Hamstring
Stretches To Ease Lower Back Pain.
A
lot of us have suffered lower back pain especially after being on our feet all
day or after a big walk or run. So here's a little tip you can try at home to
help ease that tight achy feeling...stretch your
hamstrings!
Of course there are many muscles that connect in around the lower back and can
effect it, you have your abdominal muscles, your hip flexors, your gluts, your
quads on the front of the thigh and your hamstrings on the back of your
thigh....this last group of muscles is what I want to focus on today.
The group of
muscles on the back of your thigh is made up of 3 muscles and grouped together
called the hamstrings...the 3 muscles are called semimembranosus, semitendinosus and
biceps femoris.
So how can
these muscles affect my lower back?
Because these muscles are attached to the lower part of the pelvis they can
have an effect on the position of the pelvis. The bottom part of the hamstring
group attaches just below the knee so can affect the knee joint too, but that’s
another story.
When the hamstrings are tight they can tend to pull on the pelvis, so this
causes a flattening of the lower backs natural curve.
Over time, this postural imbalance will lead to back pain. In Image A, the
person on the right's lower back is flattened, meaning that the hips have been
pulled backwards by the hamstring. His back no longer has an 'S' shape and is
likely to suffer from lower back pain.
By stretching
or having regular massage on your hamstrings you are able to remove the tension
in the muscle and improve it’s flexibility and therefore allowing the lower
back to ease back into it’s normal
position...the “S” shape
Image A Image B
So, making
sure you stretch the hamstring muscles by starting with your foot on a step or
chair as pictured, and begin with a bent knee.(Image B) Slowly bend forward from the
hips not the lower back until you feel a stretch. For some of you this maybe
enough, so hold here. Otherwise start to straighten the knee to obtain a good
stretch...hold for 30 seconds.
Stretch daily when your muscles are warm, after exercise or a hot bath or shower.
Remember that massage can help with loosening off your hamstrings and easing
your lower back pain too.
Happy
Stretching!
Reference: The Stretching Institute
