Want to Relieve Back Pain? Try These 3 Back Stretches

Treatment of lower back pain may be one of your options to target the areas causing you discomfort, but did you know that stretching can help in pain relief when incorporated into your daily routine? In fact, it can be a refreshing change to take a stress-relieving pause from work and stretch once in a while. Whether in the morning or midway during work, the occasional stretching can help to ease everyday stress while improving your back pain. 

To get you started, we’ve summed up three main back stretching techniques to give a try as you work towards a healthier back: 

1. Superman

For starters, the Superman pose is a simple floor posture that keeps your back supple. In order to maintain the flexibility of your body, make it a point to focus on contracting and relaxing specific muscles in your chest, arms, legs, shoulders and glutes through the Superman pose. Take note that this pose is not suitable for pregnant ladies.  

1. Start by laying down flat on your stomach with toes facing the floor.
2. Raise your chest, arms and legs. For the arms, you can either reach your arms in front of your body or by your sides at the hips. 
3. Make sure to lift your body as much as you can, and make an effort to keep your legs close together. This action maintains the flexibility and mobility of your back, strengthening your lower back muscles in the process.  
4. Don’t forget to take deep breaths before gently lowering your arms and legs. 

2. Bridge

If you are guilty of slouching or hunching your lower back while sitting, muscle tension increases in your back area as you remain in that slumped posture. When your back starts to feel stiff or even strained after a while, take it as a reminder to get up and give yourself a few minutes to do the bridge pose while you’re at it. Here, the bridge pose can be relieving in releasing the pressure on your muscles.

1. Lie down facing up with your knees bent. Place your arms on the floor, with your fingers reaching near the heel area. 
2. Lift your buttocks upward until your thighs are diagonal to the floor.
3. Hold this pose between 30 seconds to 1 minute before slowly relaxing your back. 
4. As your neck will be supporting this pose, it is important to settle into a comfortable, more stable position without the risk of overexerting yourself. 
5. You can consider buying a foam block to provide support when maintaining the bridge pose. 

3. Cat and Camel Stretch

Also known as cat and cow pose, cat and camel stretch is another pose that will help to reduce stiffness in your spine and surrounding muscles. Regular stretching can maintain the range of movement in your joints, and this type of stretching will come in handy in waking up tight muscles and joints in between work.  

1. Begin by getting on all fours. Make sure to not spread out your limbs but rather, have your hands directly beneath your shoulders and knees directly beneath your hips. 
2. With your chin curled in, round your back to get into camel pose. 
3. Gently release before lifting your chin and chest to move into cat pose. 
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to engage your back and abdominal muscles.  
5. While you’re practising this pose, take note to avoid hyperextending your elbows. 

All Set to Stretch

Like many others in Singapore, you can stretch as and when you feel the need to – easily in the comfort of your own home. However, if you haven’t been physically active for a while, take your time to incorporate these stretches and avoid overexerting yourself. You can also change it up to fit your needs while focusing on improving your back health in the long haul. However, if you feel a more intense back pain rather than strain, you may consider lower back pain treatments and get it checked by a chiropractor for back pain and other ailments.