Stretching out Back Pain
Author: Rahul Padhiar
Date: 27 Apr 2002
Category: Articles
For every sport, a thorough warm-up should be completed before starting to play. The warm-up will be specific to the muscles used in that sport, but it should also prepare the back for the stresses to come. * Increase circulation gradually by doing some easy movement (such as walking) to increase blood circulation to the muscles and ligaments of the back. * Stretch the lower and upper back and related muscles, including hamstrings and quadriceps. * Start slowly with the sport movements (swing the club, clear the shuttle) Stretching Almost everyone can benefit from stretching the soft tissues—the muscles, ligaments and tendons—around the spine. The spinal column and its contiguous muscles, ligaments and tendons are all designed to move, and limitations in this motion can accentuate pain. The hamstring muscles seem to play a key role in low back pain, as patients who have low back pain tend to have tight hamstrings, and patients with tight hamstrings tend to have low back pain. It is not known which comes first, but it is clear that hamstring tightness limits motion in the pelvis and can place it in a position that increases stress across the low back. Therefore, it follows that stretching the hamstring muscles typically helps decrease the intensity of a patient’s back pain and the frequency of recurrences. A hamstring stretching routine should include applying pressure to lengthen the hamstring muscle for 30-45 seconds at a time, one to two times each day. The pressure on the muscle should be applied evenly and bouncing should be avoided, since a bouncing motion will trigger a spasm response in the muscle being stretched. The hamstring muscle may be stretched in a number of different ways. Options for hamstring stretching, listed from most difficult to least difficult, include: The most common technique is to simply bend forward at the waist, with legs relatively straight, and try to touch the toes and hold this position. If this approach is not well tolerated, less strain is applied to the back by sitting on a chair and placing the legs straight out in front on another chair, then reaching forward to try to touch the toes. One leg at a time may be stretched. One of the least stressful techniques is to lie on the floor and pull the leg up and straighten by holding onto a towel that is wrapped behind the foot. One leg at a time may be stretched. Another less stressful option is to lie on the floor, with the buttocks against a wall, and place the foot up against the wall and then try to push the knee straight. One leg at a time may be stretched. With time the hamstring muscle will gradually lengthen, reducing stress to the low back. Stretching should not be linked to other exercises, since those exercises may not be done on a daily basis. In order to make stretching a part of one’s daily regime, it is best to stretch every morning when getting up and before going to bed. Think of it as good back hygiene. Thanks to www.spine-health.com
