Six Stretches To Help Alleviate Low Back Pain And Tightness
Letâs admit it, having low back pain is no fun, especially when you wake up in the morning with it knowing that you have a full day at work ahead of you. That is why we believe that every morning you should spend a few minutes stretching out the most important and most engaged muscles in the low back.
Sitting at your desk all day can lead to lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder tightness, and other ergonomic issues. Performing daily stretches can help you loosen your muscles and improve your flexibility, making your body more resilient and better able to handle a full day at your desk.
- Knee to Chest
Use this stretch to align pelvis and stretch lower back and rear end muscles. Lie flat on your back with toes pointed to the sky. Slowly bend your right knee and pull your leg up to you chest. Wrap your arms around your thigh, knee or shin, and gently pull the knee towards your chest. Hold for 20 seconds and slowly extend the leg to starting position. Repeat three times each leg.
- Lying Knee Twist
- Use this movement to stretch the paraspinal muscles and strengthen the abdominal muscles. Lie on your back with your legs extended straight out. Bend the right knee up and cross it over the left side of your body. Hold in a position that allows you to feel a gentle stretch through the back and buttocks muscles for 20 seconds. Tighten your core muscles and rotate back to center. Repeat three times on each side.
Stretch #4 Hamstring Stretch
The hamstring stretch is a great exercise to do at home. The reason the hamstrings need to be stretched when lower back pain is present is that the hamstring attaches to the pelvis. If these muscles are tight of experiencing tone they can affect the position of the pelvis which can be related to low back pain. If the pelvis is tilted by the hamstrings over time that position may produce symptoms further up the spine.
These areas are related through a system called the posterior chain. The posterior chain is all of the muscle from the back of the ankle to the back of the head of the posterior, or back side of the body.
This system works together to regulate anterior, or forward movements of the body. If these muscles are tight or weak that can be a source of issues for the spine.
Stretching the hamstrings can be done several ways, but laying on your back with both knees bent and feet flat is a great starting point.
Once in that position, lift one leg straight up in the air leaving a slight bend in the stretching legâs knee and move that leg closer to your body. There will be a sensation of stretch in the hamstrings between the bottom of the glute and back of the knee. You can use a towel of some sorts if you find that useful.
So How Do You Fix Hyperlordosis
First, be aware of your posture:
1. Stretch your spine up. You should feel like someone is pulling your head up.2. Keep your chin tucked in slightly as your spine stretched.3. Now, as you keep stretching your spine, draw your abdominal muscles in a little bit and tuck in your tail bone.4. Maintain this posture as you sit or stand as much as possible.5. If you sit a lot, be sure to get up and walk around every 30 minutes.
Secondly, Do specific exercises & stretches
Stretch and release these muscles:
Core muscles Butt muscles
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Stop Stretching Your Back To Fix Low Back Pain
https://www.healthline.com/health/lower-back-stretches#knee-to-chest
I cant even begin to tell you how many times I see and hear this, Oh my back really hurts or My back is really tight and the next words are the clincher, I just need to stretch out my back. They then proceed to do a variation of this move, which I got from healthline.com-which they say helps relax you and helps low back pain.
How this strengthens your back Ill never know, nor does this stretch/exercise help the problem.
Yes, it does stretch the back-especially if you do both knees to the chest.
And yes, this is also a common cause of low back pain. Before jumping into some Pavlovian response to fix it with stretching you really should ask yourself,
What Does A Pinched Nerve Feel Like
I feel like needles are poking my body.
A pinched nerve is a nerve that receives too much pressure from surrounding tissues and as a result, becomes pinched and unable to transmit electric signals properly.
When this nerve finally gives up and stops working you feel tingling/pins and needles, burning and shooting pains along with feelings of numbness or muscle weakness.
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First Self Massage Muscles Of The Low Back
Self massage around the spine area with a massage ball. The target muscles will include the erector spinae group.
How to do it:
- Position a massage ball/tennis ball between your lower back and a wall.
- Move your body up and down, or side to side to find areas of tension.
- Apply a stronger pressure in the tender spots to help release the tension.
Cracking Your Own Back
Tip: To do this stretch, lie on a padded or carpeted floor. Then, turn over onto your side and bring your knees in towards your chest. Then, extend your legs and grab your feet with your hands.XResearch source Hold this position until your back cracks, and then turn over to your other side and repeat the stretch.
