Improve Flexibility And Strength
If you have ever experienced tight lower back muscles, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to improve flexibility and strength in this area. With a little dedicated effort, you can see positive results in just a few weeks.
One of the best things you can do is to incorporate simple stretches into your daily activities. This will help increase flexibility and reduce tension in the muscles. It is also beneficial to strengthen the muscles in this area.
There are a number of different stretches that can be done to loosen tight lower back muscles.
A few of the most effective include:
- The Cobra: Lie flat on your stomach with your hands palm-down on the floor beside you. Slowly arch your back and lift your head and chest off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Knee To Chest: Lie flat on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Slowly bring one knee up to your chest and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. Repeat 3 times for each leg.
- Pelvic Tilt: Lie flat on your back with both knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tilt your pelvis so that your lower back is flattened against the floor. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.
Exercise #: Glute Bridge
This exercise helps to strengthen both your core, gluteal and back muscles.
How to do it:Begin lying on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet positioned flat on the floor with your arms positioned beside your torso.â Brace your core and squeeze your butt before any movement.â While bracing, lift your butt off the floor, and continue squeezing your butt.â Hold this position for 5 seconds and return slowly to the starting position.â Aim for 10 repetitions.
How To Massage Your Own Lower Back Pain
Did you know that with only a few pieces of equipment, you can perform your own massage to ease lower back pain? Here is how you can do it:
Position yourself such that your back is flat on the floor and your feet are slightly apart.
Take your foam roller and position it on your mid-back, right beneath your shoulder blades.
While making sure not to exert too much pressure on your back, rock your body up and down, in and out.
If you feel the pressure of the foam roller is too much, carry your body weight through your legs more.
If this continues to be uncomfortable, please seek the assistance of a trained medical professional.
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Exercise #: Cat & Cow
The cat and cow is a great spine mobility exercise that you can do to help energize your low back muscles.
How to do it:
- Begin by kneeling on all fours with your hands positioned under your shoulders and your knees positioned directly below your hips.
- Exhale and arch your spine gently.
- Inhale and tighten your core muscle while you round your back.
- Aim for 10 repetitions.
How Do You Loosen Your Back Muscles 5 Stretching Exercises
Evolution has a lot to answer for in regards to the widespread problem of back pain. Going from a four-legged gait to standing upright was done a lot like the giraffes laryngeal nerve: poorly and with no clear oversight.
Between the curve of the spine and the width of the hips, humans are bound to face overly tight back muscles. So, how do you loosen your back muscles to prevent pain? The simple answer is stretching and the longer answer involves a few lifestyle changes to relieve tension and avoid repetitive motions.
Lower back pain is the most prevalent type with nearly 70% of adults between 35 and 55 experiencing it for at least a year. Upper back pain is the next most common and middle back pain is relatively uncommon.
Lifestyle changes will have to wait, for now, lets go over some stretches.
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Doing A Massage On Yourself
Iii Apply A Cold Pack
For the first 48-72 hours, carefully apply a cold pack to the area to reduce any inflammation present. Protect the skin from any risk of ice burn with a thin towel before applying the pack. Apply for 20 minutes and use every 1-2 hours as needed.
Caution:Not everyone benefits from a cold pack. If you find applying cold only numbs your pain while you are still stiff, then either reduce the length of time you apply it, or avoid cold treatment. Some people are more likely to feel even stiffer with cold treatment. The goal is to relax the muscle, not shock it.
I recommend that you go with what works for you. Personally, I prefer heat instead, but everyone has their own preferences.
Also Check: How Long Can Lower Back Pain Last
When Do You See A Doctor
Usually, youll see results within two to six weeks of performing regular exercises. You can see a doctor if your pain doesnt get better in a couple of weeks.
Also, see your doctor if, during the workouts, you have extreme discomfort, the pain spreads over your thighs, and you have any numbness, swelling, or serious pain.
Your doctor will determine if an underlying condition causes pain or tightness.
