Stretch Those
Hamstrings!
Dr. Don Parkerson, Jr.
At the risk of my own job security, I’m going to tell
you a great way to decrease lower back pain, as well as prevent many lower back
injuries. Stretching
your hamstrings won’t replace a chiropractic adjustment, but it will definitely
reduce your incidence of lower back pain.
In today’s world of extreme makeovers, flexibility is
the forgotten factor among health enthusiasts.
The reason is very simple: stretching won’t make you lose weight or look
better. In fact, it may even cause
muscle soreness initially. But, the
truth is that flexibility is a key determinant in how your spine functions on a
daily basis.
A regular program of hamstring stretching will
provide you with the lower back flexibility necessary to avoid episodes of
lower back pain. At the very least,
routine stretching will reduce the severity and duration of the pains if an
event does occur.
Where Are My Hamstrings?
Your hamstrings are the group of muscles that
comprise the back of your thigh. They
begin at the base of your ischium (the bone you sit on) and run down the backs of
your thighs to attach on both sides of your knees.
The hamstrings play a key role in lower
back pain, as patients who have lower back pain often have tight hamstrings,
and vice versa. Hamstring tightness
limits motion in the pelvis and can place it in a position that increases
stress across the lower back. Therefore,
it follows that stretching the hamstring muscles typically decreases the
intensity of a patient’s back pain and the frequency of recurrences.
As we grow older, the hamstrings lose some of their
elasticity and exert a pulling force on the lower back. This is particularly true in those who were
athletic at one time and developed good strength and size in the hamstring
muscles. As regular exercise gets
replaced with desk jobs and hour-long commutes, the hamstrings gradually grow
shorter and less flexible.
Let’s Stretch!
While there are countless ways to stretch your
hamstrings, I am going to outline the two that are least likely to cause injury
to your lower back.
While sitting on a firm bed or table,
simply bend forward at the waist, with one leg relatively straight, and reach
forward toward your toes. For balance,
you may let your other leg hang off the side of the bed or table. (See picture at right) Hold that stretched position for
30-45 seconds at a time for each leg, one to two times each day.
The stretch on the muscle should be
applied evenly and bouncing should be avoided because a bouncing motion will
trigger a spasm response in the muscle being stretched. It is also very important that you stretch
both legs equally to maintain balance in your pelvic area.
In time, the hamstring muscles will
gradually lengthen and become more flexible, thus reducing stress on the lower
back.
You can also use a similar technique to stretch both
legs at the same time. (See
picture at Left). As always, try
to keep your knees as flat as possible, and slowly extend your hands toward
your feet. Gently hold each stretch for
a period of 30-45 seconds, remembering not to “bounce” during the stretch.
Just a couple of words of caution:
·
If your
hamstrings haven’t been stretched in a while, you will probably experience
soreness after your first day of stretching.
For this reason, it is imperative that you start slowly! You don’t have be an Olympic gymnast to have
a healthier lower back.
·
If you
experience pains other than the typical muscle soreness, stop immediately and
consult your chiropractor or physician.
To make stretching a consistent habit, a
good idea is to stretch every morning when getting up and again before going to
bed. Think of hamstring stretching as good back hygiene and make it a part of
your daily routine.
For further information on this topic, you may contact Dr. Parkerson at
770.952.5353, by email at Parkerson@humberparkerson.com, or visit our clinic
on the web at www.HumberParkerson.com.
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson
Clinic 2005
September 2005 Issue of The
Highest Level
