Instant Relief From Low Back Pain!

Low back pain, just above the pelvis/hips, is common among runners, people who sit for long periods at their jobs or at school, or who do a lot of heavy lifting.

For those who spend a great deal of time sitting, the hamstring muscles, located at the back of the thigh, are often in their shortened position due to the bend of the knee while in a chair. This shortening and tightening of the hamstrings tends to pull on the pelvis, causing it to tilt backward which leads to poor posture and low back pain.

Prolonged exposure to this kind of poor sitting posture and shortening of the hamstrings can cause subluxations in the low spine, hips, and pelvis. This means the joints are misaligned. Your chiropractor can look at the way you stand, walk, and/or sit and be able to identify these misalignments. When you lay face down on the adjustment table, your legs will often show a difference in length further indicating which way your hips and pelvis are rotating. Your chiropractor will work to re-align these areas and may even do a bit of leg stretching to loosen up the hamstrings a bit.

Something you can do in between adjustments TODAY to feel relief, is to stretch out those hammies!! Here are a few stretches you can perform while on the job, during a break at school, or in the evenings before bed would also help the body prepare for sleep by entering a more relaxed state. Take three slow, deep breaths while in the stretch and try to work up to holding each stretch you choose for 30-60 seconds.

Standing Forward Fold: Stand with feet hip distance apart, or close together, whichever feels more stable for you. Bend forward at the hip, letting the head and arms dangle toward the feet. LEAN BACK with your weight toward the heels, rather than letting your weight shift to the toes. Bend at the knee as much as you need to let the belly rest on top of the thighs. Once comfortable, work to straighten the legs until you feel a stretch at the backs of the thighs. Do not stretch to the point of pain! Think of a lengthening massage!

Seated Forward Fold: If you’re at work or school, sit on the edge of your chair with legs outstretched, heels on the floor and toes pointing up. (If you’re in a rolling office chair, be careful not to slide backward!) Sit up with a tall spine and bend forward at the hip. A straight spine will isolate the stretch to the back of the leg, if you round the spine with your forehead toward the thighs you will also feel the stretch in the low back. Rounding the spine could potentially remove some of the stretch from the hamstrings so find that happy balance where you still feel the stretch in the legs. (If you’re at home, this one can be performed on the bed, floor, or edge of the couch!)

Half Butterfly: Seated on the floor or bed, extend one leg out in front of you and bend the other leg so the bottom of your foot is touching the side of your knee or thigh of the extended leg. Fold forward from the hip, bending the knee of the extended leg as much as you need. Just be sure to adjust your body as needed to isolate the stretch to the back of the thigh of the extended leg. If performing this stretch while sitting in bed, you may want to sit on a cushion or pillow to lift the hips.

There are LOADS of ways to stretch the hamstrings, these are just a few. Try a Google Image search for “hamstring stretch” and see if something pops up that looks intriguing to you and give it a try! Let us know how it goes and feel free to give us a call if you’d like to consult on some custom stretches for your unique situation.

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Thank you and farewell to Malarie!

Our Wichita office has loved having Malarie as a professional and capable chiropractic assistant for the last several months. Malarie is moving on to her next role in social work using her master’s degree. Her last day is March 21 so be sure to send your well wishes to her in our Wichita office before then!

In Health and Wellness,

PCW Staff

Dr. Shawn, Dr. Kayla, Maddy, Charlene and Claire