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Low Back Pain School – Lesson 3
Dr. Theresa went live on LinkedIn for Lesson 3 of Low Back Pain School. This session focused on Low Back Mobility: Four Techniques to Loosen up Your Back. Check out some of her key points below and watch the video replay for the full depth coverage.
Key Takeaways from the Low Back School, Lesson 3
#1 Your Low Back needs Movement in ALL PLANES.
One of the best ways to loosen up your low back is to move it in all directions. This is because movement is how our muscles and joints get their blood flow and nutrients. However, we often avoid bending or extending or twisting our backs due to either a sedentary lifestyle or due to a fear of hurting our backs which can cause tightness. We can and SHOULD move our spines in so many different ways: flexion (bending), extension (arching), rotation (twisting), and lateral flexion (side bending). If we don’t, those movements can start to feel stiff or even painful.
#2 Mobility work requires consistency and repetition
Making changes in our body sometimes seems impossible but our nervous system, which is responsible for how movement feels, is actually very “plastic.” This means that it adapts and changes over time to our actions and movements. One of the main drivers of these changes is repetition. So, the more often we do mobility work for our back, the more quickly our nervous system will respond by decreasing feelings of stiffness. Aim for 3-4 times per day of 10-15 reps of each of the exercises below, and you’ll see a big difference in your low back tightness.
#3 Adding some easy exercises into your day can help low back tightness.
Dr. T demonstrated and talked through four different low back mobilization techniques. These included an exercise for extension, one for flexion, a hip mobility drill, and a rotation for the upper and mid back. Each of these exercises can help with low back stiffness. Watch the videos for some new drills to incorporate into your daily routine…they are perfect for desk breaks!