By Brian Anderson, D.C.
Every day in my private practice I see people suffer from chronic pain. Through chiropractic care, I have helped thousands but what I would like to see are patients being able to help themselves. Chiropractors live by the motto: "Prevent that which you treat" and therefore I try to teach my patients what they can do at home to prevent recurrent flare-ups.
The simplest thing also becomes the hardest to do…stretch, stretch and stretch some more. In chronic pain patients, tight ligaments and muscles are everywhere and the treatment is simple.
Almost everyone knows to stretch before exercising, but did you know that stretching before beginning your workday could limber up your muscles and help start each day in a more positive frame of mind? Many organizations are now offering morning stretching for employees.
When you stretch, be sure to stretch correctly or you could hurt yourself. Stretching too quickly or too far can injure ligaments. Stretch slowly and carefully to the point of light tension (not to the point of pain), hold the stretch for 30 seconds and avoid bouncing during the stretch.
Follow these 8 simple stretches before starting your workday:
- Bend forward. Sitting on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor, lean forward until your chest rests over your knees. Let your arms hang loosely, fingertips on the floor.
- Act like a flamingo. While standing, hold on to the back of your chair and grasp your right ankle with your left hand. Keep your hips facing straight ahead and pull your ankle up toward your buttocks as far as you can. Hold, then repeat with the other leg.
- Stand in the corner. Stand 24 inches or less from the corner of a room and place your forearms flat on each wall at shoulder height. Place your feet together, lean forward and touch your nose to the corner, like a push-up.
- Cross your arms. Bring your left arm, elbow bent, across your chest, parallel to the floor. Use your right hand to pull your left arm further across your body. Repeat with your other arm.
- Stretch your neck. Reach your right over your head and gently grasp the left side of your head. Gently pull your head away from your left shoulder with your hand. Repeat with other side of your head.
- Scratch your back. Reach down the middle of your back with you left hand, pointing your elbow toward the ceiling. Gently push your elbow down with your right hand for a deeper stretch. Repeat with your other arm.
- Shrug, roll and move your shoulders. Lift your shoulders up to your ears by squeezing your shoulder blades together, pause for 10 seconds, then release. Put your hands on your waist and slowly circle your shoulders forward 10 times. Repeat this movement backwards as well. Finally, extend both arms sideways at shoulder height and rotate your arms 10 times in small circles. Then repeat, circling backwards.
- Do the twist. Sitting in your chair, cross your right knee over the left knee. Place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and your right hand on your right armrest or on your desk. While sitting up straight, press your left hand into your right thigh and gently twist to the right. Look over your shoulder and hold. Repeat in the other direction.
These stretches will go along way in preventing current flare-ups and any future problems. Do them on a regular basis and do it until it becomes habit. In daily practice, patients always tell me that it works, but they tend to let the ball drop. Consistency is the key!
