Low back pain, that beast that seems to plague us all at some point in our lives. However, just because we feel pain somewhere around the belt line, that does not mean it’s time to crawl into bed clutching a hot pad for a few days and pray it goes away on its own. In fact, the best thing to do is just the opposite - keep moving.
Of course, this doesn’t mean forgetting about the pain and going full force head on back at all daily activities and exercises. It means keeping that hot pad out for pain management, but doing more gentle activities. That can include walking, swimming, gentle cycling, yoga, and simple stretches.
Key muscles to stretch and keep mobile during flare ups of low back pain are the low back, buttocks, hips, and legs- especially the hamstrings. Keeping these loose and limber will hopefully result in getting back to 100% sooner rather than later.
Starting off gently and small, we recommend a few stretches, holding for 20-30 seconds and stopping before the onset of pain.
Here is a very simple and easy to perform hamstring stretch that just requires 2 chairs. You’ll place your leg up and make sure your foot and calf are supported. Lean forward on an exhale and hold where you feel a good stretch into your hamstrings.
Also, calling up your Physical Therapist is always a great idea! What we can assist with is manual therapy treatments, assisted stretching, and focusing on exercises to maintain and build core, low back, and lower body strength to safely have you return to living your life to the fullest!
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