Back pain is nothing to neglect. In fact, lower back pain results in more cases of disability than any other medical condition. Here are five stretches that can help alleviate pain while improving your range of motion.
When researchers looked at almost 300 different diseases and other health issues, they determined that lower back pain (LBP) was the leading cause of disability globally – responsible for approximately a third of disability cases. In fact, almost 10% of people worldwide suffer from LBP.
Americans experience the condition in numbers that fit the international trends, resulting in more lost work days than any other health complaint.
These five stretches can bring you back pain relief so that it doesn’t interrupt your day:
Neck stretch
Put your right hand on the left side of your head. Pull your head gradually toward your right shoulder while keeping both shoulders relaxed. Once you feel a stretch, breathe in and out three times. Switch sides.
Hip-buttock stretch
Lie on the ground facing the ceiling. Bring both knees toward you, lifting your feet off the floor. Put your left ankle over your right knee. Grab behind your right thigh just above your knee and carefully embrace your leg. Inhale and exhale three times. Switch to the left leg.
Sitting twist
For this back pain relief stretch, sit with your legs crossed, explains fitness instructor Denise Austin. “Extend [your] right arm, placing it on [the] outside of [your] left knee,” she says. “Place [your] left hand on [the] floor behind you and twist gently to [the] left, moving [your] head and shoulders with [your] torso.” Breathe in and out three times. Now switch to the opposite side.
Child’s pose
Get onto your knees, with your buttocks touching your heels. Bring your torso to your thighs, and stretch your arms our in front. Inhale and exhale three times. Walk your hands to the left until you are at about 10 o’clock. Pause for three breaths. Switch sides.
Back Relaxer
Lie down facing the ceiling. Bend your knees, bringing them toward your chest, notes Austin. “Hold [the] backs of [your] thighs and gently pull [your] knees farther in toward [your] chest,” she says, “feeling a stretch in [your] lower back.” Breathe in and out three times.
Recovery
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