Palm Beach Health Center

Bend. Stretch. Repeat. Good advice for someone with back pain, especially lower back pain. You don’t have to get to a gym, and it’s not just reserved for athletes. Stretching is for everyone and aside from easing up on your back pain, it also helps prevent injury and promote circulation in your body. Pretty good news for the 31 million adults claiming to have back pain at any given time. The best part is you can do it literally anywhere, so here are the top 4 stretches to help whip your back, back into shape.

1. Knee to Chest

Lie on your back, pull one knee into your chest, wrapping your hands around your thigh, knee, or shin. Pull slightly until you feel the stretch through lower back, hamstring, and buttocks. Hold for 20 seconds. Slowly re-center your knee. Repeat each leg 3 times.

‍Benefits: Strengthens core abdominal muscles, core muscle groups and stretches your paraspinal muscles.

2. Yoga Cat & Cow

Begin on all fours, hands beneath your shoulders, knees below your hips. Exhale and gently arch your spine. Inhale, tighten your core muscles and round your back like a cat. Your movements should be slow. Hold each movement for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

‍Benefits: Soothes back pain, flexes your spine maintaining essential spine healthBONUS Benefits: Improves your posture and balance while also stretching out your hips and your abdomen. Also increases coordination and massages/stimulates organs in your stomach area i.e. kidneys, adrenal glands. Finally, creates emotional balance while relieving stress and creating a calming effect within your mind and body. Perfect stretch to start and end your day!

3. Seated Back Twist

While seated, cross your left leg over a bent right leg. Gently pull foot toward chest until you feel the stretch through your buttock. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat each side 3 times.

‍Benefits: Stretches and lengthens your piriformis muscle

4. Cobra

Begin on your stomach, legs extended and hands palm down with elbows and forearms on the ground. Slowly push yourself upwards so your weight is resting mostly on your forearms and make sure to keep your hips on the ground. Gently stretch your abdominal muscles and lower back. Hold for 10 seconds. Return to your original position. Repeat 3 times. Try straightening your arms more each time you push up.

‍Benefits: Stretches really tight abdominal muscles and lower back muscles

Maintain flexibility, function and circulation all while getting pain relief where you need it most with these DIY home exercises aimed at stretching and strengthening your lower back and shoulders. Keep up with your health and download these exercises today!

These simple stretches aim to ease back pain, even sciatic nerve pain, as well as help prevent future back problems down the road. Once into these stretches, if you feel uncomfortable and or any pain, stop immediately. Stretches are not meant to be painful, so should you feel you have back pain that needs more professional attention, our team wants to help. Chiropractic care focuses on the health of your spine and a large part of that affects your lower back, so contact us today to discuss how we can help eliminate your back pain for good.