: bend your shoulders back, push your hips forward.

Or maybe you do a few twists to soften the stitches.

According to a spine health expert, these bending and twisting exercises will actually make your pain worse.

Dr. Arthur Jenkins, a spine surgeon with the New York Jets, warned that these movements could cause a painful fracture in many of the 30 million Americans who suffer from chronic back pain.

A spine surgeon in New York has warned against arching the back to relieve pain, as shown above, saying it risks developing a disc – or rupturing the soft cushioning between the vertebrae.

He says this is because many people already have significant damage to their intervertebral discs – the spongy cushions that separate the bones of the spine or vertebrae.

And twisting the body into certain positions to ‘relieve’ discomfort can cause a herniated disc or herniated disc – when the intervertebral discs rupture, tear or loosen, resulting in extreme pain and numbness.

Dr. Arthur Jenkins, a spine surgeon, warned against exercises that flex the spine to relieve back pain

The top doctor, who is part of the NFL’s retired players program, said: ‘Many patients with back pain probably already have damage to the intervertebral discs in their back.

‘They may not have much, but they are definitely at risk of developing (hernia).

He told HuffPost: ‘Any type of movement increases pressure in the disc space and can lead to a hernia.

“But (bending, lifting and twisting) at the same time is the worst.”

Lifting objects, he says, adds weight to the spine, which increases pressure on damaged intervertebral discs, increasing the risk of them moving or breaking.

He advises people with back pain to only lift objects while keeping their back straight and both feet firmly on the ground.

Instead of twisting and bending, patients should perform movements that stretch the spine while keeping it straight.

These can include planks, including variations such as a side plank where the body is tilted to one side.

Bridges, where the feet and shoulders lie flat on the floor while the body is lifted at the hips, are another safer option, as are dead bugs, where you lie on your back and raise and lower the opposite arms and legs.

These poses can relieve back pain by tightening the core muscles, which takes the strain off the back muscles.

His words contradict the advice of several online wellness gurus, who urge people to arch their backs to relieve painful symptoms.

Hernia repair can take several weeks to months and often leaves patients in disabling pain.

They can be treated with hot and cold compresses and physiotherapy, but in more severe cases, patients may be offered surgery to remove the damaged part of the intervertebral disc.

Dr. Jenkins says some include prohibited movements reaching to lift a child’s car seat from a car, lifting luggage in an awkward position and shoveling snow.

Back pain can have many causes, including injuries to ligaments or muscles, as well as structural problems such as arthritis or bone problems.

Doctors say signs that the pain is related to intervertebral discs include an increase in back pain when performing repetitive movements or sitting for long periods of time.