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How To Improve Your Lower Back Curve
Standing with an increased curve, or lordosis, in your low back may seem like a great way to accentuate your derriere however, it can actually have significant consequences.
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While a some curvature in your lumbar spine is normal, an imbalance in the muscles of your core and hips can lead to excessive amounts of lordosis and can result in the development of low back pain. Take several easy steps to help improve the curve in your lower back.
How Common Is Lower Back Pain
Around four out of five people have lower back pain at some point in their lives. Its one of the most common reasons people visit healthcare providers.
Some people are more likely to have lower back pain than others. Risk factors for lower back pain include:
- Age: People over 30 have more back pain. Disks wear away with age. As the disks weaken and wear down, pain and stiffness can result.
- Weight: People who are obese or carry extra weight are more likely to have back pain. Excess weight puts pressure on joints and disks.
- Overall health: Weakened abdominal muscles cant support the spine, which can lead to back strains and sprains. People who smoke, drink alcohol excessively or live a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of back pain.
- Occupation and lifestyle: Jobs and activities that require heavy lifting or bending can increase the risk of a back injury.
- Structural problems: Severe back pain can result from conditions, such as scoliosis, that change spine alignment.
- Disease: People who have a family history of osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer and other disease have a higher risk of low back pain.
- Mental health: Back pain can result from depression and anxiety.
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When Is Lower Back Pain An Emergency
Most episodes of lower back pain eventually resolve on their own, but there are times when you should seek urgent medical attention. Some of these situations include:
- Patient is a child
- Pain is severe, constant, suddenly or progressively worsens, and/or doesnt go away
- Pain interrupts sleep
While some situations may warrant immediate intervention, most cases are not urgent and can be scheduled at a time convenient for the patient.
What Are The Treatments For Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain usually gets better with rest, ice and over-the-counter pain relievers. After a few days of rest, you can start to get back to your normal activities. Staying active increases blood flow to the area and helps you heal.
Other treatments for lower back pain depend on the cause. They include:
- Medications: Your provider may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or prescription drugs to relieve pain. Other medications relax muscles and prevent back spasms.
- Physical therapy : PT can strengthen muscles so they can support your spine. PT also improves flexibility and helps you avoid another injury.
- Hands-on manipulation: Several hands-on treatments can relax tight muscles, reduce pain and improve posture and alignment. Depending on the cause of pain, you may need osteopathic manipulation or chiropractic adjustments. Massage therapy can also help with back pain relief and restore function.
- Injections: Your provider uses a needle to inject medication into the area thats causing pain. Steroid injections relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
- Surgery: Some injuries and conditions need surgical repair. There are several types of surgery for low back pain, including many minimally invasive techniques.
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When To See Your Doctor About Back Pain
You should see your doctor or physiotherapist if you have back pain that is not getting better after a few weeks of trying simple exercises and following the tips for a healthy back.
Although rare, back pain can be a sign of a more serious condition. If you experience any of the following ‘red flag’ symptoms with your back pain then please see a doctor urgently.
| ‘Red flag’ symptoms see a doctor urgently if you have: |
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You should also see your doctor or physiotherapist if:
- your pain is worse in your lower leg than your back and is not easing
- you have weakness and numbness in one of your legs
- you have a rash in the same area as your pain.
What Are The Most Common Lower Back Surgery Procedures
Spine surgery is not necessary for most people who have lower back pain. If you do need it, your doctor will recommend an appropriate procedure to address your specific symptoms and medical situation. Common spine surgeries include:
Spinal Fusion. Two or more vertebrae are permanently fused together to limit excess spinal motion. Your surgeon will use a combination of bone, bonelike material, screws, plates and rods to hold the vertebrae together so they can heal into a single unit. Spinal fusion may be done to correct spinal deformities or to increase the spines stability in severe cases of spinal osteoarthritis or herniated discs.
Laminectomy and laminotomy. Laminectomy is a surgery in which your surgeon removes the back portion of one or more vertebrae to create more space for the spinal cord or other nerves. In people with severe arthritis, bone spurs within the spinal canal can grow large enough to press on the spinal cord, causing pain and limiting mobility. In a similar surgery known as laminotomy, your surgeon will remove a small piece of bone called the lamina from the back of the vertebra.
