If you are suffering from a back injury, your doctor or physical therapist may have prescribed stretching exercises. In most cases, these stretches are related to your specific injury, and may also involve other body parts, such as your hips, hip flexors, knees, hamstrings and quadriceps. While it may be tempting to perform a stretch immediately following an injury, always consult a physician prior to performing any type of rehabilitation exercise.
Function
Back injuries, whether caused by accidents or chronic overuse, may shorten the muscles that support the spinal column. Muscle shortening may alter your movement patterns, which may cause even more pain. Static stretching, which involves holding a stretch without movement, stimulates what is known as the golgi tendon reflex. The golgi tendon organ protects the muscles, ligaments and tendons from injury. When a stretch is held for a significant time period, the golgi tendon organ triggers a lengthening reaction, which causes the muscles to stretch and relax. The knees to chest stretch illustrates this pattern. Some back injuries result from a chronic swayback, or arching of the lower back, which causes the back muscles to shorten. Lying on the floor, bending your knees and drawing them toward your chest activates the golgi tendon reflex, which lengthens the muscles and reverses the pattern.
Types
Static stretching involves holding a stretch. The prone cobra is an example. Lie on your belly with your legs extended and your hands under your shoulders. Slowly straighten your arms and extend your spine, lifting your head, chest and stomach from the floor. Breathe deeply as you relax into the stretch. The cat exercise, performed with movement, is an example of a dynamic stretch. Kneel on all fours, tilt your pelvis and round your upper back, as if you were an angry cat, and then return to the starting position. Styrofoam rollers provide a different type of stretch. They combine the benefits of flexibility exercise and massage. Position your body so that the roller supports the top of your head and the base of your spine. Make sure that your spine is centered on the roller. Slowly raise your arms overhead, and then reach for the wall behind you. Hold the position as you let your body weight sink into the roller.
Time Frame
Unlike weight training, which requires a rest between training sessions, therapeutic back stretches should be performed on a daily basis. Hold static stretches for 30 to 60 seconds, and perform dynamic stretches for 10 to 20 repetitions. When using foam rollers, hold the position until the muscular tension significantly subsides.
Considerations
The body works as an integrated system. Tight hip flexors alter the position of the pelvis, which is turn shortens the back muscles.Treating the resulting back injury must therefore involve stretching the hip flexors as well as the back muscles. Stand behind a chair with your feet separated at hip width apart. Hold the back of the chair with both hands. Step backward with your right foot, as if you were performing a lunge. Bend your left knee and push your hips forward, until you feel a stretch in the front of the right hip. Repeat on the other side.
Warning
Never perform jerky, ballistic movements during back-stretching exercises. Avoid forcing the range of motion. Deep breathing will help you relax into the stretch. Take a breath in, and try to go deeper into the stretch as you exhale.
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