Chronic back pain is one of the most common physical complaints amongst adults. While rest is often the immediate and obvious thought to remedy back pain, you may be surprised to learn that assisted stretching is a great way to provide lower back pain relief as well.
Back pain can be acute or chronic. Acute back pain is short-term pain that resolves itself in a matter of days or weeks. Chronic back pain is a long-term complaint of pain characterized by a period lasting three months or longer. Chronic back pain can be debilitating and often decreases one’s quality of life.
Chronic Back Pain Causes
Back pain can be non-specific (no obvious cause) or mechanical (pain related to bones, joints, soft tissues). This back pain often feels better when lying or sitting down and feels worse with movement or standing up. This type of pain may be the result of a muscle strain from lifting an object incorrectly or could be age-related.
Medical Conditions That Can Cause Back Pain:
- Arthritis of the spine—the gradual deterioration of the cartilage of the spine.
- Spinal stenosis— narrowing of the spinal canal, this can sometimes cause nerve-related pain.
- Disc problems, including herniated discs.
- Sciatica- irritation of the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of the leg. Sciatica may cause pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the lower back, buttocks, legs, and feet.
- Myofascial pain syndrome—unexplained muscle pain and tenderness.
If medical conditions ruled out and provided, it is safe to do so, exploring therapies may be beneficial in aiding in soreness recovery.
The Advantages of Assisted Stretching
The back is a broad area, and often chronic back pain may be a result of tight muscles. The body works as one single unit. If a particularly tight muscle exists, this will cause other muscles to work differently and perhaps overcompensate, which will ultimately alter your posture. For this reason, it is essential to ensure that all muscles are stretched to provide the best possible opportunity to resolve the problem— if this is, in fact, the cause.
While the last thing you may feel like doing is moving, exercise and stretching could be just the thing to help ease your pain and get you back on your feet. Assisted stretching is stretching that aided by someone else, ideally a physical therapist or physical trainer. With the help of a professional, stretches get conducted safely and correctly. The body can ease into positions that allow for maximum and active stretching of the muscles.
Exercise and stretching can be highly beneficial in getting rid of lower back pain and is often prescribed by doctors. At Stretch Station, we create a tailored stretching program for each client that is specific to their needs. Contact the experts to find out more about the bespoke services we offer and how they could help with lower back pain relief.