Generally, the most flexible places on your body are in the neck and low back. These are the same areas that people complain of discomfort or pain. The upper mid-thoracic is the most problematic. Sitting at a desk or in a car can place the spine into a slouch, resulting in what is called "loaded lumbar flexion." This means the low back is rounded. Stretching your lower back every day, several times a day will help reduce neck and low back pain as all three spinal curves affect each other.
Stretch Your Lower Back Daily
Begin lying in bed, if your mattress isn't too soft. Bend your knees into your chest, lightly wrapping your arms around them and keeping your head flat on the bed, gently arch and round your lower back. It will be an obvious convex and concave shape: Do a few before rolling side to side. Complete this stretching sequence by extending your arms and legs to straight and stretching through the hands and feet. This will provide therapeutic spinal traction as well as stretch the lower back muscles -- the quadratus lumborum and erector spinae.
Seated Stretches
Sit on the edge of the bed or, if it too soft for firm support to sit on, sit on a firm chair. Sit tall and arch and flex the lower back as you did lying flat. Keeping one foot flat on the floor, lift and hug the opposite knee into the chest, stretching the lower back. Repeat to the other side. Continue with a twist for the upper back by holding the sides of the chair, and extending through the crown of the head, turn your head to look over your right shoulder, pausing before turning to the left. That twist helps to restore the upper mid-thoracic curve, helping you remain extended tall and not slouch into your lower back.
Finish by setting both feet flat on the floor and extend your arms overhead, interlacing the fingers, turning the palms to face the ceiling and move your hands away from you, slightly arching and flexing the lower back.
Use the Wall for Stretching
Go to a wall and place your palms flat on it so they are shoulder-width distance apart and your feet are hip-width distance apart. Walk your feet back until your spine is horizontal to the floor. Press evenly through the palms. Keep your ears lined up between your inner arms and draw your hips away from the wall. Do not let the head hang down between your arms. By extending back, you create therapeutic spinal traction and stretch the lower back. Walk the feet in toward the wall to come out of the stretch.
Standing Variation of Chair Yoga Pose
Stand with your feet apart in a hip-width distance. Raise your arms alongside your ears, as you lower your hips, bending your knees. Imagine you are about to lower your hips onto a tall bar stool, but instead, dig your heels into the floor, and actively extend through the fingertips and draw the lower belly in toward the spine to safeguard the lower back. Remain for a few seconds before standing. Do three to five rounds slowly. This is a variation of a yoga pose, called "chair pose." This provides spinal traction and also stretches the lower back. Incorporate as many of these stretches you can every day to notice a difference in reducing both neck and lower back pain.
Member Comments