Back Pain Treatment: How Back Stretching Exercises Can Help

If you suffer from chronic back pain, stretching your back and leg muscles during a bout of pain might be the last thing you would consider. However, such exercises can help reduce back pain and even prevent future episodes of pain. This article will look at why it may be beneficial to consider back stretching exercises and different routines that may help ease your back pain.

Why should I stretch?

Stretching exercises can help keep all the parts of your spine and back in good condition, allowing you to perform normal activities without suffering episodes of back pain. When you stretch, you ease tension on the ligaments and tendons around your spine, leading to pain relief. Stretching your back and neck can also help keep your back muscles flexible, reducing stiffness and limitation of movement.

Performing stretching exercises before and after strenuous activity such as running or working out can also help prevent back soreness and painful muscle strains, allowing you to be more flexible and productive.

Types of back stretching exercises

There are 2 stretching routines that can help relieve pain in your back joints, muscles and nerves.

Lumbar extension stretches basically refer to exercises that stretch the lower back, relieving disc herniation and restoring balance in the spine. One way to stretch your lower back is to lay flat on your stomach with your arms and your elbows bent underneath you and palms flat on the surface, and then gradually lift your upper torso with your arms so as to flex the spine. Repeat this routine a couple of times until you alleviate any stiffness in your back.

You can then lie on your back on a flat surface with both your knees bent and then bring one knee toward your chest. Repeat this routine for a few seconds to relieve tightness in your waist area and achieve better mobility. Finally, get on your knees with both your palms on the surface and gradually sit back until your buttocks are resting on your heels before extending your hands forward so as to stretch the back muscles along the spine. 

Sciatic nerve stretches can also be effective at relieving pain that resonates to the legs and buttocks. The sciatic nerve can sometimes get compressed by your spinal disks resulting in pain that is felt all the way from the lower back to the back leg and calf area. You can reduce the nerve pain by lying on your back with your hand behind the ailing leg, and flex your ankle back and forth while extending your knee. This will help stretch and desensitize the injured nerve, resulting in reduced back and leg pain.

For more information, talk to a doctor like Isaacson Wayne MD.