Workout for lower back pain

I have lower back pain due to poor muscle tone and old injuries. Can anyone recommend a workout for this that won't just aggravate the problem? I've tried simple things like toe-touching, but anything I do just makes the pain worse. And yes - I have seen a couple doctors and had xrays to make sure there isn't anything bad in there. They just tell me to strengthen my lower back and abs and I'll hopefully be all fixed.

Randy Farnsworth
Author of "A Stand Yet Taken" http://randyfarnsworth.com/

Thanks for that info. I do have a prescription for a few visits to a
PT, which I probably ought to start with, then go into some lifting. I only spent an hour in my garden last Saturday doing some minor work, and then had to spend two hours on my back relaxing with a big dose of ibuprofen to get back on my feet. I definately need to do something.
Thanks again.

Randy Farnsworth
Author of "A Stand Yet Taken" http://randyfarnsworth.com/

(snip)

The thing that fixed my back was deadlifting. I bought "Power To The
People!" did my best to follow the instructions, suffered a few minor tweaks along the way, but it's been the main thing that works for me and, if I don't do it regularly or something similar, my back starts to bother me more. (The substitute for me is the kettlebell snatch, which is a lot less of a mainstream sort of thing.) Pavel (the author) has a great line in his flexibility book, "Relax Into Stretch", about why you should _not_ try to stretch to relieve back pain. Here it is:

"Spasms and pain are only symptoms. The real problem is usually weakness. A weak back muscle has to contract hard just to keep you from walking on all fours - spinal erectors are 'anti-gravity muscles'. This tension is difficult to maintain, so the muscle just locks up. Movement and circulation become limited, so it gets even weaker, so it cramps even more to get even weaker to cramp even more... It's a vicious cycle.

"Conclusion: trying to fix a bad back with stretching is about as useful as an oil change on the Titanic. You'd better get on a first name basis with deadlifts."

And that's from a stretching book!

I suffered a debilitating back injury about 6-1/2 years ago - couldn't walk for about six months, took over a year until I could walk without a limp. If you want to follow your doctor's advice and learn to strengthen your lower back and abs, deadlift. Be careful, stay tight (PTTP spends a great deal of time talking about what it is to stay tight, why it's important, and how to structure your workouts to maximize its effectiveness), and give yourself a few months to start to see signs of progress - and a few years to see real results that will be worth the wait.

Links to the above-mentioned books below.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com
http://www.kbnj.com/ptp.htm - Power To The People!
http://www.kbnj.com/ris.htm - Relax Into Stretch

If there's any way I can help, just give a yell. I'm still recovering and getting stronger and more flexible and it's been six and a half years plus since my injury. There are many exercises you can do but some of them require more in-person instruction than others, e.g., the
"good morning" - it's great, it requires no weights for quite a while for most people, but I've yet to show it to someone and have them do it right the first time. If you've got access to lifters, you might ask one to show you the "good morning" and do it with little or no weight."
Most people who sit all day get weak lower back and tight hamstrings - the good morning uses the strength of the lower back to help stretch the hamstrings, so it's almost a one-stop-shop for a lot of common back pain.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com