Health and Exercise

The lower back, or lumbar region of the spine, carries the weight of the body, making the muscles prone to strain. This is where most people experience back pain. The spine should normally have a curve in it or an ‘S’ shape. Feel the the lower part of your spine – it curves.

It might not seem obviously necessary to stretch your legs to help your back pain, but it is. The lower back is acted upon by the muscles connected to the lower torso. One example, of this is the abdominal muscles. They are key muscles that keep the lower spine straight, which is the subject of another article. In this article, I discuss stretching the back of the legs or hamstring muscles and how that helps prevent or relieve lower back pain.

Tight hamstrings, caused by insufficient stretching exercise, will tend to pull on the pelvis. This is because the top of the long hamstring is attached to the pelvis and so this causes a rounding of the lower back. Over months and years, this postural imbalance will lead to back pain.

Look at the diagram. Normally you would see the man with an S shape in his back. In the image,the pelvis has been pulled backwards by the hamstring. The normal S curve in his back is not there. Over time, he is likely to suffer from back pain.

Sit on the ground with your right leg straight out in front of you. Bend your left leg, so that your left foot is close to your right leg. Bend forward at the hips and reach for your right shin or ankle. Pull gently. Hold the position for 30 seconds. If this is painful to your lower back, then rather stand on your left leg and rest your right foot on a chair or table, then bend forward and hold your right foot or ankle.

Stretching guidelines A.Breathe. Don’t hold your breath. Holding your breath can raise your blood pressure, if you do suffer from high blood pressure. In any event, it makes you more tense. The deeper you breathe, the more relaxed you are, the deeper and longer you will be able to stretch. B.Never force a stretch beyond the point of mild discomfort. Stretching tight muscles will be uncomfortable, but you should never feel any sharp or sudden pain. If you do, stop immediately-you are pushing yourself too far. Stretch the muscle at less of an angle eg in this exercise, don’t bend forward as much. C.Be consistent. Stretching for a few minutes each day will gradually build flexibility and range of motion. This is far preferable to stretching only once a week for a longer time. D.Wear loose comfortable clothing. It’s obviously very difficult to stretch if your clothes are tight and restrict movement. E.Time yourself and try to increase your time in each stretch by a few seconds each week. Start with 10-15 seconds and extend this by 5 seconds each week until you can hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds.