The Problem with Back Stretches

This is an interesting topic and one with a lot of questions and answers. Mo doubt this is one of the more confusing problems my members come to me with, because there are just so many factors and things that can differentiate one part of the back from another to find the perfect stretch for your problem. Today we will be going over almost everything I know about the problems with back pain and the stretches of getting rid of that pain.

First and foremost is your posture. Now I know you have read article after article of saying how important good posture is. BUT let's look at it from another point of view. There is good posture and then there is what feels good to YOU when you stand, and maybe you're "good posture" is actually standing wrong. I'll give you an example, when I stand, I tuck my hips very far forward, I don't even feel when I'm doing it. The second I release my hips and let them float behind me I feel my lower back and how much pain it is now in from tucking and bracing for so long. It's actually called PPT or Posterior Pelvic Tilt. Some people have the opposite and let their backsides and hips control most of their movements, leading to non-stable abs and practically no brace at all when walking. This is the opposite of name with APT or Anterior Pelvic Tilt. PPT hyperextends the hips and knees, leading to a loss of a natural lumber curve, or that curve that is right above your butt goes away. You need that curve for stability, when that doesn't happen it causes lower back pain. I am slowly trying to be more conscious of when I stand to bend my knees and allow my back to curve. And so should you, be aware of how you stand, and if what feels natural to you is actually natural to your body.

Ok second, and this is by far the most common: Your back isn't tight, your legs are. You would be very surprised at how many clients I meet that don't know leg tightness leads to back pain. Because back pain is so common, when people talk about, it sounds like it is almost something that just "happens", but it never occurs to anyone that another part of the body might be to blame. You see, when your hamstrings get tight, they cause the lower back to pull down. That is because the hamstrings go up and under your glutes. They are way closer to your lower back then you think. They pull the lower back down causing more pain, so you try and massage your back and put heating pads on them and take baths but none of it is working. Why? Because it's not the problem! STRETCH YOUR LEGS! I cannot stress that enough. Happy legs equal happy back. It is that simple. Stretch your hamstrings, your glutes, your calves, and yes even your feet. All of that play an important role in the health of your back.

Thirdly and lastly, if you do have true back pain: do NOT overstretch and do NOT overheat. What I mean is, if you do have a slight injury or pain in your back, people rush to doing ALL of the stretches and all of the hot baths they can take. But in most cases, there is no need for that, and you are really making the pain worse. Your back has the most flexible ligaments in the entire body, to the point where they can be hypermobile and cause issues. Your back wants to take care of everything for you, even if that means stretching too far or contorting to pick something up. This over time can lead to non-stable ligaments and joints. On top of that, if you overstretched which caused the injury, then you go take a bath to make it feel better, all you did was take a ligament that was already overextended and make it lengthen even more. This is why peoples back pain seems to take forever to get better. This is because their recovery for the pain is all wrong. I want you to ICE the pain spot first. Numb it. Shorten the ligaments first. For at least a day. Then you can add heat little by little. But still include ice as part of your regiment. As far as the stretching, NO stretching for at least two days after an injury, for the same reasons as above. Stretching just makes the back longer and while you still have an injury, we do not want to do that.

Try and be aware of all the things this blog covered today, I don't wish back pain on anybody. But most of back pain is preventable. Knowing how to stand ow what the actual problem stems from is most of the battle. Once you know that, back pain will be a thing of the past for you!