Have You Ever Thrown Your Back Out?
If you’ve ever thrown your back out, whether awkwardly picking something up from the floor or maybe after a long day's yard work, you probably heard the same old advice: “Just rest until it feels better.”
While rest has its place, one of the most important things you can do after throwing your back out is to MOVE YOUR SPINE!
After throwing your back out, your spine is in a state of increased neuromuscular sensitivity, or as I put it it's in a ramped state. When you stop moving, the muscles around your spine can stiffen, the joints follow the same blueprint, and the pain can actually last longer. Directed, intentional movement can help.
As performance physical therapists, we see this all the time: athletes who keep their spines moving in the early stages of recovery bounce back faster, feel stronger, and return to training quicker. Here’s some of our favorite exercises in the early stages of physical therapy for someone who has thrown their back out:
1) Supine Twists
2) Lateral Trunk Stretch
3) Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
4) Seated Lumbar Flexion Ball Roll Outs
5) Side Planks
6) Elevated Bridges
7) Bulgarian Split Squats (Bodyweight)
So if you throw your back out, remember, MOVE YOUR SPINE. And when it does, good shit happens!
Helping athletes RESOLVE THEIR PAIN by CLEARLY DEFINING THE PROBLEM and IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS to get them back doing the activities they love!
If you are currently struggling with an injury or unable to perform in the activities you enjoy. Please follow the link to schedule a consultation call to discuss how we can help you.
