For People Who Sit For More Than 4 Hours A Day: Learn The Top 3 30 Second Mirco-stretches That Reduce Your Chances Of Missing Work Due To Back Pain By 70%
Back pain is the LEADING cause of missed work, disability claims, and workplace injury. Studies show that 80 percent of adults will suffer with back pain. Americans spend more money on back pain then they spend on cancer!! BUT… Back injuries almost always get better!! The most effective treatment is EDUCATION about how your back works, ages, and fails. For the office worker who's stuck behind a desk 8+ hours a day- these three simple stretches have been proven to reduce back pain throughout your work day. Do a round of these one time every 2 hours- or 3-5x daily.
1- Standing Back Bends
Keep your discs healthy… Reduce forward bending, repeated bending, too much sitting, and low lifting. We spend way too much time sitting and bending… damaging discs. Reverse this by frequent 10-sec backward bending stretches. This restores water content in discs and reduces disc bulging. Frequent standing back bends during the day, then at end day lie on your belly propped up on-elbows one minute or full press-ups to stretch backward 3 seconds, 5 times.
2- Seated Knee Straightening (nerve and hamstring stretch)
Seated up tall- gently straighten one leg until stretch is felt behind leg... make sure that as you straighten your knee- your back DOES NOT round. If it wants to round/rock back- go to the point where you feel it wanting to round and no further. Hold the stretch at the top for 2 seconds. Perform 10 reps each leg.
3- Relaxation
Stress worsens Pain- and then Pain worsens Stress...
A simple RELAXATION EXERCISE can greatly reduce this process. Do this often through the day. Make fists and shrug shoulders as you inhale 3 seconds - tensing your muscles... then relax everything.
If you sit for most of the day- pressure increases in certain structures throughout the lower back (most commonly this can cause things like herniated discs, piriformis problems, hip pain, or sciatica). This reduces the blood flow to the area (picture sitting on a sponge soaked with water... sitting on it for hours would squash all the water out and prevent any water from reabsorbing back on in... eventually, if you sit there long enough it would dry out. In the body, the same concept happens- as we stay in one position (sitting) we decrease blood flow and oxygen to tissue. Without fresh blood flow, waste within the tissue builds up- and can cause pain. Doing the above exercises throughout the day keeps tissue healthy and moving- so that blood and oxygen never gets cut off for too long.
If you live in the Royersford, Collegeville, Phoenixville, or King Of Prussia, PA area- and work has you stuck behind a desk- give these "microstretches" a try.
Any question? Email me directly at charliejohnsondpt@gmail.com