Tight Hamstrings Can Contribute to Back Pain. Our Advice?… Stretch it Out.

photo ©Wikipedia

Hamstrings are one of the most important grouping of muscles within the body. They help to prolong the body’s stability, balance, and long term mobility. When the hamstrings are tight, they can pull the lower back out of alignment, which can then lead to back pain. Located just above the Hamstrings is the Piriformis muscle, positioned immediately adjacent to the sciatic nerve (a thick nerve running from the base of the spine, along the glute muscles and down the back of the legs). The Piriformis’s job is to laterally rotate the femur with hip extension and abduct the femur with hip flexion. For example, In the action of walking,  the abduction of the flexed thigh is important because it shifts the body’s weight to the opposite side of the foot being lifted, which keeps us from falling.

As you can see… these are an important set of muscles! They help to guide, balance and protect the body. Long story short… we owe it to our bodies to stretch these muscles out for at least 15 minutes per day.

How does one do that? Well luckily our Beverly Hills Posture, certified yoga therapist- Wendy Obstler, has taken a time-out from her busy schedule to demonstrate a few gentle hip and hamstring stretches. Each of these stretches aids in opening up the piriformis muscle and the top of the hamstrings, to help relieve pain that might be associated with sciatica or Piriformis Syndrome.

Throughout these stretches, we ask you to: be sure to breath, listen to your body and perform the stretches at your own comfortable pace. Here’s to a happy Piriformis and a happy and healthy spine!

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Stretch 1:

Stretch 2:  (utilizes a band, yoga strap, or towel that you can hook around your leg or foot)

Stretch 3:

If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.

The benefits of a good stretch – we’ve got a few tips!

Stretching.  We hear about it all the time.  We all know that we are supposed to stretch, but most of us don’t.  If we do stretch, we often have no real idea what we are doing or why. We  are big fans of stretching at Beverly Hills Posture, so we thought we’d offer some tips and hints about stretching and dispel some of the myths surrounding some of the commonly held beliefs about stretching overall.

1. Warm up before stretching

Many of us think about stretching as part of our warm up prior to exercise.  In fact, we should be warming up BEFORE stretching.  Stretching cold muscles can cause injury.  So warming up with a few minutes of walking or cycling is the best approach.  Also, research shows that stretching can cause a short-term dip in muscle strength, so you should save your major stretching until after your weight workout.

2. Stretching for good posture

Stretching helps us maintain good posture.  By allowing the body to maintain its natural balance, it is much easier for us to avoid the slumping that leads to poor posture.

3. Stretch out cramps

To stretch out a calf cramp or “Charley Horse”, pull the toes up towards your shin in an opposing stretch.  The calf muscle pulls the foot down, so you want to do stretches in the opposite direction to offset the cramp.

4. Yoga for flexibility

Many people think they need to be flexible to practice Yoga.  In fact, Yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility.  The BHP Yoga Team would be happy to meet with you regarding starting a Yoga regimen.

5. Muscle balance

Remember when stretching to make sure that you are stretching in a balanced manner.  For example, if you are stretching your quads, make sure you are also stretching your hamstrings.

6. Ankle flexibility

Try the alphabet stretch to maintain good ankle flexibility.  Simply trace each letter of the alphabet with your toes, one foot at a time.

7. Hamstring stretch

Lie on your back on the floor.  Leave one leg extended on the floor and raise the other, knee straight, until you feel the stretch in your hamstring.  You can loop a towel around your leg with the ends in your hands to make this easier.

Remember to warm up before stretching and to breathe.

8. Quadriceps stretch

Lie on your side.  Bend the knee of the top leg, moving the heel towards your rear end.  Gently assist the stretch until you feel tension in your quad.  Hold for thirty seconds.  Repeat two to three times on each side.

9. Neck Stretch

Stretching the neck muscles can alleviate neck pain.  Simply turn your head until your chin is over your shoulder (or as close as you can get).  Hold this position for 20 seconds, breathing consistently throughout.  Repeat this stretch on both sides.

10. Corner stretch for your chest

Stand facing a corner with one hand on each wall, about chin level.  Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your chest and shoulders.  This will help open up your chest.

11. Over stretching

When it comes to stretching, remember that more is not always better.  Genetics do play a part in how flexible you are.  Stretching through pain is not a good practice.  This can cause joint laxity and muscle injury.  Gently pushing into your stretches and always remembering to breathe is the most effective and safest method.

These are just a few of literally thousands of stretches you can do.  Many are specific to certain conditions or designed to assist with physical therapy.  A well thought out stretching regimen is an important part of any fitness plan.

If you have any questions regarding anything we’ve written or would like to book an appointment with us, please click HERE to be directed to our contact page. Beverly Hills Posture is proud to offer Chiropractic Care with an abundance of options including- Yoga, Pilates, Gyrotonic, Acupuncture, Acupressure and Massage Therapy. We dedicate ourselves to creating a healthier you.