Do you have back pain that you can’t seem to get rid of? Instituto Clavel Rehabilitation has some recommendations for stretching exercises that can help you.
Back pain is one of the most common health complaints, especially at the end of the day when your back has accumulated the stress of all your daily activities. In the vast majority of cases, back discomfort is usually mild and does not last very long. In these cases, there are certain exercises you can do to help relieve the pain.
Back pain can occur for various reasons, including poor posture when sitting or sleeping, or an awkward gesture or strain made while playing sports, or while doing some ordinary daily activity.
Before we talk further about these back exercises, we want to be sure you know first how to determine whether your back pain should be checked out by a specialist. The keys to identifying the seriousness of back pain include the intensity, duration, and location of the pain, and other symptoms, such as weakness or loss of feeling in some parts of the body. Dr. Clavel, neurosurgeon specializing in the spine, and Director of Instituto Clavel, explains more about these signs to be aware of in the following article:
How to know when your back pain is serious
Why is it important to stretch your back?
Stretching regularly is the key to improving your body’s flexibility and to ensure that your joints have their full range of motion. It can also relieve muscle stiffness and tension, as well as help with overall back health.
Doing some dynamic stretching before physical exercise has been shown to help prepare muscles and improve athletic performance. Likewise, strengthening and stretching muscle groups can reduce musculoskeletal pain and promote better posture.
Maintaining a regular stretching routine is important to prevent back pain in the future.
Some safety tips before you begin stretching exercises for your back
Although, as we said before, stretching has a lot of benefits, it must be done properly, because stretching incorrectly can pose risks to your body. Bearing this in mind, here are some guidelines to remember before you begin a back stretching routine:
- Warm up before stretching: Take a short walk or make circles with your arms to warm up your muscles before stretching.
- Stretch just until you feel a gentle pull. Do not stretch to the point of feeling pain. If you feel pain, you are not stretching correctly.
- Don't bounce your body when stretching.
- Don't hold your breath while stretching. Inhale before starting the stretch and exhale little by little while holding the position.
- Do the exercises regularly. By stretching routinely, your joints and muscles will gain flexibility and this will help delay the loss of mobility that comes with age.
Next, we give links to several videos showing exercises for both the lumbar and cervical areas of the back, and other nearby areas of the body. These videos are created by the team of expert physical therapists at Instituto Clavel Rehabilitation, our physical therapy center specialized in the spine. In these guided videos, you will see exercises to stretch your back that you can do easily at home or even while sitting in your chair at the office.
Stretches to relieve back pain
In the first video you will see stretches for the upper body, that will enable you to:
- Tone your core, that is, the abdominal, lumbar, pelvic, and gluteal muscles, and the deep muscles of the spine.
- Strengthen your upper body, including the pectorals, shoulders, arms, and abdominal muscles.
- Gently work the arms, shoulders, and shoulder girdle.
In the second video, the exercises are focused on stretching the lower body. You will also get these benefits:
- Tone your core.
- Strengthen your lower body. This muscle group includes your calf muscles, hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes.
- Work your legs gently.
Poor posture habits can lead to chronic low back pain. In the following article we tell you how you can stretch your lower back to relieve pain, relax muscles and relax tension, in eight easy steps:
Finally, we leave you another guided video with stretching exercises that can be performed while sitting, especially good for whenever you have been sitting for a long time, either working or studying. These movements will help you mobilize your joints and muscles, and relieve or prevent the back discomfort that comes from staying in the same position for a long time.
Remember, it’s important to follow the guidelines indicated in the videos, and when doing these exercises, you should not feel pain. In addition, it’s very important to use good posture throughout the day, because, otherwise, no matter how much you stretch, you will not get the desired results.
How to prevent back pain and keep your spine healthy
Of course, keep in mind that doing these stretches is no substitute for seeing a specialist if you need to. So, if your pain is very intense or does not disappear in a few days, we recommend that you go to the doctor for an evaluation, to be sure you get the most appropriate treatment.
At Instituto Clavel we are specialists in the spine, and we offer treatment options ranging from physical therapy to surgery, depending on the specific condition and needs of each patient.
Categories: Prevention, Wellness, Back pain