There are many causes for lower back pain with varying degrees of severity from case to case. According to Consumer Reports Health, one in four people reported lower-back pain lasting an entire day over a three month period, often with no known structural cause or injury. Stretching the lower back helps reduce and prevent increased back pain bouts, according to Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D. of Spine Health.
Identification
Sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time increase compression and stiffness in the lower back. Dully, achy pains are often suggestive of nonspecific pain which means there is no physiological injury or impairment. When shooting pain or numbness is present with the pain, nerve compression and herniated intervertebral spinal discs are suspected. Have your doctor rule out out stenosis, degenerative disc issues or other injuries or conditions before starting a new exercise or stretching program.
Types of Stretches
Keeping your back fit and pain-free means stretching more than just the area where pain is localized. Doing lower back stretches such as the prone cobra or cat arches creates mobility in the lower spine and surrounding muscles. Cobra is done lying on your stomach, pushing your chest up on your arms while keeping legs extended behind you. Cat arches start with you on your hands and knees looking up at the ceiling with your head. Arch the back as you look down toward your belly button. Beyond stretching the lower back, keeping your leg and hip muscles stretched and limber relieve and prevent lower back pain as well. Weightless lunges stretch the hips and hamstrings. Step forward with one leg while lowering your body until the front leg is at a 90-degree angle. Crossing one leg over the other also stretches the sciatic nerve pathway, opening hip muscles and relieve pain related to an impaired sciatic nerve.
Frequency
Getting up throughout your workday to do a few stretches will help reduce or prevent back pain that builds from sitting. Though you may not see results for several weeks, stretching for 10 minutes each day will reduce nonspecific pain. Hold stretches for 15 to 30 seconds each without bouncing or bobbing up and down to prevent pulling a muscle. Repeat each stretch five to 10 times. Breathe through stretches to oxygenate muscles, improving the stretching ability.
Misconceptions
It is a misconception that back pain is just another part of getting older. Your spine is designed to move and if there is no presence of impairment such as bone spurs, stenosis or arthritis, keeping joints, ligaments and muscles limber should reasonable reduce or prevent lower back pain.
Tips
The beauty of most stretching programs is they can be done anywhere at any time as long as you have clear floorspace and clothing loose enough to stretch in. Never stretch past the point of pain, meaning once you feel discomfort, you have reached your maximum stretch point. Pushing the stretch further only risks injuring yourself and creating more pain. Increasing mobility and limberness is not something achieved overnight. If you feel your back pain is not improving or possibly worsening, seek medical evaluation right away.
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