What Is The Best Type Of Massage For Lower Back Pain
With so many kinds of massage therapy, choosing the best one for lower back pain can be confusing. However, the type you choose may not be all that important research suggests that both relaxing massage techniques and deep tissue therapy may be equally effective for symptom relief. Instead, it may be better to find a good massage therapist that will tailor a treatment to your preferences.
Popular types of massage include:
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Using Percussion Massage Guns To Feel Better
The year 2020 will go down as one of the worst years on record for well, a lot of things. The Covid-19 pandemic impacted people in different ways, but we can all agree it was a stressful and anxiety-inducing time for everyone. I found myself willing to try anything and everything that could make me feel betterboth mentally and physically.
Some of the attempts were a waste of time and money. For example, tracking down different essential oils to impact my mood. They all smelled pretty good, but I cant say that one or another actually helped me fall asleep or noticeably reduced stress. Oh, well.
But, a lot of my wellness experiments did work. And those are the results Im reporting here, on what I call my 15 Days of Feeling Better.
One of the items I tried is this unexpected device that reduced my low back pain: a Theragun Elite percussion massage gun. The Theragun mini is also one of the best back massagers for lower back pain.
However, I should emphasize that percussion massage guns should not be used on acute injuries like muscle spasms, ligament sprains, and muscle strains.
DmitriMaruta/Getty Images
Causes Of A Tight Lower Back
Sports injuries, overtraining, and accidents can make your back feel tight. Even day-to-day tasks such as sitting can cause tightness.
You also experience tightness in the lower back to compensate for a problem in another part of the body. Strong hamstrings and gluteal muscles can also contribute to this tightness.
Having poor posture or improper shape when lifting weights or having weak core muscles may also play a role.
Many other factors may lead to or complicate a tight lower back. These include the following sprains and strains, prolonged sitting times, ruptured disks, and obesity.
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Stretching For Lower Back Pain
Stretches for your lower back can help break uptightness and tension in the lumbar spine region. With an improved range of motion, you can enjoy less lower back pain over time. Additionally, a regular stretching routine can lower your risk for injury by helping to strengthen the back muscles. So, we encourage you to practice targeted lower back stretches on a consistent schedule to reap the full benefits of the exercises. Schedule an appointment with the team at Wasserman Chiropractic for a personalized stretching regimen.
Below, youll find three popular and effective stretches for the lumbar spine. These stretches are simple and can be performed at home. You can also view our video on Beginner Mobility Exercises.
Do Massages Help Patients With Back Pain
Recovering from a lower back pain flare-up could take several weeks to months. Although many people depend on conventional care, such as taking anti-inflammatory pain medications, getting physiotherapy treatment, and staying physically active, back pain massage therapy offers relief and relaxation.
Over the last few decades, massage has gained popularity as alternative care for people with back pain. When added to the mix of conventional back pain treatment, the magical and soothing touch of a professional massage therapist can promote substantial healing and pain relief to a painful back. By targeting the correct muscles, the pain, soreness, and tension can be controlled at their source. Healthcare professionals recognize back pain massage treatment as a safe and natural relief for lower back pain and effective aid to various pain treatments. Furthermore, healthcare providers even encourage back pain patients to seek massage therapy in addition to medical treatment.
Various pieces of evidence support the effectiveness of massage to the nonspecific chronic low back, showing its benefits in terms of improving symptoms and function.
Here are other several amazing health benefits of massage therapy:
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Relieving Back Tension At Home
A variety of muscle issues stem from a lack of muscular endurance. The lower back muscles are especially susceptible to these types of issues as they are often untrained or too weak. These muscles must be ready to contract and expand repeatedly throughout the day, especially given physically demanding jobs or recreational activities.
The benefit to these is that they can all be performed in the comfort of ones own home, without the added cost of an expensive doctors visit. If these treatments do not provide the necessary relief, it may be time to consult a physician to examine for deeper issues.
B Stop By A Chiropractor
A chiropractor can assist with getting rid of muscle knots with the help of various adjustments. They have intense knowledge of the musculoskeletal system which allows them to understand where the problem might be and what muscles might be connected.
To begin the treatment, theyll first feel around the area of concern. Theyll also press around other parts to ensure there arent hidden knots.
