Increase Flexibility and Decrease Back Pain
Video by Dr. Trent Yeomans
I get a lot of questions in the East Dallas clinic on how to decrease back pain and increase flexibility, or statements like “I always feel like my hamstrings are tight and I’m not flexible.” While the answer to these questions always depends on the individual asking them and what they are currently going through, a lot of the time I think it is that we just don’t take our body and limbs through full ranges of motion with resistance daily. That is Hiltons law and resistance training is a great way to unlock your hips, loosen up you hamstrings and open your posture. In a Systematic review done by Alizadeh et al. 2023 they looked at all the research out there on resistance training and its improvement on range of motion of different joints in our body.
They found that consistently when people resistance training with an external load placed on their body like weight, resistance band, or weighted ball/kettlebell, range of motion (flexibility) improved. They also found that when it came to increases in flexibility stretching before or after the weight training did not matter. Here is an exercise called a deep kettlebell squat hold that I do to help open up the hips increase flexibility and keep you out of pain.
“Stretching was long considered an essential component of warm-ups, fitness, and health. However, the use of stretching as a warm-up component or training routine (i.e., stretching over several weeks) to improve range of motion (ROM), performance, and health has been subjected to a number of counter arguments over the past 20+ years.”
“As resistance training with external loads can improve range of motion, additional stretching prior to or after resistance training may not be necessary to enhance flexibility.”
Exercise: Deep Kettlebell Squat Hold
References
Alizadeh S, Daneshjoo A, Zahiri A, Anvar SH, Goudini R, Hicks JP, Konrad A, Behm DG. Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2023 Mar;53(3):707-722. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x. Epub 2023 Jan 9. PMID: 36622555; PMCID: PMC9935664.
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. Our East Dallas Doctors, located in Lakewood at the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., are here to teach you that taking care of your mental health and getting the proper nutrients are just as important as the chiropractic adjustment to stay healthy.
