Haven’t we all experienced a sting in our back? And haven’t we all waited for the pain to go away on its own? At best, we skip work or visit a doctor. And more often than not we do the former. However, if pain persists or happens at regular intervals, it is time to do more than skipping work. It is time to take action!
If you have already called in sick, you can make your day productive with stretches that can reduce pain and strengthen the muscles of your lower back. However, before we discuss them, let us take a look at what causes back pain and what are the symptoms.
Causes:
The conditions that commonly are responsible for lower back pain are:
- Muscle or ligament strain
- Bulged or ruptured disks
- Arthritis
- Skeletal irregularities
Symptoms:
The most common symptoms of lower back pain are:
- Muscle ache
- Shooting or stabbing pain
- Pain that radiates down your leg
- Pain that worsens with bending, lifting, standing, or walking
- Pain that improves with reclining
Before we get stretching, let us make sure that our body is fit enough for it.
If you have sustained any injuries or have any other back ailments, it is recommended that you get in touch with your doctor first.
Here is our tip: While doing these stretches, pay close attention to your breathing. If you are breathing normally and with comfort during the stretches, you can continue. If you are facing difficulties while breathing, don’t push yourself. Stop and seek medical advice.
Now let\’s get started!
Child’s Pose
The name might not give it away easily but this is a traditional yoga pose that works on your tight lower back muscles to make it flexible with improved blood circulation along the spine. It also relieves pain all along the spine, neck, and shoulders.
This is how you do the Child\’s Pose:
- With your hands and knees on the ground, rest your hips on your heels
- Hinge at your hips as you lean forward, bringing your hands out in front of you
- Rest your belly on your thighs
- Extend your arms in front of or alongside your body with your palms facing up
- Focus on breathing deeply and relaxing any areas of tension or tightness
- Hold this pose for up to 1 minute
For best results repeat this stretch a few more times.
Knee-to-chest stretch
With this stretch, your whole body will feel relaxed, especially your thighs, hips, and glutes.
Follow these steps to relax your tensed muscles:
- Lie on the floor with flat feet and bended knees
- Keep your left knee bent.
- Draw your right knee into your chest, with your hands behind your thigh or at the top of your shinbone
- Straighten your spine all the way down to your tailbone without lifting your hips
- Breathe deeply and release all the tension.
- Keep yourself in this pose for one to three minutes
- Repeat the same process with your other leg
Piriformis stretch
This stretch focuses on a muscle called piriformis found deep in the buttocks. That is how it gets its name too. When piriformis gets worked upon, it relieves any pain and tightness in your buttocks as well as the lower back.
This is how you stretch your piriformis:
- Lie straight on your back, bend your both knees while keeping your feet flat on the floor
- Now, bring your right ankle to the base of your left thigh
- Then, place your hands behind your left thigh and pull up towards your chest until you feel a stretch
- Remain in this position for one to three minutes
- Repeat the same with the other side of the body
Seated Spinal Twist
This is a very effective stretch as it relaxes your hips, glutes, and the back. Moreover, this workout also builds mobility in the spine. The pressure of this stretch also relaxes the internal organs.
Here is how you do it:
- As the name suggests, sit on the edge of a cushion with both legs extended
- Now, bend your right knee while placing your foot on the outside of the left thigh
- Bend your left leg, placing your foot near your right thigh
- With palms facing each other, raise your arms
- Starting at the base of your spine, twist to the right side
- Place your right hand behind you for support
- Place your left arm around your right leg as though you’re hugging it
- Remain in this position for one to three minutes
- Now, repeat the same on the other side
Cat-cow stretch
This stretch not only has a great effect on your spine but it also relieves your neck, chest, and shoulders.
This is how you do it:
- Get into a tabletop position with hands and knees touching the ground
- Press into your hands and feet as you inhale to lookup
- While exhaling, tuck your chin into your chest and arch your spine toward the roof
- Continue this with each breath.
- Keep doing this stretch for one to two minutes.
Without a strong and flexible back, even getting out of bed would be a herculean task. So, it is essential to keep your back in good shape. The discussed stretches can be undertaken at home or at various rehabilitation centers in Bangalore. Now, would you like to stretch with others at a center or do you prefer the calmness of your home? That is your call. We just want you to stretch and ease the tension.
