Putting on socks, doing dishes, gardening, picking up toys off the floor – what do these things have in common? They all require us to bend, or flex, our lumbar spine. How many times per day do we flex our spine? Too many to count! Even sitting puts our spine in a flexed position and as a society we sit a lot – in our car, at our desks, reading, watching TV.
Now consider the opposite of flexion – backward bending or extension of the lumbar spine (shown at right.) How often do we extend our spine in a day? The answer for most of us is not very often. This creates a significant imbalance for our spine. This imbalance sets us up for injury as there is uneven wear and tear on our discs, increased pressure on our ligaments, and a constant stretch on our spinal muscles.
What would happen if you kept your knee in a bent position and did not straighten it out for a whole day? Your knee cap, quads, and knee ligaments would be very sore. Also, after that day of maintaining a bent knee, when you went to straighten it out, or extend it, your knee would feel very stiff and it would be difficult to do. We understand this concept with our knees, yet we expect our spines to tolerate prolonged flexion and/or repeated flexion every day. No wonder 80-90% of us will experience low back pain in our lives.
What can we do to change this imbalance and reduce our chance of developing low back pain? The answer is simple- increase how often we extend our spine and reduce how much we flex it. There are several ways to do this.
- Perform press ups in the morning and at nighttime.
- Perform extensions in standing or wall sags throughout the day
- Interrupt sitting every 20-30 minutes by standing and walking (your spineextends when you walk).
- Use a lumbar roll when sitting. (The roll will maintain the natural curve in yourspine called your lordosis).
- Minimize flexion by squatting or performing a golfer’s lift when lifting.
A note of caution: extension of the spine is NOT for everyone. There are some spinal conditions that worsen with extension. Performing extensions should not cause pain or other symptoms in your buttocks or legs. The best way to determine if extension is right for you is to consult a physical therapist so they can perform a mechanical exam on your back. Contact Dresher Physical Therapy today before your imbalance causes your next episode of back pain.