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Exercise Strengthens The Spine
The simplest way to strengthen your spine is to move regularly throughout the day, in whatever capacity works for you. This might mean increasing your daily steps, taking short walks during the workday or prioritizing a slightly longer walk in the morning or evening.
People who are physically active tend to have lower rates of back pain, and a recent meta-analysis of 25 studies found that the most effective way to prevent lower back pain from recurring was regular exercise, preferably combined with some form of physical education.
Exercise doesnt cure everybody, but on average, its an effective intervention, said Mark Hancock, a professor of physiotherapy at Macquarie University and one of the authors of the study. There is no single type of exercise that has been shown to be effective, he said. If you are doing a variety of exercises, then you are likely getting all the things you need, he said, adding, Its just like your diet.
Physical activity also strengthens the bones and cartilage of the spine, protecting against age-related degeneration, and increases blood flow to cartilage discs in the spine that dont receive a lot of blood supply, Dr. Shah said.
If you have time, try some fast walking or jogging. A number of studies suggest that runners have thicker, healthier cartilage discs in their spine than people who arent active.
Is There Any Alternative To Back Cracking
You can substitute back cracking with some stretching moves which help in relieving the pressure. Child pose, open book, and cobra are some of the helpful yoga postures which help in lowering the strain on your back. It is vital to be comfortable with these yoga postures or execute them under the vigilance of expert yoga instructors to avoid any muscle injury or sprain.
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Strengthen Your Core With Side Planks
The side plank is perfect for strengthening the sides of your core muscles including the internal and external obliques.
How to do it:Begin by positioning your body sideways. Place one elbow in a 90 degree angle and stack your feet and legs together with one side of your hips and legs touching the floor. Now brace your core and butt muscles and lift your hips off the floor. Support your weight on your elbow and feet. Try to keep your whole body aligned from top to bottom. Hold the lifted position for 30 sec to 1 minute. Now do the side plank on the other side. Repeat 3 times on each side.** Ensure to keep your back at a neutral position throughout the entire exercise.
Strengthen Your Core With A Plank
This exercise is ideal for strengthening you inner core muscles including the transverse abdominis and multifidus.
How to do it:Begin lying on your stomach with your forearms against the mat. Engage your core and lift your body so that you are resting on your forearms and toes. Hold the plank position for 10 seconds. Aim for 5 to 10 repetitions of this exercise. When youre ready, increase the intensity by increasing the time you hold the plank in 10 second increments.** Ensure to keep your back straight throughout the entire exercise.
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How Long Does A Pinched Nerve Last
Pinched nerve recovery time depends on both the amount of damage and the type of treatment you choose.
Damage from a pinched nerve may be minor or severe. It may cause temporary or long-lasting problems. The earlier you get a diagnosis and treatment for nerve compression, the more quickly youll find relief.
Lets get right down to how to heal your compressed nerve as quickly as possible without medication.
How To Fix Lower Back Pain
10 Ways to Manage Low Back Pain at Home Keep Moving. You might not feel like it when youre in pain. Stretch and Strengthen. Strong muscles, especially in your abdominal core, help support your back. Keep Good Posture. Maintain a Healthy Weight. Quit Smoking. Try Ice and Heat. Know Your OTC Medications. Rub on Medicated Creams.
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Get Enough Restorative Sleep
Pain is a leading cause of insomniadifficulty with falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Inadequate sleep can also make your back pain worse. This vicious cycle makes it more difficult for you to get restorative sleep.
See Restorative Sleep Brings Back Pain Relief
Getting enough restorative sleep is needed for the bodys tissues to heal and recharge energy levels. If you have trouble sleeping, it is important to address pain or other factors that are causing it. Your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments depending on what is disrupting your sleep.
Fixing Your Low Back Pain
There is a very high probability that instead of stretching out your back like the top image here, you actually need to extend the back-like in the picture to the right.
This will relieve the tension on the muscles, ligaments and discs that are most likely causing your pain.
The easiest way to fix your flexion intolerant low back pain-the right way-is to put your back into extension by laying on your stomach and prop your head up on your two fists, or hold a low cobra hold . Hold that for a couple minutes and youll feel better and that feeling will last much longer and will start you on your path to a happier back.
If you want a little more challenge and want to strengthen your back-read here for a simple and effective exercise to try anywhere.
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