Once they do this, theyll start doing spinal decompression adjustments. To begin, many will do a soft massage around the knot. This will awaken the area and encourage blood flow. This fresh blood can prevent you from experiencing pain and help the adjustment work better.
After they massage the knot, theyll then press on nearby joints that the muscle knot might be connected to. This will break up the tight fibers.
When each adjustment is done, your chiropractor will then stretch the section. This will extend the fibers and prevent them from winding back into a knot.
After your treatment, your chiropractor will give you some tips to prevent further muscle knots. These could include a list of stretches or a certain mattress to help your back heal.
Looking for the best chiropractor in Juneau, Alaska? Let Better Health Chiropractic get you adjusted to a back pain-free life.
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How Does A Lower Back Massage Decrease Pain
A lower back massage aims to relieve pain by reducing muscle tension and disturbing pain messages sent to the brain.
Muscle tension is relieved as temperature of the muscles rise. Rising muscle temperature is due to an increase in blood flow caused by friction. Tissue elasticity is improved as muscle temperature rises. An improvement of tissue elasticity relieves muscle tightness and tension to help reduce pain.
Receptors located around the body first detect when something is wrong within the body and then send a signal to the brain. Pain is caused by nerves that receive a message from the brain telling them to create a feeling of pain. During a lower back massage, friction is created between the fingers and skin. When friction is created, receptors detect a new feeling. Once detected, the receptors send a new signal to the brain. The signal then gets passed on to the nerves which then create a numbing sensation. Creating a new sensation helps to relieve pain.
Get Loose How To Do Lumbar Stretches To Ease Lower Back Pain
Are you someone who suffers from lower back pain?If so, youre not alone. In fact, its estimated that in the US, 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. Lower back pain can wreak havoc on your life. Luckily, there are a lot of treatments out there that can help you alleviate your pain. One of the best treatments is lumbar stretching. What lumbar stretching should you do for lower back pain?Check out this guide to discover how to do lumbar stretches to ease lower back pain.
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Should I Be Concerned About My Muscle Knot
Muscle knots arent usually fatal, but you should still pay attention to them. Even the smallest knot can put pressure on nearby nerves and muscles. This can irritate them which could cause them to become weakened.
Larger muscle knots can be worrisome though because they could hinder your mobility. This could make it difficult for you to do even basic tasks, like walking.
Lower Back Pain Can Be Relieved With Stretches And Massage
Are your evenings full of lower back pain from sitting at your job, or driving the kids around to all of their activities? Does it make it difficult for you to even plan out anything enjoyable to do with your family at night? If you suffer from lower back pain, know that you do not have to live like that. There are quite a few things that you can do to help alleviate your pain, no matter what type of activity, or lack thereof, caused it. Here are some great things to do to help stretch out your lower back to reduce or eliminate your pain.
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Your Brain Onthis Is Your Brain On Yoga
As a yoga instructor, I have a few favorite stretches for the hips and theyre not just my favorites because they feel good theyre extremely functional and work the hip from all angles. Frangiamore is also a fan of these yoga poses. Stretches like the pigeon pose, warrior 1 and groin stretches all work to lengthen muscles that attach around the hip joint , which become shortened after prolonged sitting or resting, he says. Lengthening these muscles can decrease tension and excessive pull on the hips and lower back which can improve posture and decrease associated pain.
Ready to get loose? Give these three stretches a try.
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How To Use The Neck Shaper
The Neck Shaper is mathematically designed to fit the position between the forehead and chin, based on Dr. Scherger’s research. You can use the Neck Shaper to reverse the effects of gravity throughout the day or any time you have been hunched over, like when texting or driving a car.here for more information on the Neck Shaper and how to use it.
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How To Use Massage Therapy To Manage Lower Back Pain
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people miss work or see a physician¹. This pain can be acute or chronic .
Some of the most common causes of lower back pain are injury, heavy lifting, growing older, sitting for long periods, or decreased physical activity. Health conditions, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, congenital disabilities, or degenerative or ruptured discs in your spine can also cause back problems.
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