Try these two stretches to reduce your back pain

More time at home often means spending more time sitting at a computer or slumped over your cellphone. After all, many more people are currently working from home or just trying to keep up with the latest events. Unfortunately, more time doing such tasks can translate into increased back pain. 

Back pain is one of the most common forms of pain that Americans experience. Researchers estimate that up to 80% of adults will experience back pain during their lifetime. Physical therapists can help you find ways to combat back pain, and two back pain stretches could be your first line of defense. 

1. Child’s Pose

Our physical therapists often recommend back pain stretches from many sources, and yoga is an excellent source of stretches intended to reduce pain. For instance, Child’s Pose can be used as a stretch for stiff and painful backs. 

How to do the Child’s Pose stretch

• Get down on the floor on your hands and knees. You can place a yoga mat under you if you need some extra padding. 

• Keep your palms on the floor and slowly sink backward until your buttocks touch your feet or until you feel a stretch in your back. 

• Hold the stretch for 10 to 15 seconds. 

• Return to the starting position, and then repeat these steps again until you’ve done the stretch three to five times. 

2. Cat-camel stretch

Some back pain stretches that therapists might recommend for you have multiple benefits, and the cat-camel stretch is an excellent example. This stretch is designed to stretch and mobilize your back, but it can also help to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. These stronger muscles can then provide greater back support, which may decrease episodes of back pain in the future. 

How to do the cat-camel stretch

• Start by getting down on all fours with your back and neck in a neutral position. 

• From this starting position, arch your back upward toward the ceiling until you feel a stretch. 

• Hold the stretch for five seconds. 

• After the five seconds are up, arch your back down toward the ground. 

• Hold this stretch for five seconds. 

• Continue to repeat these steps until you’ve done five to 10 repetitions of each stretching position. 

Find more than just back pain stretches at Armor Physical Therapy

Are you looking for back pain treatment that goes beyond just stretches? Our Armor Physical Therapy team is ready and willing to assist you. We offer free screenings designed to pinpoint the source of your back pain. Our therapists can also build you an individualized therapy plan intended to reduce your pain by targeting its underlying cause. 

We can even help you get therapy for your back without leaving home. In fact, we’re currently offering both virtual care and at-home therapy sessions, and you won’t even have to go to your doctor to get a referral because we don’t require one for any of our services. 

Contact us today for more information about our treatment services for back pain or to schedule an initial appointment.