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January 12, 2011
Stretch Your Spine in Nashua

Nashua's patients comment on the chiropractic care they receive from Moriarty Chiropractic achieves wonders for their back pain relief. Using the chiropractic flexion-distraction and decompression adjustment, Moriarty Chiropractic stretched their spine in just the right way. Are you recovering from a spine injury or just want to maintain a pain-free lifestyle? With all the hype you've been hearing, you are tempted to take one of Moriarty Chiropractic's chiropractors home with you! All joking aside, there are a core set of back stretches you can do in the privacy of your home. Stretching exercises are a great beginning. Exercise and stretching complement any chiropractic care you are receiving. Through stretching you can take charge of your spinal condition and help maintain spinal pain relief.

Weak, tight muscles are often troublesome for low back pain sufferers. The spine is supported by the back, abdomen, and buttocks. These muscle groups are collectively known as the core muscles. You can, by releasing joint and muscle tension, with stretching increase your spinal flexibility as well.

Simple Backstretches and Spinal Stretches for Nashua Patients

Stability Ball: Relax and Stretch

 Low back stability ball exercise
 
Reminiscent to the yoga pose, the "Cat Stretch", where you position yourself on hands and knees and stretch your spine upwards is the stability ball back stretch exercise. The stability ball assists in supporting your position during the stretch, making it a little easier to perform. Your lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine regions all benefit from just lying over the stability ball as you stretch. Even though "just lying over the ball" seems easy, you will find that your sense of balance is challenged making you aware of muscle groups you may not have been noticing before. All this is assists in your recovery, to maintain a pain-free lifestyle. One report states that performing spinal muscle exercises on a stability ball could reduce low back loading and thereby reduce the potential for re-injuring your back (1). As you recover from your spinal pain condition, you will want to build muscle strength to maintain a pain free lifestyle, but that is for another article. Currently, focus on stretching your spine for pain relief with simple back stretches.

Knee Chest Exercise

 Knee-chest exercise
 
Here is an exercise easy to do anywhere, without the need of equipment, is the knee-chest exercise. You can do the knee-chest exercise lying in bed, on the floor, or even on the couch. In addition to effectively stretching the spine it also stretches the hamstring and gluteus muscles. As it stretches and relaxes the spine, improves flexibility, and feels well.

Check with Moriarty Chiropractic first before beginning any exercise regimen not yet recommended to you. If we have discussed your readiness to exercise, improve your spinal flexibility and ability to relax the back by beginning to stretch your spine today.

Contact Moriarty Chiropractic with any questions you might have.

References
  1. Drake J, Fischer SL, Brown S, Callaghan J: Do Exercise Balls Provide a Training Advantage for Trunk Extensor Exercises? A Biomechanical Evaluation. J of Manipul Physiol Therapeutics 2006; 29(5): 354-362