Lower Back Pain Advice and Stretches – Chiropractor Advice
Lower Back Pain Advice
Brought to you by Dr. Sandy Sajko
Info to consider
- Lower back pain affects millions of individuals and costs governments billions of dollars annually.
- Lower back pain can affect your daily activities, your work productivity, and even prevent you from having a good nights rest
- Lower back pain is often a very difficult condition to diagnose. Many structures in the lower back such as the discs, nerves, muscles, ligaments and joints can all cause pain in this area
- Paying attention to early warning signs can help you prevent this condition from becoming chronicFor example, morning stiffness, dull achy muscle pain or even fatigue can all be considered early warning signs
Stretch – Mobilizing the Spine
Benefits
- Great for helping deal with *back pain (see cautions) and for preventing it
- The spinal cord is stimulated when you are mobilizing the spine, which encourages good circulation, improved blood flow and even good posture
- Reduces stiffness in the spine – decreases any kind of compression in the spine and reduces pain in the process
Cautions
- If there is any pain, please see your doctor and get it checked out. Sometimes disc pain and joint pain can be aggravated with this exercise but if done properly, it should feel good to most people out there. Remember – don’t do it if it causes you more pain. Get medical attention from your health practitioner.
Instructions:
- Maintain a regular breathing frequency. Inhale as you draw your shoulders back and your chest forward and exhale as you round your back
- First position is of mobilizing the spine – bring your chin in and let your lower back and upper back roll out as you exhale, hollowing in the belly an you want to hold that position for 2-3 seconds
- The 2nd position is just the opposite of the 1st. As you begin your inhale, look up, arch your back ever so slightly and slowly bring the shoulder blades in together. Allow the chest to move forward.
- Move through first and second position and back again, in a fluid motion for a minute or two.
- Repeat as often as needed. Every hour is always great if you have time.
Stretch – Sparing the Spine
Benefits:
- Sparing the spine benefits overusing the spine in an incorrect way. Over time, bad techniques will cause strain on the back. Sparing the spine is efficient for the spine and helps to prevent future back pain
Cautions:
- There are generally no cautions to getting out of a chair correctly. If you are pregnant or very over weight, you may need to reach for a desk top to help you out of your chair
Instructions:
- Instead of getting out of your chair bending forward and arching, let the body tilt slightly forward and then stand up Keep the back in neutral position while you stand up and let the work be in the hips.