Yesterday we looked at how one of the muscles in the gluteal region, the GLUTEUS MEDIUS may be contributing to your low back pain and stiffness. As promised today I will be talking about a simple stretch you can do that may help.
As you can see from the picture above, the stretch is best done on the side of a bed. To stretch the left side of the lower back and hip, place your left leg on the bed straight in front making a 90 degree angle at the knee. Gently hinge forward at the waist moving the centre of your chest towards the knee without flexing your spine forward. Try to keep the knee on the bed – if it elevates this likely indicates a very tight hip. Take the stretch to the point where you feel it in your lower back on that side extending into the left gluteal region. If you are doing this stretch properly you should feel tension in the lower back and glute but not pain. Make sure to do this stretch on both sides and hold it for 30-60 seconds to start.
If you can’t quite figure it out on your own please feel free to ask me to help you at your next visit.
Keeping the low back, hips and SI joints mobile will go a long way to help you steer clear of problems in these areas.
I will have more stretches for different areas such as mid/upper back, shoulders and neck to follow soon.
Hope this information helps you stay feeling and functioning well!
Dr. Pete
