4 Stretches to Soothe a Bad Back
Back pain is a condition that plagues hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. The cause of back pain varies from person to person, but common culprits are using office chairs without proper support, sports and exercise, surgeries, chronic conditions, and according to a car accident injury lawyer in Los Angeles, personal injury incidents and car accidents caused by negligent and reckless drivers. Back pain can make you miserable and make it hard for you to enjoy your life. Very often, we experience it because we don’t pay attention to our bodies. If we lift things that are too heavy, push ourselves beyond our capacity at the gym, or simply don’t invest in good mattresses, we will find ourselves in excruciating pain. In this post, we’ll share with you a few great stretches you can do to soothe a bad back, as well as solutions that don’t require pills and medication.
The Power of Stretching
One of the most underrated solutions for back pain is good old-fashioned stretching and conditioning. It’s no surprise that a lot of back pain sufferers find relief in chiropractors and even some forms of yoga. Stretching helps keep your muscles strong and flexible so you can go about your life pain-free.
A regular stretch can do wonders for your whole body and leave you feeling renewed and ready to live a more active life. According to Bulletproof.com, “by incorporating regular stretching into your fitness routine, you’ll strengthen your back — making it less likely you’ll have to deal with an injury or chronic pain in the future.” Not only will you heal the pain you have, but you’ll actually prevent future pain if you do more stretching.
Here are some of the best back stretches you can incorporate into your daily routine;
A Trunk Rotation: Grab a yoga mat, and lie on the ground facing up, with your upper back flat and planted to your mat. Bring your left knee up and rotate it over your right leg. Repeat on the other side, this time rotating the right knee over your left leg.
Child’s Pose: Kneel on your mat with your glutes resting on your calves. Hunch your upper body forward so that your hands (and arms if you can stretch that much) touch the ground in front of your knees.
Neck Stretch: Sometimes the best way to relieve tension in your back is stretching your neck. This is a simple stretch you can actually do at your desk, standing in line at the grocery shop or anywhere else. All you need to do is bend your neck forward, bringing chin to chest. When you feel a stretch in your neck, go back to starting position.
Foam Roller Stretch: Foam rollers are a great investment and aid in the relief of back pain. One of the simplest, but most effective stretches you can do with one is to lie on your back resting on the roller. All you have to do is move back and forth to stretch out your back muscles. This offers great relief after a particularly tough workout! You can buy foam rollers almost anywhere and they don’t have to cost a fortune.
Other Non-Medication Remedies
- If you work on a computer most of your day, make sure you’re not craning your neck and back to low to do so. The screen shouldn’t be too high or too low, it should sit squarely in front of your face so that you don’t injure your back and neck.
- If you lift weights, avoid lifting too heavy especially when resting barbells on your shoulders, as this can also cause pain and injury.
- They say you should invest in pillows for bed, but you also need good pillows in your living room. There’s no point in having good back support in one room and not having it in the other. If you spend time in front of the TV, good pillows are a backsaver!
Many medical experts, like those at Allspine Surgery Center, believe that stretching your back muscles and increasing back strength can do a lot more to solve back pain than any bottle of pills can. In order to reap the fruits of this, you have to incorporate regular stretching into your life. Stretch in the morning, stretch before and after a workout, and even stretch before bed. That way, you’ll restore full mobility and never have to worry about wincing every time you stand up or sit down. Investing in a better back is an investment in your general health, wellness, and overall happiness.
Not only will you heal the pain you have, but you’ll actually prevent future pain if you do more stretching. Additionally, using the best back brace during your routines can provide supplementary support and stability, enhancing your journey towards a stronger and pain-free back.
