When you stretch for low back pain relief, do you twist from side to side? This is a common stretch recommended when searching for relief for low back pain on the internet. While your muscles really like this stretch, the joints and discs in your back do not!
In the video, you’ll see that there is a bony block at the end range of rotation in your low back. This amazing design acts to protect your spinal cord and discs! Your spine has about 15 degrees of rotation built into this design. But when you stretch into rotation, especially pushing into the end point, you are forcing your anatomy to move outside its designed range. Over time, this forced motion causes excessive compression and stretching in the facet joints contributing to arthritic changes. It also creates lots of shear in the discs which weakens the outer layer!
There are activities that benefit from creating as much rotation in the low back as possible like dance, gymnastics, and golf. But note that these sports are also associated with an increased risk of low back pain. Treating these athletes when they experience low back pain often requires teaching them to get as much rotation as possible from their hips and upper back instead of their painful low back.
So how do you relieve your low back pain caused by muscle tension or spasms if rotation stretching is not recommended? Get to the cause of the tension and treat that! Are you sitting for long periods of time? Maybe you’ll find relief rotating to a standing desk (pun intended). Lifting improperly? Poor lifting technique can be corrected so you can lift pain free. Correcting the source of the problem will allow your muscles to relax instead of guarding, eliminating your need to stretch for low back pain relief!
Need help getting to the cause of your low back pain? Give me a call, I’d love to help!
This video is intended for education and demonstration only and is not meant to take the place of guidance from your Primary Care Provider (PCP). Don’t use this post/video to avoid going to your PCP or to replace the advice they give you. Get clearance from YOUR PCP before using the information in this video. Use at your own risk.