The American Chiropractic Association reports that about 31 million people in the U.S. are dealing with back pain at any given moment. Many people get pain in their lower back from sitting for long periods of time at work. This type of pain can also be worsened by sitting with poor posture. Fortunately, there are steps you can take that can help decrease your pain, and one option is to do these two lower back pain stretches when you’re sitting.
- Seated hamstring stretch
The hamstring is a muscle in the back of the thigh, and it can contribute to lower back pain when sitting if it’s tight. One exercise that can help decrease hamstring tightness is the seated hamstring stretch. This exercise can help reduce your lower back pain by reducing the tension in your hamstrings, and it can also be done in just a few minutes without leaving your desk.
While seated at your desk, move both feet so that they’re flat on the floor, and then stretch your right leg out straight with your heel resting on the floor. You’ll also want to have your knees pointing forward and your back straight before beginning the seated hamstring stretch. Once in the starting position, flex your foot toward you. Hold this position to stretch the hamstring for about 10 seconds, and then release the stretch and switch legs to stretch the left hamstring. Continue to repeat the stretch on both legs until you’ve stretched each leg three times.
- Seated twist stretch
Another stretching exercise that can help reduce lower back pain when you’re sitting is the seated twist stretch. This therapeutic exercise is intended to target the tense muscles in your lower back, and it can also help stretch the oblique muscles in your sides as well.
The starting position for this exercise requires that you sit up straight in your chair. You’ll also want to make sure your knees and feet are facing forward and that your knees are directly over your ankles. From this starting position, slowly twist to the right until you feel a stretch in your lower back. You can place your hands on your right leg and right chair arm to help you twist, but make sure you don’t pull too hard. Hold the twist for 10 to 15 seconds. Then return your body to the starting position. For the best results, you should repeat these steps to twist to the left, and you will want to continue stretching alternating sides until you’ve done three reps on each side.
Find help at Peak Performance for lower back pain when sitting
Are you dealing with lower back pain when sitting? We’re ready to help you find out why you’re in pain with a free screening at one of our six locations in North Carolina. Our team can also help build you an individualized treatment plan for your pain, and this plan can include beneficial therapy techniques such as:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Electrical stimulation
- Manual therapy
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
- Ergonomic training
Take the next step to start getting our help with your back pain treatment. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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